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Apple Music is Sometimes Replacing Other Apps in the Dock When Installed From App Store [Updated]

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Apple Music appears to be affected by a bug that is causing the app to install itself directly into the dock when downloaded from the App Store, with the app even replacing other first and third-party apps located in the dock.

apple-music.jpg

There have been several complaints about the problem on Twitter from users who downloaded Apple Music and then had it replace another app. Kevin Archer, for example, had Apple Music replace Spotify in his dock.

Archer claimed that the app was only replacing non-Apple apps, but that appears to be incorrect, as TechCrunch tested the bug and had Apple Music install itself over the Camera app, Twitter, and Safari. We had it install over the Mail app and Dropbox, so music apps are not being targeted or solely impacted.


There have also been complaints that Apple Music is setting itself as the default music service when it is downloaded even if another music app was set as the default, but we have not been able to replicate this behavior.

iOS devices running iOS 15.4.1 are affected, and we were also able to get Apple Music to install itself over another app in the iOS 15.5 beta. Other older versions of iOS 15 also appear to be exhibiting the same issue. There's even a complaint from 2019, well before iOS 15.

As TechCrunch points out, this behavior has not explicitly been explained as a bug by Apple, but it is likely unintended. Apple has already been accused of favoring its own apps over third-party apps and is facing regulatory scrutiny, so there's little chance that Apple would blatantly replace third-party apps with its own.

There also appears to be no set pattern to the apps that Apple Music will replace, with Apple's own apps replaced as well, nor does the issue happen consistently. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has, however, suggested that Apple "rigged" iOS to replace apps with Apple Music.


Given that the Apple Music issue is receiving quite a lot of attention, including accusations of preferential treatment, Apple will likely address it soon.

Update: Apple told MacRumors that it is aware of the issue and is looking into it.

Article Link: Apple Music is Sometimes Replacing Other Apps in the Dock When Installed From App Store [Updated]
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/05/05/apple-music-dock-bug/
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How about we get some front page attention please for this terrible XCode Previews app inserting itself on the first empty slot of iOS all the time, even after removing it from the Home Screen? (With no way to delete)

Please.
 

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This is likely a bug. It’s likely that the app is installing itself into the default location when it was originally on the device.

This isn’t nefarious, it’s just general oversight.

Music has been literally defaulting in the dock since iPhoneOS 1.0.

Uninstalling stock apps has been available since iOS 12 and I'm willing to bet this is the first time this has been noticed. (The article says 2019 was the first report… so, iOS 13/12) just likely hasn’t had the attention paid to it.

Stop looking for things to get outraged over.
 
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The latest 15.5 and Monterey betas FINALLY fix all the longstanding AM bugs on all devices (homepod included), some of which have been present for MONTHS: general slowness/buffering issues, skipping the second or third track of an album, lossless tracks making random popping/static sounds, syncing issues and other annoyances.


Its really a quite impressive release concerning Apple Music bug fixes. However, I think the current state of the service on 15.4.1, merit a quick software update by Apple focused solely on Apple Music. This issue is just the last straw.



Lets hope it arrives soon. The final 15.5 is still far away.
 
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and for the love of your customers, dear lord Cook, PLEASE stop Podcasts settings reverting to default every time the phone restarts (specifically the External Controls default of Next/Previous).

I can’t tell you how annoying it is to double tap AirPods to have it skip ALL the way to the beginning of a podcast when all I wanted was a rewind of 15 seconds.

Apple and “Annoying” should not be in the same sentence.

Basic level stuff I thought. Why does iOS 15 break so many things ?

(Yes I submitted Apple Feedback, thank you)
 

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It's not something nefarious with Apple Music. Most of the default apps that come with the phone will try to go back to their "original location" when uninstalled and reinstalled. Or if you disallow them via Screen Time permissions, and then allow them again, they will "go back" and displace whatever was in their place. I've noticed this for many years now with the App Store. I normally have the App Store disabled so nothing can be installed/deleted/purchased without me first explicitly giving permission (it also stopped web sites from redirecting to app pages without asking). When I enable it to do updates or install an app, the App Store moves where it wants to go and moves all my other home page icons out of the way.

Nefarious? Slightly. On the part of Apple Music (against other music apps)? Not in the least.
 
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sydneysider88 said:
Last month I downloaded Music to give it another shot (surely it couldn’t have gotten worse since I last tried?) but when it moved Spotify to my last Home Screen… I deleted it straight away.
Not putting up with Apple becoming the new Microsoft.
Click to expand...
Sadly, unless they shape up… Apple is turning in that direction of Commodity status of Windows that everyone just puts up with because it’s the only good option out there.
 
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dyt1983 said:
It's not something nefarious with Apple Music. Most of the default apps that come with the phone will try to go back to their "original location" when uninstalled and reinstalled. Or if you disallow them via Screen Time permissions, and then allow them again, they will "go back" and displace whatever was in their place. I've noticed this for many years now with the App Store. I normally have the App Store disabled so nothing can be installed/deleted/purchased without me first explicitly giving permission (it also stopped web sites from redirecting to app pages without asking). When I enable it to do updates or install an app, the App Store moves where it wants to go and moves all my other home page icons out of the way.

Nefarious? Slightly. On the part of Apple Music (against other music apps)? Not in the least.
Click to expand...
No I’ve never experienced an app moving itself to replace another app or take an empty spot before iOS 15.

The new app downloaded taking the first empty spot is not what’s happening here.
 
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Forget “Peak cellphone” Mr. Brown Lee (love those types of videos, btw, sir)…. we’re at peak society when everything seems to be falling apart.
 
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"I just verified this on iOS 15.4.1. With Spotify installed and on the dock, installing Apple Music removed Spotify from the dock and put Apple Music there - without asking. Happens without Apple Music being run, so clearly Apple has rigged their OPERATING SYSTEM to do this!"

Well seeing it happened to me while it replaced Apple Maps. I'd say definitely not rigged, their OS to do this, probably just some kind of bug, soon to be fixed, yawn, false indignation!
 
LOL, Tim Sweeney digging up tweets from 2019 (yes, check the date on the tweet he quoted) complaining about an obscure bug that sometimes happens. Yeah, originally these apps weren't removable, and they probably have something hard coded into them to put them in that spot during operating system install at the factory since that's the default location. He's really grasping for straws at this point. This is only news now because he brought up something old. Sure, it should be fixed, but it clearly doesn't happen often.
 
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macduke said:
LOL, Tim Sweeney digging up tweets from 2019 (yes, check the date on the tweet he quoted) complaining about an obscure bug that sometimes happens. Yeah, originally these apps weren't removable, and they probably have something hard coded into them to put them in that spot during operating system install at the factory since that's the default location. He's really grasping for straws at this point. This is only news now because he brought up something old. Sure, it should be fixed, but it clearly doesn't happen often.
Click to expand...

I also like his implication that, the app icon having been placed there, the user will now simply give up, unsubscribe from Other Service, and subscribe to Apple Music instead.
 
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