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Why Apple Lets You Choose Your Music Service
You can finally use something other than Apple Music
By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 10, 2021 01:52PM EST Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Software & Apps Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Key Takeaways
The iOS 14.5 beta let you set a default music app to use with Siri.Apple may be trying to allay antitrust accusations by opening up its built-in services.Many third-party music and podcast apps can be chosen. Cezar Sampaio / Unsplash Next time you tell Siri to play a song, it might offer you the option to play it with Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, or another non-Apple music app. In iOS 14.5. Apple has added the option to set third-party music apps as the Siri default. Any time you use Siri to play a song, album, or songs by an artist, it will use your chosen service instead of Apple Music. This comes a few months after Apple made it possible to change the default web browser and email apps on iOS. What’s going on? Why is Apple being so generous? "My guess is that it could have something to do with the recent antitrust discussions," music producer Marcus Wadell told Lifewire via email. "This might be a way for Apple to let some of the dust settle on the issue." Apple and Antitrust
The EU and US are both eyeing Big Tech companies like Apple and Amazon, assessing whether their practices impair market competition. In Apple’s case, this comes down to the App Store, and its built-in apps like Safari, Mail, and Apple Music. Prior to iOS 14, tapping a web link would open Safari, and tapping a "mailto" link would open the Mail app. In iOS 14, Apple made it possible to set third-party defaults instead. With Apple Music, the lock-in comes via Siri: If you tell the voice assistant to play a song, then it does so using Apple Music. You’ve been able to specify other services by naming them in your spoken request, but you could never set a default. Being able to change your default ‘phone’ app to something like WhatsApp, Skype, or Zoom would open up the Apple garden quite a bit. That’s changing. Users of the iOS 14.5 beta report that Siri now asks you which music service it should use. The first time you use Siri to request music, it pops up a list of possible candidate apps. If you choose Spotify, report users, Siri may ask for permission to access your Spotify account. Open Up
"If you're a Spotify user already, it makes your iPhone experience that much better," says Wadell. "It could get rid of little annoyances like your phone auto-connecting to your car Bluetooth and blasting a song from Apple Music." And it’s not just Spotify. According to a thread on Reddit, this new feature picks up on many music and podcast apps you may already have installed, including Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple’s own Podcasts app, the Books app, and Castro. This is a welcome change. The iPhone and iPad are becoming more powerful and capable, yet we still don’t have the same amount of control over our mobile computers that we have on our laptops and desktops. Things are slowly opening up, though, as we can see. For instance, whenever you choose to share something in iOS—a link, a photo, and so on—a row of icons appears at the top of the share sheet, with suggestions of your most recent recipients. This used to only show mail and iMessage contacts, but since iOS 13, any third-party messaging app can register to show up here—Telegram and Signal are two that have added this feature. Messaging apps can also announce incoming messages via AirPods Pro, just like iMessage. So, what’s next? How about the phone part of the iPhone? Could that ever happen? "Being able to change your default ‘phone’ app to something like WhatsApp, Skype, or Zoom would open up the Apple garden quite a bit." says Wadell. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Use Siri on iPhone 12 YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Which Service Better Fits Your Music Needs? How to Use Siri to Play Music How to Customize CarPlay and Unlock Hidden Secrets How to Stop Apple Music From Automatically Playing Apple Music vs. Spotify: Which One is Right for You? The 9 Best Free Music Streaming Apps for iOS and Android (2022) How to Shazam a Song That's Already on Your Phone How to See Your Stats and Top Artists on Apple Music (2022) How to Buy Music on Android Without Google Play The History of iOS, from Version 1.0 to 16.0 How to Set Spotify as Your Default Music App 14 Best Places to Listen to Free Music Online Play Music on the iPhone Without Touching the Screen How to Use Apple AirPlay With HomePod How to Use Google Home With Your iPhone Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies