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Apple removed Home Sharing support for music in iOS 8.4

itunes12_home_sharing

Apple yesterday rolled out iOS 8.4 to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users and the big news, of course, was the addition of Apple Music and Beats 1. It appears now, however, that Apple removed a feature still used by many from the operating system. As pointed out by several users on Apple’s Support forum, the company appears to have removed Home Sharing support for music in iOS 8.4. The Home Sharing support page has also been updated to reflect that the feature is not present in iOS 8.4.

Home Sharing allowed users of iOS devices to access their iTunes library from anywhere within their house and stream the content to their phone, iPod, or iPad. The feature originally supported both video and audio content, but now with iOS 8.4 only supports video content. Home Sharing for audio is still live, however, for Apple TV users (via Apple Insider).

The reason for the removal of Home Sharing for music in iOS 8.4 most likely centers around the licensing agreements concerning Apple Music. It’s entirely possible that Apple doesn’t have the rights to allow content obtained via Apple Music to be streamed over WiFi like Home Sharing requires.

The apparent, but not ideal, solution to the problem is to switch to Apple Music’s family plan, which allows families of up to 6 to access Apple’s catalog of content for $14.99 per month. Home Sharing originally launched in 2011 as part of iOS 4.3.

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Comments

  1. veggiedude - 9 years ago

    I think I like it better now. All of a sudden my iPhone now has access to my entire music library from iCloud, and it was not there before.

    • Dmitriy Kozyrev - 9 years ago

      So now it’s either pay for subscription or GTFO – instead of free Home Sharing. Can’t see what to like here.

      • Or buy one copy of Rogue Amoeba’s AirFoil app. Supports a great third-party developer, and you get to keep streaming your music from OS X -> iOS. Win win!

    • “Or buy one copy of Rogue Amoeba’s AirFoil app. Supports a great third-party developer, and you get to keep streaming your music from OS X -> iOS. Win win!”

      Stop pimping this app. It’s buggy, slow to refresh, drops off the network constantly, and isn’t even close to being a proper substitute for Home Sharing.

      • I agree. Its a TERRIBLE app.

      • NQZ (@surgesoda) - 9 years ago

        To be fair, the concept of the app is great, and I believe almost all of the problems lie with discoveryd and how Apple changed Bonjour for Yosemite — they ruined it — if you have a bunch of macs on the same network and ever see (1) (2) etc show up for the same machine, that’s the same root cause. 10.10.4 went back to mDNSResponder and axe’d discoveryd, so it’ll be interesting to see if AirFoil works a bit better because of this. Not sure if discoveryd is still in iOS 8.4.

      • JohnnyGTO (@JohnnyGTO) - 9 years ago

        Works great for me but I got rid of discoveryd a while ago.

    • Gene Anton (@GeneAnton) - 9 years ago

      seriously! You need a licensing agreement to stream your own paid for music over wifi – to your other owned device? BS!

  2. robertsm76 - 9 years ago

    Could this be why my remote app on my iPhone that connects to my appletv couldbt be found?

    • vmorbin - 9 years ago

      It might be. Mine also stopped working after the update. Did you figure out what you have to do to? I haven’t, been using my faulty remote

      • robertsm76 - 9 years ago

        Just signed back into my account and it started working again

  3. lordrootman - 9 years ago

    Don’t worry wait for Cydia developers everything will be possible

  4. Ari (@ArioYazdan) - 9 years ago

    Any way to stream downloaded music from let’s say an iMac onto Apple TV? What happens if I chose not to sign up for Apple Music and want to stream my content from my desktop?

    • friedmud1 - 9 years ago

      Home sharing still works from Macs and AppleTVs. They only removed it from iOS.

      Also, AirPlay still works fine… so you can push music from your phone to an AppleTV or Mac without issue.

      • friedmud1 - 9 years ago

        AirPlay also works to stream from a Mac to an AppleTV.

      • Ari (@ArioYazdan) - 9 years ago

        yeah, lazy me, didn’t bother to read the article first, but thanks for the clarification.

  5. Don Horne (@DonHorne) - 9 years ago

    I’m surprised there isn’t more people up in arms. Personally if this stands then I’ll be looking for a 3rd party replacement as neither Apple or any other company is going to stop me from streaming my purchased music on my own private network.

    • friedmud1 - 9 years ago

      The only restriction is that you can’t use an iOS device as a media server, macs and AppleTVs still work fine. Were you seriously doing that?

