Apple Music in iOS 18.4 adds new feature that goes beyond the app

iOS 18.4 is here, bringing with it a ton of new features. One of my favorites? A new Apple Music capability that expands the service’s reach beyond the Music app, pushing further into Control Center and more.

Ambient Music controls expand Apple Music’s reach in iOS 18.4

After you install iOS 18.4, if you’re like me you’ll probably pop into some of your favorite apps to see if anything’s changed.

Doing this with the Music app will reveal no discernible new features. But that’s because the latest Apple Music feature isn’t found directly inside the app.

Instead, Apple has done something unique and expanded Apple Music’s functionality into a new set of Ambient Music controls in iOS 18.4.

Essentially, the update adds special new ways to trigger Apple Music ‘mood’ playlists from outside the Music app.

iOS 18.4 supports four such moods, though I wouldn’t be surprised if more arrive in future updates.

• Sleep
• Chill
• Productivity
• Wellbeing

Each control has been assigned to play a specific Apple Music playlist. For example, by default the Productivity control plays BEATstrumentals, but you can also select one of three other curated playlists, or set it to trigger any playlist of your choice.

You can assign these new music controls to any of the following three places:

1. Control Center
2. your Lock Screen
3. and the iPhone’s Action button

To update a control’s playlist setting, be sure you’re in editing mode then tap the control and you’ll see customization options.

Apple Music in iOS 18.4: wrap-up

Opening the Music app will continue being the main way most of us interact with Apple Music, but I love what Apple’s doing with iOS 18.4’s new Ambient Music controls. The ability to assign a mood playlist button to your iPhone’s Lock Screen, Action button, or Control Center removes friction from the music playback experience.

It also helps reduce my own analysis paralysis when opening the Music app and confronting far too many options to choose from. Now I can have a simple toggle fit for these select occasions.

What do you think of the ambient music options Apple added to iOS 18.4? Let us know in the comments.

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