10 Fixes for Apple Music Not Removing Downloads
Imagine trying to free up space on your iPhone, only to findApple Musicdownloads refusing to budge. Frustrating, right? Many users complain they can’t delete downloaded songs or albums from Apple Music on their iPhones. Fortunately, there are several fixes to delete them. We’ve compiled a list of fixes to remove downloaded songs from Apple Music and reclaim storage space on your iPhone.
Table of Contents
Try Basic Fixes First
Apple Music shows the downloaded songs with a specific grey circl with a downward arrow icon. That icon next to a song name means is available for offline listening on your iPhone. And if you don’t see that icon, that means the song is just part of your Apple Music Library but not downloaded on your iPhone.
Let’s start with these simple solutions before we try more complicated ones to delete those downloaded songs fromApple Music.
Restart your iPhone:Restarting your iPhone ceases all stuck processes. This is theeasiest way to fixand get things back to normal. So, tryreboot your iPhone.
Software Update:A temporary glitch may prevent songs from adding to the Apple Music library. Make sure to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version. To update your iPhone, navigate toGeneralin theSettings appand selectSoftware Update. If an iOS update is available, update your iPhone. After that, attempt to delete the downloaded songs.
Also Read:Try outnew animated album artfor your favorite albums on Apple Music.
Delete Songs From Storage Using Settings
When the Apple Music app doesn’t let you delete those downloaded songs directly, you can use the Settings app to access the entire iPhone’s Storage. Someusers on Reddithave found success with this method. Here’s a step-by-step guide for that.
1.Open theSettingsapp and selectGeneral. From there, tap oniPhone Storage.
2.Scroll down the list of apps and selectMusic. You’ll get a view of the downloaded songs that occupy some storage. To make changes, tap onEdit.
3.A delete icon will appear in front of All Songs and the Artists section in case you want to remove select songs only. Tap on thedelete iconnext to All Songs and chooseDeletebutton to remove all the downloaded songs at once. You can also delete songs from specific artists in the same way.
4.To delete specific songs or albums, tap on the name of the artist whose music you want to remove.
Pro Tip:Discover afree way to listen to music togetherand enjoy shared experiences.
Delete Songs From Music in Settings
you may try deleting songs from the Settings app’s Music section. Several usersvouched that it workswhen they couldn’t remove those downloaded songs from their iPhones.
1.In theSettingsapp, scroll down through the list and selectMusic. There, tap onDownloaded Music.
2.As mentioned in the previous method, tap on Edit to reveal a circle with a – icon. Then tap on the– iconand then onDeleteto delete the Songs.
3.In addition, you have the option to remove individual songs or albums. Tap on the artist’s name to delete their music, as mentioned above.
Pro Tip:Apple Music shows a listen count for songsto let you know the one you play often.
Uninstall a Few Apps Before Removing the Songs
you’re able to also attempt another solution by uninstalling some apps before deleting the downloaded songs. SeveralApple Music users deleted some appsto make space on their iPhones and then tried to remove the downloaded songs from Apple Music.
Pro Tip:Add lyrics to your favorite songsin Apple Music to sing along and become a karaoke star.
Enable Optimize Storage for Apple Music
you’re able to use theOptimize Storageoption for Apple Music to automatically delete the downloaded songs whenever your iPhone runs low on storage space. This can be an effective way to keep the songs you listen to often and manage the space.
1.Navigate toSettings > Music, tap onOptimize Storageand enable the toggle next toOptimize Storage.
2.You have the option to choose1GBorNone. The latter will remove all downloaded songs from your iPhone.
Reinstall the Apple Music App
Another solution is to uninstall and reinstall the Apple Music app. Reinstall may fix app-related problems, like update or configuration errors and compatibility issues. It’s like giving the app a fresh start and can help troubleshoot this issue.
1.To uninstall the Apple Music app on iPhone, long-press the Apple Music icon and selectRemove App. Then, tapDelete App.
Download Apple Music on iOS
Disable Screen Time
Screen Timeon iPhone lets you keep track of the apps and services you use often and employ control on the same and other devices using the same Apple ID. Interestingly,few users on Apple Support Communitymention that disabling Screen Time helps to delete the downloaded songs. If you have Screen Time enabled on your iPhone and want to disable it, here’s how you can do it.
1.Open theSettingsapp and selectScreen Time. Then scroll to the bottom and tap onTurn Off App & Website Activity.
2.Finally, tap onTurn Off App & Website Activityto disable Screen Time. This will let you remove the downloaded songs from Apple Music.
Remove Installed Profile
Do you use iOS beta profiles (Developer/Public Beta) on your iPhone? SeveralApple Support Community users suggestthat a configuration profile on your iPhone might prevent those downloaded songs from getting deleted.
To check if your iPhone has an installed profile, go toSettings > Generaland you will find it listed belowVPN & Device Management. Tap on it to get the delete button and hit it to remove the profile. It’s important to note that deleting a profile will also remove all the settings, apps, and data linked to it.
Note:You can invite your friends, colleagues, and other contacts with similar music taste to createcollaborative playlistsin Apple Music.
Disable Computer Syncing
Disabling syncing and removing downloaded songs can be a useful option for iPhone users who prefer to transfer music from their Mac or PC manually. You can alsodisable Computer Syncingto remove downloaded songs.
Reset Your iPhone
If previous methods didn’t work, the last option you can try isresetting all settingson your iPhone. Note that resetting all settings puts those options to the factory defaults. However, it doesn’t impact the data (contacts, messages, photos, videos, etc.) on your iPhone. Resetting your phone can be a great solution for fixing temporary glitches and refreshing system processes, which can help restore smooth functionality.
1.Open theSettings app, tap onGeneral,and scroll down to the bottom to selectTransfer or Reset iPhone. After that, selectReset.
2.To reset your iPhone, you will get five options. SelectReset All Settingsand then enter your iPhone’s Passcode.
3.Finally, hitReset All Settings.
After the reset finishes, you canset up your iPhoneas new.
Downloads Not Needed
Downloaded songs help you beat the boredom when you don’t want to spend the expensive mobile data while you’re out on a trip or for a run. Hopefully, the solutions mentioned above will help you get rid of those downloaded songs and reclaim some storage space on your iPhone. Meanwhile, you may also explore the newfeatures of Apple Musicthat arrive with iOS 17 and make the most out of it.
Ritesh Rawat
Ritesh belongs to “Devbhoomi”, the land of gods. He writes articles around tech and simplifies tech concepts for all. For him Apple Devices are the best, Messi is the GOAT and Uttarakhand means peace.
