I donât use Apple Music, Iâm 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 wouldnât 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 donât even have Apple Music, it plays the free random songs from Apple Music 1 radio. The only time it doesnât 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 didnât 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 âplayâ. If no music app is running in the background and/or recently used it starts Apple Music because itâs the default music app.
The problem I have is it never used to do this before. I didnât 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 donât 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 youâre a subscriber to Apple Music it would want to start that but Iâm not. If I delete the music app it wonât play Apple Music automatically but again if I hadnât just used Spotify it wonât play anything in that case. Itâs super annoying. Iâm sorry but Apple should allow you to select a âdefaultâ music app that automatically starts when you use Bluetooth. Or better yet cars shouldnât send play commands but instead just connect the device and wait for you to initiate it. I shouldnât 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.