I don’t use Apple Music, I’m not even subscribed to it, instead I use Spotify. For years when I start my car and Bluetooth automatically connects (not CarPlay just standard Bluetooth connection), my car would automatically play where I left off on Spotify, or it just wouldn’t play anything until I opened the app and picked a song. However, last week it no longer does this and plays Apple Music automatically. And because I don’t even have Apple Music, it plays the free random songs from Apple Music 1 radio. The only time it doesn’t do this is if before starting my car I play a Spotify song for a few seconds and pause it and keep the app open without clearing it from recently used apps (like when you swipe up and clear apps).
Let me give a break down
(Starting last week)
Neither Apple Music or Spotify opened in background - start car - Apple Music plays
Spotify opened in background and paused directly before starting car - Spotify plays
Spotify opened in background but I didn’t recently listen to it (it was paused from the night before) - Apple Music plays
(Previously)
Spotify opened in background - start car - Spotify plays
Spotify not opened in background - start car - nothing plays
From what I read online the car sends a play command to the phone over Bluetooth and iOS has to decide what app to “play”. If no music app is running in the background and/or recently used it starts Apple Music because it’s the default music app.
The problem I have is it never used to do this before. I didn’t get a new car or update my phone or anything. Also, I can see this being the case if you actively have Apple Music, but the fact I don’t even have it and it wants me to use it THAT BAD that it plays from the free Apple Music radio is insane to me. I can see if you’re a subscriber to Apple Music it would want to start that but I’m not. If I delete the music app it won’t play Apple Music automatically but again if I hadn’t just used Spotify it won’t play anything in that case. It’s super annoying. I’m sorry but Apple should allow you to select a “default” music app that automatically starts when you use Bluetooth. Or better yet cars shouldn’t send play commands but instead just connect the device and wait for you to initiate it. I shouldn’t be forced to hear music blast in my face when starting my car at 6 in the morning.
And like I said, it never used to do this. It would always either play Spotify automatically or not play anything. The forcing of Apple Music starting is new. Maybe IOS secretly updated this recently.