Learn how to pause Apple Music’s listening history during a specific Focus Mode on your iPhone, allowing you to enjoy music without impacting your recommendations.
We’ve all been there before. You let someone else queue up songs on Apple Music on your iPhone, only to suffer the consequences of music suggestions that don’t reflect your tastes. Whether it’s a friend or a three-year-old on a road trip, it’s hard to say “no” when they want to listen to their favorite music on your iPhone.
Instead of getting upset about it, why not create a Focus Mode to temporarily disable Apple Music’s listening history? This will stop the algorithm from using the songs played in your recommendations, keeping your history clean.
Note that disabling listening history via a custom Focus Mode is not supported on the Mac.
Disable your Apple Music listening history with a Focus Mode filter
Add a Use Listening History filter to any Focus Mode in iOS Settings to stop influencing your Apple Music recommendations.
1) Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap Focus.
2) Select an existing Focus Mode or create a new one: hit the + (plus) button in the top-right corner, choose Custom, give your new Focus a custom name, symbol, and color, then hit Next to continue. After creating the new Focus, touch the Customize Focus button.
3) Scroll down to the Focus Filters section and tap Add Filter, then touch the Music icon in the list of focus filters.
4) Switch off the Use Listening History button, then hit Add.
From now on, whenever you’d like to temporarily pause your Apple Music listening history, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center. Then, touch and hold the Focus button to select the Focus mode you just created.
Doing so will temporarily stop Apple Music’s algorithm from using your listening activity to curate your suggestions and mixes. Additionally, the songs you play won’t appear in Recently Played on the Home tab, nor will they be visible to others through your your Apple Music profile.
Disabling your music history altogether
Temporarily pausing your music history is especially useful when sharing your device with friends, family, or children. If you’re a parent, you won’t have to worry about your recommendations and Apple Music playlists getting cluttered with music you’ve played for your kids.
And when a friend with questionable musical tastes asks to use Apple Music on your iPhone, you can confidently hand it over. Their questionable song choices won’t flood your suggestions with irrelevant tracks, helping keep your listening habits intact.
As before, you’re free to opt for a more extreme step and permanently disable your listening history. To do this, go to Settings > Apps > Music and toggle off the Use Listening History option.
Also, check out: 10 useful tips and tricks for all Apple Music users