In short: Apple Music is known for opening on its own, especially on Mac. Use the noTunes app. It’s a macOS application that prevents iTunes or Apple Music from launching automatically.
The Apple Music app is notorious for opening automatically on a Mac computer. After doing my fair share of research, I’ve discovered the most effective troubleshooting tips.
Don’t worry if you’re not tech-savvy. All of the solutions below don’t require you to tinker with system files on your computer (some articles on the internet suggest you delete some files).
Remove Apple Music from Siri suggestions
Did you know that Siri makes suggestions for what you might want to do next, such as call into a meeting or confirm an appointment, based on your routines and how you use your apps?
If Apple Music opens automatically when you plug in your headphones, it thinks you want to listen to music so it automatically opens Apple Music for you when headphones are detected.
It’s likely because you have been doing this a lot recently. You can’t disable this behavior specifically, but you can turn off app suggestions altogether.
On iOS, open the Settings app from your home screen, then select Siri & Search.
Scroll down to the Siri Suggestions section and use the toggle buttons to disable Suggestions in Search, Suggestions in Look Up, and Suggestions on Lock Screen.
On macOS, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then select Siri from the list. Choose Siri Suggestions & Privacy or About Siri & Privacy.
Choose which apps Siri can learn from to make suggestions. If you see Apple Music, deselect it from the list, and then select Done when finished.
Remove Apple Music from automatic items on Mac
If Apple Music starts opening when you connect your headphones to your Mac computer, chances are that the app is set to open automatically whenever you log in to your Mac.
According to Apple, you can have apps (like Apple Music, for example), documents, folders, or server connections open automatically whenever you log in to your Mac.
To remove automatic items, choose the Apple menu on your Mac and select System Settings. Then, click General in the sidebar, then click Login Items on the right.
If you see Apple Music in the list of items, select the name of the item you want to prevent from opening automatically, then click the Remove button below the list.
You can also not allow Apple Music to run in the background, however, it won’t be able to perform tasks when the app isn’t open, such as checking for software updates or syncing data.
Uncheck the “Open at Login” command
If you see the Apple Music app on your Dock, you’ll need to uncheck the “Open at Login” command to stop it from starting and opening automatically.
Right-click on the Music app in your Dock, then hover over Options and uncheck the “Open at Login” option. You can assign the settings to “All Desktops” or “This Desktop”
Delete all the songs on Apple Music
This workaround works if you don’t use the Apple Music app at all.
Delete all the songs from the Apple Music app and it may stop launching automatically in the future. All you have to do is open Apple Music, select all songs, then press Command-Delete.
For some reason, deleting all the songs from the Music app has helped a lot of people overcome this issue. However, it’s possible if you don’t listen to songs.
I know for many of you this solution is not an option. So let’s move on.
Change restrictions settings
A friend of mine running macOS Catalina recommended this method to me because it worked for him. There’s no harm in giving this workaround a try. Here’s what you can do:
In the Music app on your Mac, choose Music > Settings, then click the Restrictions pane at the top of the window. Disable Music Profiles, Apple Music, iTunes Store, and Shared Libraries.
Click OK, then close Apple Music.
Disable the Handoff feature
Apple’s Handoff feature allows you to seamlessly switch between iOS and Mac. Basically, you can use one device, then switch to another nearby device and pick up where you left off.
This could be the reason why Apple Music starts automatically because the Handoff feature uses Bluetooth to move apps and their data between Apple devices.
For example, if your iPhone and Mac are connected with the same Apple ID, and you listen to Apple Music, the feature could transfer instances with one click.
You’ll want to try disabling the Handoff feature.
Go to Settings > General > Airplay and Handoff. Toggle Handoff to OFF. This should help remove your iPhone’s memory that you had played music on your phone.
Download and install the noTunes app
Unfortunately, the “Apple Music app keeps opening” problem is a well-known problem among macOS users. It’s just the way it is – the best thing we can do is to work around it.
My recommendation, as suggested by an Apple forum member, is to install a macOS application called noTunes. It’s an app that prevents iTunes or Apple Music from launching.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed the app, simply launch the noTunes app, and iTunes or Apple Music will no longer be able to launch, even when Bluetooth headphones reconnect.
The app loads a button onto your Dock so you can turn it on/off at will. It also allows you to toggle the functionality of different apps via the menu bar icon with a simple left click.
I was fortunate enough to have found a little gem of an app called noTunes. It saved me from going insane especially when Apple Music keeps opening on my Mac computer.
You can get the noTunes app right here.
The noTunes app was created by Tom Taylor, and it’s a specific app for the macOS that prevents iTunes or Apple Music from launching automatically.
If someone made an app specifically for stopping Apple Music from opening automatically, this means that it’s a known problem and Apple hasn’t fixed it for a very long time.
Create a simple macro using Keyboard Maestro
For those of you who are using Keyboard Maestro, you can create a simple macro that will instantly close Apple Music when it starts opening automatically.
It’s almost the same as using the noTunes app but with one less app on your Mac computer. You can find the macro source file right here.
Basically, you’ll be able to create an automated command where “Force Quit Music” will be executed whenever the Apple Music app launches.
It’s the perfect response to the weird Apple Music behavior that usually happens when you touch your Bluetooth headphones’ play button accidentally.
Make sure your earbuds’ play button isn’t pressed
Often, the solution doesn’t need a high-tech solution. If the Apple Music app starts opening automatically, it could be because the play button on your earbuds is pressed accidentally.
A friend of mine uses earbuds to listen to Apple Music.
The play button on his earbuds was laid against the body of his laptop and certain keystrokes nudged the body, which pushed the button on the headphones, thus launching the Music app.
The solution is as simple as it can get: move the headphones away from the computer.
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