iOS 17.3's Collaborative Apple Music Playlist Feature Includes Animated Emoji Reactions

With the iOS 17.3 update, Apple reintroduced the collaborative Apple Music playlist feature, allowing Apple Music users to build playlists with friends, family, and others who share their musical tastes.

apple music collaborative playlist emoji
For context, Apple initially tested collaborative playlists in iOS 17.2, but ended up pulling the feature from the fourth beta prior to when iOS 17.2 was released. Apple said on Monday that it would instead be launching in 2024, and on Tuesday, collaborative playlists showed up in the iOS 17.3 beta.

The new implementation allows all of the collaborators on a specific playlist to provide emoji reactions, similar to how tapback reactions work in Messages. To add an emoji reaction, play a collaborative playlist and then while a song is in progress, you can tap on the music player to see the emoji interface.

There are standard emoji reactions to choose from like heart and thumbs up, but tapping on the "+" button allows you to choose from any of the available emoji options.


When you play a song that others have added emoji reactions to, you can see those emoji pop up from the emoji interface. Those who want to see collaborative ‌Apple Music‌ playlists and emoji reactions in action can join the MacRumors Apple Music playlist to add songs and listen to content from other MacRumors readers.

Collaborative playlists in ‌Apple Music‌ are expected to be available to the public in January following the launch of iOS 17.3.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Apple John Ternus 2019

Will John Ternus Really Be Apple's Next CEO?

Friday December 5, 2025 9:01 am PST by
There is uncertainty about Apple's head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, The Information reports. Some former Apple executives apparently hope that a new "dark-horse" candidate will emerge. Ternus is considered to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook as CEO. The report notes that he is more likely to become CEO than software head chief Craig Federighi, ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...

Top Rated Comments

Dj64Mk7 Avatar
26 months ago
How is reacting to a song with emojis “insane”? Seems rather hyperbolic…
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
26 months ago

Why would anyone want to do this?
The same reason we have reactions to texts. Someone adds a song and you acknowledge it. Communcation evolves.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ltd73 Avatar
26 months ago
Would rather have the opportunity to find the Dolby albums in my library easy.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eicca Avatar
26 months ago
Reactions to texts is one thing, but this is the epitome of "we're bored and need to find something to add to the next release."

..Instead of, you know, fixing all the bugs and UX disasters that keep me from using the Music app at all.

I rebuilt my old iPod Mini (yes the 2005 one) and it's soooooooo much nicer to use.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
26 months ago
I never considered Apple Music a viable option, but aNImAteD EMoJi rEacTiOnS! Now you have my attention!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Account25476 Avatar
26 months ago
Reactions to songs? What is this Whatsapp? Oh my...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)