Apple Music is Sometimes Replacing Other Apps in the Dock When Installed From App Store [Updated]

Apple Music appears to be affected by a bug that is causing the app to install itself directly into the dock when downloaded from the App Store, with the app even replacing other first and third-party apps located in the dock.

apple music
There have been several complaints about the problem on Twitter from users who downloaded ‌Apple Music‌ and then had it replace another app. Kevin Archer, for example, had ‌Apple Music‌ replace Spotify in his dock.

Archer claimed that the app was only replacing non-Apple apps, but that appears to be incorrect, as TechCrunch tested the bug and had ‌Apple Music‌ install itself over the Camera app, Twitter, and Safari. We had it install over the Mail app and Dropbox, so music apps are not being targeted or solely impacted.


There have also been complaints that ‌Apple Music‌ is setting itself as the default music service when it is downloaded even if another music app was set as the default, but we have not been able to replicate this behavior.

iOS devices running iOS 15.4.1 are affected, and we were also able to get ‌Apple Music‌ to install itself over another app in the iOS 15.5 beta. Other older versions of iOS 15 also appear to be exhibiting the same issue. There's even a complaint from 2019, well before iOS 15.

As TechCrunch points out, this behavior has not explicitly been explained as a bug by Apple, but it is likely unintended. Apple has already been accused of favoring its own apps over third-party apps and is facing regulatory scrutiny, so there's little chance that Apple would blatantly replace third-party apps with its own.

There also appears to be no set pattern to the apps that ‌Apple Music‌ will replace, with Apple's own apps replaced as well, nor does the issue happen consistently. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has, however, suggested that Apple "rigged" iOS to replace apps with ‌Apple Music‌.


Given that the ‌Apple Music‌ issue is receiving quite a lot of attention, including accusations of preferential treatment, Apple will likely address it soon.

Update: Apple told MacRumors that it is aware of the issue and is looking into it.

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Top Rated Comments

Mikey44 Avatar
42 months ago
This is likely a bug. It’s likely that the app is installing itself into the default location when it was originally on the device.

This isn’t nefarious, it’s just general oversight.

Music has been literally defaulting in the dock since iPhoneOS 1.0.

Uninstalling stock apps has been available since iOS 12 and I'm willing to bet this is the first time this has been noticed. (The article says 2019 was the first report… so, iOS 13/12) just likely hasn’t had the attention paid to it.

Stop looking for things to get outraged over.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sydneysider88 Avatar
42 months ago
Last month I downloaded Music to give it another shot (surely it couldn’t have gotten worse since I last tried?) but when it moved Spotify to my last Home Screen… I deleted it straight away.
Not putting up with Apple becoming the new Microsoft.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
42 months ago
Lol, liddle Tim Sweeney. I’m sure it’s a bug and will be resolved shortly.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Steve121178 Avatar
42 months ago
Bug? I am sure it's by design.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Alfredo_Delgado Avatar
42 months ago
Seems like par for the course. Since cancelling my Apple Music subscription, I have to go into settings on my phone every couple of weeks to toggle off "Show Apple Music."
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erikkfi Avatar
42 months ago
Stop me if you've heard this one before.

It's not a bug, it's a feature.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)