13 Best Ways to Fix the Apple Music Not Downloading Songs Issue on iPhone and Android

After talking to a lot of friends and reading complaints online, I thought that song downloads were interrupted in Apple Music, at least for Android users. A few months ago, I talked about solving reading problems with downloaded music tracks. Unfortunately, the problems do not stop there. Today, I will explain what you can do to solve the problem where Apple Music does not download the songs you have selected.

Ideally, when you tap this download icon next to an album or track, you expect Apple Music to be forced to do so immediately. However, the apps for iPhone and for Android display endless animation “in rotation” where nothing happens. If this sounds familiar to you, then it is time to try the fixes that I have compiled below. Yes, even I have faced it many times and have come up with effective solutions to the same problem.

Of course, I guess you’ve checked your mobile Internet connection and Wi-Fi thoroughly. Otherwise, try to connect to another Wi-Fi access point and return to this publication if it fails.

Apple Music – iPhone

I want to start with the iPhone version of Apple Music, because it is one of the main sources of most complaints. Be sure to review the following patches in order, and make the last patch only as a last resort. I still face the same problem on Android, so if you are as good, go to the next section.

1. Force to quit the music / Restart the iPhone

Bugs, bugs and bugs. Any application that has been running for a long time can occasionally show strange anomalies. The same goes for the Music app. If you’ve been using it for a while now, it’s time to force it out and start over.

To do this, swipe up and hold your finger down from the bottom of the iPhone screen until the multitasking application cards are visible. Then, raise your finger to display the application selector on new models of iPhone without Home button. If your iPhone has a Home button, double-clicking it is another way to access it. Now, just select the Music application card and drag it up to force it to leave.

After you force the Music app, tap the Music icon on the Home screen to restart it. Now, try to download a song. You will be surprised at the effectiveness of the forced abandonment of the force.

If that fails, quit the force application and restart your iPhone. This should address additional issues that affect your device. On iPhone X and newer models, hold down the Volume Up and Power buttons to display the Slide-Off prompt. On older devices, press and hold the power button.

After restarting your iPhone, open the Music app and try to download a song or two. If the problem of not downloading the songs persists, proceed to the rest of the patches.

2. Enable cellular data

Are you trying to download songs in Apple Music using cellular data? Then, verify that you have enabled cellular downloads for the Music app. Even if you can browse Apple Music over cellular data or stream tracks without problems, there is an additional setting that can limit downloads.

Step 1: Start by opening the Settings application. Then, scroll down, and then tap Music.

S2nd step: Tap Cellular data, and then turn on the switch next to Downloads. Make sure the button next to Cellular Data at the top of the screen is enabled. Otherwise, the button next to Downloads will appear in gray.

Wshoot: The use of cellular data for downloads can result in significant data costs.

3. Enable automatic downloads

Apple Music has an option that automatically downloads songs as soon as you add them to your library. If the problem persists only with certain tracks or some albums, enabling this setting may help to solve the problem. You can always disable this setting if automatic downloads are a problem.

To turn on automatic downloads, tap Music in the Settings app. On the next screen, turn on the switch next to Automatic Downloads.

Return to the Music app, and then delete the problematic album or track from your library. Find it again, and then add it back to your library. This would also initiate an automatic download of the album or track.

To make sure the item is downloaded, switch to the Library tab in the Music app, and then tap Download Music.

4. Update iOS software

The Music app is tightly integrated with iOS. If you have not updated iOS for a long time, you must install the updates immediately. Usually, the latest versions include a ton of bug fixes that could help solve this problem.

To do this, open the Settings application, tap General, and then click Software Update. If new updates are available, download and install them.

5. Download Apple Music

If the above fixes have not resolved the problem, it’s time to reinstall the Music app before proceeding. Rather than completely removing the application, iOS 11 or later includes a neat feature called “application unload”. This feature allows you to keep all music tracks previously downloaded despite the removal of the application. These songs will appear as soon as you reinstall the application.

Step 1: Open the Settings application, and then tap General. Then tap iPhone storage.

S2nd step: Select Music, and then tap Unload the application on the next screen. Press Unload Application again to confirm.

SStep 3: Restart your iPhone. Then tap the Music app icon on the home screen. This should prompt iOS to reinstall the application. After that, check if the problem still persists.

6. Reset network settings

Since we have reviewed a number of patches, it is time to rule out the possibility of poorly configured network settings. To do this, you must reset the network settings on your iPhone.