      You can still use AirPlay to push music from an iOS device to an AppleTV or Mac as well.

      • Why do you keep posting the same FUD on every Mac site?

        YOU CANNOT STREAM FROM ITUNES LIBRARY ON A MAC TO AN IOS DEVICE (OTHER THAN APPLE TV) WITH THE UPDATE!

        So you can understand. If I’m out at the pool with my iPhone, I used to be able to stream my music library to the phone/iPad. Now you can’t. Understand?

      • friedmud1 - 9 years ago

        Yes you can. Use the Remote App. It still connects to home sharing just fine.

      • friedmud1 - 9 years ago

        BTW: “FUD” works the other way around (fear, unrest, doubt). I’m actually the FUD that others are spreading by pointing out that this isn’t the end of the world.

      • “Yes you can. Use the Remote App. It still connects to home sharing just fine.”

        USING THE REMOTE APP MAKES THE MUSIC PLAY ON THE HOST COMPUTER, NOT THE IOS DEVICE.

      • Do yourself a favor and ignore anything this guy says about this topic. There a several discussions on the Apple Discussion board with people who actually know what they’re talking about:

        https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7103820?start=15&tstart=0

      • “BTW: “FUD” works the other way around (fear, unrest, doubt).”

        It also means “f*cked up disinformation”.

      • Kind of quiet now, aren’t you?

      • NQZ (@surgesoda) - 9 years ago

        The remote app? Seriously dude? The remote app does nothing in terms of streaming…it controls the host computer, all the content plays on the host computer. Lol…

      • Paul M. Happ (@pmhapp) - 9 years ago

        (for alex) FUD = fear, uncertainty, doubt

      • “(for alex) FUD = fear, uncertainty, doubt”

        It can be two things:

        http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=FUD&defid=3857783

  6. “The reason for the removal of Home Sharing for music in iOS 8.4 most likely centers around the licensing agreements concerning Apple Music. It’s entirely possible that Apple doesn’t have the rights to allow content obtained via Apple Music to be streamed over WiFi like Home Sharing requires.”

    But AirPlay is still okay?? Something doesn’t make much sense here…

  7. chrisdudek04 - 9 years ago

    This part doesn’t make sense:

    “It’s entirely possible that Apple doesn’t have the rights to allow content obtained via Apple Music to be streamed over WiFi like Home Sharing requires.”

    Didn’t we recently learn that Apple and Sonos are working together to ensure Apple Music will be available on Sonos ASAP? Sonos is all wifi home entertainment. So unles it’s a very trimmed down version of Apple Music, I don’t think it has to do with streaming over wifi.

  8. I have honestly never used home sharing. I always just use AirPlay to push my music from whatever device I am using to my AppleTV / Computer.

    • PhilBoogie - 9 years ago

      Which is likely the case for most people. There is, however, the scenario of people with limited space on their iPhone. Those may have all the music in the world on their desktop, and when sitting on their patio want to stream music from their desktop to their iPhone(‘s headphones).

  9. 9tothe5 - 9 years ago

    This is a serious let down from apple. I don’t care at all about Apple Music Service. But I used Home Sharing a lot! Now what? Time to jailbreak and install Kodi on my iOS devices I guess.

  10. Stefan Goetz - 9 years ago

    Apple TV next being disabled, when updated to Apple Music by fall??

    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/apple-bring-back-music-home-sharing

    Sign the petition to Tim Cook, to bring back Music Home Sharing

  11. epicflyingcat - 9 years ago

    Urgh, I used this all the time. Another profiteering move to try and get you to pay for Apple music or buy a larger storage iPhone. Seriously, f*ck you Apple.

  12. Well no, the “obvious solution to the problem” is to just buy a copy of AirFoil from Rogue Amoeba. Lets you stream audio from Macs to any iOS or Android devices (by installing a free companion app on them).

    • luckydcxx - 9 years ago

      How many more times can you suggest this as an option? It’s quite obvious that you have something to do with that app.

      We get it.

  13. Anyone know why my purchased music does not populate on iOS after the 8.4 update?

  14. manufract - 9 years ago

    anyone else notice shuffle play by Genre is gone in the new Apple Music app? i guess it’s gone because i was one of the only ones actually using it all the time.

