In short: If Apple Music lyrics aren’t showing, turn off “Increase Contrast” and “Reduce Transparency” in your device settings. Then, turn Sync Library OFF and then ON again.
There’s something fun and exciting about reading the lyrics while listening to Apple Music. Unfortunately, sometimes the lyrics are not working. Here are a few reasons why.
1. Not all songs have lyrics
According to Apple, not all songs have lyrics. If Apple Music lyrics are not showing, it could be that the song you’re playing does not have lyrics available.
Time-synced lyrics will automatically appear on your screen if they are available. If time-synced lyrics aren’t available, then you might see the full lyrics for the song instead.
2. The song is not from the Apple Music catalog
If you’re playing a song that is not from the Apple Music catalog, the lyrics will not show. You’ll see the Lyrics button grayed out instead of being clickable.
For example, if the song is in your Library and you transferred it via iTunes, but there is no active Apple Music membership for your current Apple ID, lyrics won’t be shown.
3. Your internet connection is unavailable
I hate to be the person that asks you this but are you sure your internet connection is available? I’ve seen plenty of people in the community not seeing lyrics just because of their internet.
Double-check your internet connection then open Apple Music again. If you have a stable internet connection, you should be able to see lyrics if they are available for that song.
4. You don’t have an active subscription
Do you have an active Apple Music subscription? If you are using the free version, you won’t be able to see the lyrics. To see lyrics, you need to have an Apple Music subscription.
5. Content restrictions are turned on
One of the most common reasons why Apple Music lyrics aren’t working is because you have enabled content restrictions in your device Settings. Here’s how to turn it off:
- Open the iOS Settings app.
- Tap Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Toggle Content & Privacy Restrictions to OFF.
To turn this particular setting off, you may need to enter your phone PIN. Once you turn it off, you should be able to see Apple Music lyrics without any restrictions.
6. The lyrics are invisible due to the light theme
Using the light theme on your device can cause Apple Music lyrics not to show. When in Light Mode, the increased contrast makes the background behind the lyrics white, just like the text.
Because the white text is on a white background, the lyrics seem invisible. To fix this, all you need to do is to change your device to the dark theme. Here’s how:
- Open the iOS Settings app.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Select Dark to turn on Dark Mode.
Immediately after switching to Dark Mode, the Apple Music lyrics magically start to appear. They were there all along, I just couldn’t see them because of the white background.
That said, this is simply a workaround, not a solution.
Changing to Dark Mode will make Apple Music lyrics show but then you have to use everything in Dark Mode. If you don’t like it, you need to keep switching from Dark Mode to Light Mode.
7. The lyrics are invisible due to “Increase Contrast”
Apple Music lyrics may seem invisible because the “Increase Contrast” feature has been turned on. You should be able to see lyrics in both Light Mode and Dark Mode once you turn it off.
- Open the iOS Settings app.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Display & Text Size.
- Switch the Increase Contrast toggle off.
“Increase Contrast” is an accessibility feature available in iOS that allows users to increase the contrast of all text and controls across their entire device.
I think this is the problem for most people. With “Increase Contrast” on I saw lyrics in Dark Mode but NOT in Light Mode. With “Increase Contrast off” I can see lyrics in both modes.
8. The “Reduce Transparency” feature is turned on
You should also turn off the “Reduce Transparency” feature from your iOS device settings. This setting reduces the transparency and blurs on some backgrounds.
- Open the iOS Settings app.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Display & Text Size.
- Switch the Reduce Transparency toggle off.
For some people, myself included, switching off the “Increase Contrast” feature is enough. However, some people need to turn off the “Reduce Transparency” feature to see lyrics.
9. Apple Music needs time to sync
If you have done all of the above tips, but Apple Music lyrics are still not loading, your device needs time to sync. Due to the number of songs in your library, Apple Music needs time to sync.
You can also click Sync Library OFF and then turn it ON again. Hopefully, the lyrics work after resyncing. You can access the feature on Settings > Music > Sync Library.
10. Apple Music needs to be reinstalled
Sometimes, all you need is a simple reinstall.
Uninstall the Apple Music app from your device, reboot your phone, then reinstall the app again. Some people have found success simply by doing a reinstall the Apple Music app.
11. Contact Apple Support
If you have done all of the above tips, but Apple Music lyrics are still not working, I suggest you contact Apple Support directly using this link. Choose Apple Music under Apps & Services.
12. You need to wait
Sometimes, all you need to do is wait. My friend did nothing when her Apple Music lyrics were not showing and after a few days, the lyrics appeared on her app.
Apps like Apple Music will have bugs, and the developers provide updates to fix them. What you can do is to keep your app updated and most problems would be fixed from their end.
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