Audio consumption across the world has been rising significantly. According to the studies, 67% of the U.S. population consumes audio content, leaving Canada behind with 64% and following Australia with 71% of the total population (Audio Engagement Report 2023).
However, there are often some bugs or mistakes that keep on happening in mobile phones that play music unprompted. Imagine facing that issue when you’re in the middle of a meeting.
Whether you use an iPhone or an Android, this bug is unavoidable. Luckily, there are some hacks or solutions you can try on your device.
Keep reading this article till the end to find out about them.
For iPhone Users
Apple Music is the platform for iPhone users to listen to a track. While this is a powerful and versatile platform, there are occasions when users are caught off guard due to its automatic playback feature. Here’s how you can stop Apple Music from automatically playing:
Turn off the Shake to Shuffle feature in Apple Music
If you find that your phone starts to sing when you shake it, it might be because of the Shake to Shuffle feature on the app. This option triggers playback when the phone is in motion. You can disable it by going to Settings > Music > toggling off Shake to Shuffle.
Disable Auto-Play
Apple Music might sometimes automatically play music when connected to certain devices, such as AirPods, Bluetooth speakers, or your car’s infotainment system. You can verify if the auto-play is on by opening the application > tapping the Now Playing screen > looking for Autoplay > and tapping the icon to disable it.
Disable Bluetooth Auto-Connect
Another case is when your iPhone might automatically play music if it is connected to a Bluetooth device, like your wireless earbuds or car. You can manage this by going to Settings > Bluetooth > tapping the info icon > disabling Audio Sharing or disconnecting the device when it is not in use.
Turn Off Handoff Between Apple Devices
Do you have multiple Apple devices? If so, you might find that music is playing automatically on your iPhone due to the Handoff feature. You can disable this feature in Settings to stop music from playing randomly.
Reset Or Reinstall The Apple Music Application
If you have tried the above solutions but to no avail, it might be time to finally restart or reinstall the Apple Music application.
On average, people spend around 2 hours and 19 minutes per day listening on their phones.
For Android Users
The problem of music playing without a prompt is a great issue for iPhones, but Android phones are no exception. Android phone users can also face this issue. If you have one, here’s what you can do to troubleshoot this problem:
Disable Auto-Play
Android music applications, such as YouTube Music, Spotify, or Google Play Music, have autoplay features that might start playing music without your prompt. Try disabling auto-play by opening the specific music application and tweaking its Settings.
Disable Bluetooth Audio Playback
Much like the iPhone, Android devices might autoplay music when connected to a Bluetooth device. If you do not want music to play automatically, go to Settings > Bluetooth and disable autoplay.
Restrict Background Activity For Music Applications
Music applications running in the background might sometimes cause mistaken playback. You can put a hold on this by going to Settings > Apps & Notifications > App Info and finding the music application causing this issue. Open the specific application and look for the Battery section. Then, choose Restrict Background Activity so that the app does not run in the background to surprise you with a sudden blast of music.
Reset App Preferences
You may need to reset app preferences to avoid accidental actions like music playback if the issue persists. To do this, go to Settings and tap Apps > choose the three dots in the upper-right corner and choose Reset App Preferences.
Clear Cache For The Music Applications
Sometimes, accumulated cache data in music applications is the culprit causing malfunctioning. Clear the cache for the specific application to solve the problem.
You can clear the cache for the music applications you are using by going to Settings > selecting Apps & Notifications > picking the music application causing the problem > selecting Storage and choosing Clear Cache.
Clearing the cache is not going to delete your application data but it will remove corrupted files if any so that the playback issue is solved.
DID YOU KNOW? Researches on the internet show that 58% of listens are on mobile, 39% are on desktop, and 3% are on tablet devices.
Conclusion
While the sudden and unprompted playback of music on your phone can be annoying, it’s a fixable issue with the right approach. Whether you’re an iPhone or Android user, there are several steps you can take to prevent your phone from playing music on its own, ranging from disabling auto-play settings to checking Bluetooth connections.
For iPhone users, paying attention to features such as “Shake to Shuffle,” “Handoff,” and Bluetooth connections can aid in resolving the issue, whereas Android users ought to concentrate on app settings and background activity restrictions.
By following the tips provided, you can regain control over when and how your phone plays music, ensuring it doesn’t interrupt your day unexpectedly. However, if this still doesn’t solve the problem, contact an expert.