  15. Chris Cooper - 9 years ago

    “The Home Sharing support page has also been updated to reflect that the feature is not present in iOS 8.4.” Where on this page does it claim this fact? https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202190

    I have read this a few times and don’t see this statement on the page. Thanks

  16. I want my sharing back. we used it for kids stories and I used it in bath with iphone on th wall for audiobooks….

  17. Home sharing function still works by the Remote App in iOS 8.4. I could share music from my iMac to Apple TV as usual.

  18. Carlos Jácome - 9 years ago

    iOS 8.4 IS A MESS! My battery goes from 100% to 90% in like 20-30 minutes… and the worst part, I’M NOT USING THE PHONE AT ALL, it’s on Sleep mode, and any app is running backwards. I’m doing a downgrade right now to iOS 8.3. Apple is messing with horrible updates AGAIN. When is it gonna stop?!

  19. No. The apparent solution is to demand back what I paid for and stop allowing third party driven removal of technology.
    If one Taylor Swift mail can change Apples policy I’m pretty sure that customers stop buying Apple stuff can too. If I can’t rely on Apple to maintain features I bought and paid for then Apple can no longer be my technology provider.

    • Chris Cooper - 9 years ago

      “Demand” to your heart’s content. I am sure Apple will acquiesce to their other business needs to provide you a solution. Frankly surprised they made the change without consulting you first. By the way, is Sony maintaining the VCR you bought back in the 80’s in order for you to continue watching those VCR tapes you bought and paid for?

  20. Shira Chance - 9 years ago

    What the hell. This is obviously a scheme to rack in more money from the subscriptions. Home Sharing better be restored in the next iOs update. So many people use it and yet Apple will take something a lot of people enjoyed and turn it into a money making plan. Go figure. Stop being a d*ck, Apple. We’ve seen all too many of your tricks already. Cut the crap.

  21. Magnus Hedemark - 9 years ago

    This is why I recently performed a factory reset on my Apple TV’s and got rid of them. I’ve replaced them with Plex, which provides a superior experience in accessing my media library. Apple giveth & Apple taketh away, because they have their own agenda that doesn’t always jibe with what the customers want/need of them.

  22. T.A. Barnhart - 9 years ago

    Actually, Airplay on AppleTV is not fully present. None for Beats 1, but the generic radio stations are there. And on the flip side, trying to access my playlists from Apple TV, most of my new playlists built with Apple Music-shared albums don’t show up. But I can play them from my MBP. (And the same old problem with playlists: frequently they show up with the songs alphabetical, not in my order; this is also true on my iOS devices.) Not sure why Apple can’t fix some of these basic issues after years.

  23. bchodgson - 9 years ago

    Airfoil is junk. My wifi, host and client are all fast and it still speeds up / slows down music (changing the pitch) when playing because it can’t buffer properly.

    I use subsonic (and have no affliation). Now it’s not free for iOS but I find it worth it (and I’m cheap about these things). It’s $1/month for Premium (needed for iOS apps) and about $5 one-off for the best iOS client (Audiophone).

    The real kicker is it allows you to go outside your network and set up multiple users. It can also be accessed through desktop browsers. Premium gives you an address (xxxxxxxx.subsonic.org) and this resolves to your server/computer automatically. There’s also a freeNAS add-on etc. it’s great. I can access my music from anywhere with an Internet connection either on my phone or even on locked down work PCs and family/other users can do the same. V cool.

  24. Jp Honaker - 9 years ago

    There is no justification for removing home sharing. I was forced into updating to ios 8 because of a glitch and no ssh blob backup. Now, home sharing, which I have used for many years is gone.
    I have evangelized Apple products for almost 20 years, but, their apparent hatred for loyal customers is only exceeded by their greed and environmental abhorrence by using shady Chinese factories.
    Time to find a new company to give my money to, maybe Samsung?

  25. I cannot access my iTunes library from my Apple TV since the latest update, I have a lot of digital media not purchased from iTunes that i keep on iTunes that i access from my Apple TV, now i can Airplay direct from my Mac to my Apple TV. But i can’t access my content from the Apple TV itself…

    Would this be related to this? I am really bothered I’ve signed out, signed back in to home sharing on both devices, its say both are turned on. If so i will be changing over from apple back to PC…

    I am not interested in their music streaming its all the edits and the censored versions, not to mention i have acquired taste that is as far from anything even remotely available on iTunes.. why are they making it all so damn difficult!?!?

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

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