Apple Music didn’t receive any attention during yesterday’s WWDC keynote, but that doesn’t mean iOS 18 leaves the app unchanged.
The Music app may not have received any design updates in iOS 18, but there are two key new features that are flying under the radar.
Engaging more of the senses with Music Haptics
One new feature seeks to expand music from being a solely auditory experience to one that’s tactile as well. It’s a fascinating new capability called Music Haptics.
Music Haptics uses the Taptic Engine built into modern iPhones to provide taps and vibrations that play in sync with the music you’re listening to.
This feature can provide a new way for the deaf or hard of hearing to enjoy music, but it’s also an innovative new way for anyone to experience their favorite songs.
Music Haptics can be activated from iOS 18’s Settings app under Accessibility ⇾ Music Haptics. There you’ll see an option to toggle the feature on, as well as the ability to test it out.
Expanding SharePlay to everyone, even those without Apple Music
The second new feature of Apple Music makes SharePlay more useful for more users. One aspect of SharePlay is that it enables collaborating on the playback queue so your friends and family can add songs to a shared play session. Currently that requires all participants to have an Apple Music subscription, but iOS 18 changes that.
Top comment by Dustin Richardson
I just want the Apple Music App on my iPhone and/or Apple Watch to be able to control Apple Music on my iPad, which I use to stream hi-res ALAC to my home stereo system via USB DAC. I love the sound I get from my iPad to DAC set-up now, but the added convenience of being able to control it from my iPhone or Apple Watch on the same Wi-Fi network would be such a great (and seemingly simple) fix.
Alternatively (or better yet additionally), I'd love to see an "Apple Music Connect" type service where my hi-res Apple Music stream could be played directly to streamers from Cambridge Audio, Marantz/HEOS, NAD/Blue Sound, WiiM etc. with control directly from the iPhone's and Apple Watch's Apple Music App.
Here’s how Apple describes the change:
With updates to SharePlay with Apple Music, even more users can share control of music playing from HomePod, Apple TV, or any Bluetooth-enabled speaker, making listening together even more fun and rewarding. Participants do not need to have an Apple Music subscription to contribute to what’s playing.
SharePlay is only as good as it is accessible, so expanding it to more users and removing the need for everyone to have a subscription is a great move.
Wrap-up
Overall, unless there are additional announcements coming this fall—possibly alongside new AirPods being introduced—it’s a quiet year for Apple Music changes. Perhaps the service is at the point where Apple feels like it’s mature and there’s not much on the improvement list. In any case, Music Haptics are well worth trying out in iOS 18 and I could see them catching on as a new way to experience your music in the future.
What’s on your Apple Music wish list? Are there any features you hope Apple adds in the future? Let us know in the comments.
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