How to stop killing your data plan when using Music for iPhone and iPad

How-to
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last updated

If you're on a tight data plan, you're likely often concerned about going over your limit. Thanks to iOS 10, you can control when the Music app uses cellular data, how high-quality those streams are, and how to restrict it to Wi-Fi. Here's how.

How to disable cellular data for the Music app

  1. Launch the Settings app.
  2. Select the Music setting.
  3. Tap on Cellular Data.
  4. Flip the On/Off switch next to Cellular Data to the Off (grey) position.

This will block the Music app from using any data at all; from here on out, it will only be able to connect over Wi-Fi.

How to disable cellular data for music downloads

  1. Launch the Settings app.
  2. Select the Music setting.
  3. Tap on Cellular Data.
  4. Flip the On/Off switch next to Downloads to the Off (grey) position.

To reenable cellular data, just follow these same steps, but flip the On/Off switch to the On (green) position.

How to disable cellular data for music streaming only

  1. Launch the Settings app.
  2. Select the Music setting.
  3. Tap on Cellular Data.
  4. Flip the On/Off switch next to Streaming to the Off (grey) position.

To reenable cellular data, just follow these same steps, but flip the On/Off switch to the On (green) position.

How to disable cellular data for high-quality streaming

  1. Launch the Settings app.
  2. Select the Music setting.
  3. Tap on Cellular Data.
  4. Flip the On/Off switch next to High-quality streaming to the Off (grey) position.

To reenable high-quality cellular data, just follow these same steps, but flip the On/Off switch to the On (green) position.

Questions?

Let us know in the comments!

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Luke Filipowicz
Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 

Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.