However, this procedure will make your iPhone forget all Wi-Fi networks and passwords, Bluetooth devices, and previously saved VPN settings. Yes, cellular settings are also reset. However, they have reapplied automatically after the reset procedure.

Step 1: On the Settings application, tap General. Then press Reset.

S2nd step: Tap Reset network settings, and then tap Reset network settings again to confirm.

After resetting the network settings on your iPhone, reconnect to available access points or enable cellular data and check if Apple Music can download albums or tracks without problems.

7. Toggle the iCloud Music Library

Disabling iCloud Music Library and then re-enabling it is another viable fix that can help resolve issues with blocked Apple Music downloads. However, this has disadvantages. Any songs you have successfully downloaded before will be deleted. Which means that you will have to download everything from scratch. Only do this if the above fixes do not work.

Step 1: On the Settings app, tap Music. Then, disable the switch next to iCloud Music Library. On iOS 13 and later, this option is called “Sync Library”. Tap Disable to confirm.

2nd step: Restart your iPhone. After that, return to the screen above, then reactivate the iCloud Music Library. Then confirm if the downloads are working again.

C'est à peu près tout pour Apple Music sur iPhone. Ensuite, nous nous occupons de la version Android de Apple Music.

Apple Music – Android

Apple Music on Android is downright terrible. It’s slow, slow, it can’t load the album art… I can paddle all day! To make matters worse, it is often impossible to download songs for offline listening. The fixes for the Android version are generally the same as for iOS, with a few exceptions. Let’s get started.

1. Force quit Apple Music / Restart phone

On Android, forcing Apple Music to quit every now and then can be very helpful in resolving issues with stuck downloads. Display the application switcher by tapping the preview icon in the navigation bar. To force Apple Music to quit, swipe the app card left or right or tap the “X” symbol (if applicable). Then relaunch the application, then try to download a track.

You should also consider restarting your phone if this fails. On most Android devices, you just need to press the Power button for a few seconds to display the power off or restart prompts.

2. Activate cellular data

If you are using Apple Music app on cellular data, make sure cellular downloads are allowed. You cannot download any songs otherwise.

Step 1: On the Apple Music app, tap the vertical ellipsis (three dots) icon in the upper right corner of the app. # 39; screen. In the menu that appears, tap Settings.

Step 2: On the Settings screen, tap Mobile Data, and then turn on the switch next to Downloads. If the Downloads option looks grayed out, enable Use Mobile Data at the top of the screen.

3. Clear Cache

Android provides the means to clear the cache of an an application directly. Often, flushing out the accumulated junk of weeks or months of using the Apple Music app can work in your favor.

This process differs slightly for each type of Android device, but you should be able to figure things out using the steps below.

Étape 1: Open the Settings app on your Android device. Tap Apps & Notifications, and then tap Apps.

Step 2: Tap Apple Music, and then tap Storage.

Step 3: Tap Clear Cache. That should do the trick.

Open Apple Music, and then try downloading a song. Most likely, it should work now.

4. Update Apple Music App

An outdated Apple Music app can present all sorts of issues. You must make sure to update the app regularly. To do that, head into the Google Play Store, and then perform a search for Apple Music. Visit the page for Apple Music, and tap Update if you see an available update.

5. Reset Network Settings

If Apple Music still doesn’t download your songs, it’s time to perform a network settings reset. Android devices have the option to do this listed in differing locations, but opening the Settings app, and then typing in ‘reset’ into the search bar will often reveal the option straightaway.

Resetting network settings will delete saved Wi-Fi passwords, Bluetooth connections, VPNs, etc. For more details about resetting network settings on Android, please check out this explainer.

6. Reinstall app

Since the fixes above failed to resolve the issue, it’s time to reinstall Apple Music. However, this process will also remove all of your previously downloaded songs. Only do this if the fixes above failed to work.

To remove Apple Music, simply press and hold the Apple Music icon down on the Home screen of your device. Next, drag it over to the trash bin (which often shows up to the top of the screen) and release.

Afterward, restart your phone, and then head into the Google Play Store to reinstall Apple Music. Once you have the app up and running again, sign in and perform a download. It should likely work.

Time to Chill

So, did you get Apple Music to download your songs? If so, then congrats. Time to chill out. Downloads are really essential for great user experience, and I really hope that Apple would take the time to iron out some of these bugs that continue to hamper song downloads functionality often. Perhaps with Apple’s recent shift towards services, these issues may take prominence on their to-do list. But we will have to wait and watch after the iOS 13 rolls out.

Next up: Don't have anything worthwhile to listen to in Apple Music? Here are 5 awesome tips that you can use to discover new music.