iOS 26 ambient music: still doesn’t require Apple Music?

[Populus]

Back in iOS 18.4 or 18.5 Apple introduced Ambient Music feature, which allowed you to put four shortcuts in your Control Center to enable ambient music in four different moods.

Back then, the feature surprisingly never required an Apple Music subscription, despite the fact that it works using the Apple Music stream.

Now, I am currently subscribed to Apple Music because Apple gave me 3 free months. So I am not able to test the feature without an Apple Music subscription. Also I’m still on iOS 18 and I don’t plant to upgrade to iOS 26 anytime soon, so…

Could you check for me, if you are on iOS 26 and currently without an active Apple Music subscription, if Control Center’s ambient music does indeed work for you?

Thank you.

 

[Snørrbjørg]

Im on iOS26 and can use those four ambient music channels without subscription.

 

[Populus]

Im on iOS26 and can use those four ambient music channels without subscription.

Great!! Thanks for your quick reply! Such a great feature.