In short: Apple Music needs access to your location to stay online. Make sure you allow Music to access cellular data. If you are using a VPN, turn it off and reset your network settings.
Does Apple Music keep telling you “You’re Offline” when every other app on your phone is connected to the internet? Here are some of the things you can do to get it fixed:
1. Check your internet connection
Your first order of business is to simply check your internet connection.
Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and make sure that Wi-Fi is on. Tap the name of your Wi-Fi network to join. A blue checkmark beside a network name means that you’re connected.
Next, open Safari and go online. Enter a website and make sure you can access it. If you cannot access a website, there may be an issue with your internet connection.
Go back to Settings > Wi-Fi. Check the status of the Wi-Fi network that you are connected to. If your iPhone or iPad detects an issue, you might see the alert “No Internet Connection.”
Make sure that your router is on and that you’re within range. If you’re too far from your Wi-Fi router, you can’t get a signal, so make sure that you’re within range.
2. Allow Music to access cellular data
If there are no issues with your internet connection, make sure Apple Music has access to cellular data. Often, most people neglect this simple setting which causes Apple Music to go offline.
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Music.
- Make sure the ALLOW MUSIC TO ACCESS Cellular Data is on.
If Apple Music has access to cellular data all this time, turn the toggle off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. Doing this often fixes the Apple Music going offline problem.
3. Turn off your VPN
Are you using a VPN? If so, then it could be the cause of Apple Music going offline. My Apple Music stopped working entirely after the iOS 16 update unless I turned off VPN.
I also had the same issue on CarPlay. I had to disable the VPN for CarPlay to work.
Apple Music needs to verify your location in order to work, so if the app cannot verify your location, it will stop working and produce the message “You’re Offline”.
I have a friend who uses an iPad Air 5th Gen running iOS 16.1.1. Wi-Fi only in a strong reception area, but every time he opens the Apple Music app it says he is offline.
As it turns out, he was using a VPN, which prevents Apple Music from verifying his location.
The issue was resolved for Apple Music on iPhone iOS in the 16.1.1 update, but clearly, it still affects the iPad. I hope this issue will be resolved in the next update.
An iPhone can verify your location over cellular, so even though your data is routed through the VPN, Apple can be sure what country you are in. A non-cellular iPad can’t do that.
I suspect Apple Music requires more location information now, and VPN prevents it.
4. Reset your network settings
If any other app other than Apple Music is connected to the internet and has a strong LTE signal, then you might need to reset your network settings (on your iPhone and/or iPad).
Tap Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset Network Settings. If you’re using iOS or iPadOS 14 or earlier, tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
Keep in mind that resetting your network settings also resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you’ve used before.
After resetting my network settings, I never had Apple Music telling me “You’re Offline” ever again. It seems like the only thing that worked was to reset network settings.
5. Check Apple Music’s system status
Visit Apple’s System Status page on a web browser to check whether Apple Music is available or not. If Apple Music is currently not available, then you’ll just have to wait.
6. Force restart your iPhone
If all else fails, the last resort is to force restart your iPhone and/or iPad. A force restart works best when your iPhone isn’t responding, and you can’t turn it off then on.
- Press and quickly release the volume up button.
- Press and quickly release the volume down button.
- Press and hold the side button.
- When the Apple logo appears, release the side button.
Often, a force restart can solve unexpected issues from Apple Music. Once you have completed the force restart, run the Apple Music app, making sure the VPN is not turned on.
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