This weird Apple Music bug could get Apple in more antitrust hot water

How to manage your Apple Music subscription (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

An Apple Music bug appears to be causing its icon to replace others in iPhone docks once downloaded.
Some people have suggested Apple is having iOS do this on purpose.
The obvious bug has already been pounced upon by Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.

Some people are reporting a strange bug that causes Apple Music to take a place in their iPhone's dock when downloaded — even if it has to replace another app that's already there.

Update, May 5 (4:11 pm ET) — Apple is aware

Apple tells me that it knows this Apple Music bug is being experienced by some people and that it's looking into it. Hopefully a fix isn't too far away.

The issue, which appears to be impacting people seemingly at random and across builds of iOS 15, can cause the Apple Music app to replace whatever is already in the dock and, as you can imagine, that's lead to more than a few conspiracy theories. Especially when the app that Apple Music replaces happens to be Spotify!

Seems like if you download the Apple Music app from App Store, it will automatically appear on your device (iPhone) dock, more than this, it will change any other 3d party app with the Music app. If on your dock, you only have Apple apps it won't do anything. pic.twitter.com/c0pkO9G2pqSeems like if you download the Apple Music app from App Store, it will automatically appear on your device (iPhone) dock, more than this, it will change any other 3d party app with the Music app. If on your dock, you only have Apple apps it won't do anything. pic.twitter.com/c0pkO9G2pq— Kevin Archer (@IM_Kevin_Archer) May 5, 2022 May 5, 2022

TechCrunch reports that the issue doesn't seem to be specific to a particular iPhone model, so those with an iPhone 13 are just as likely to be as affected as anyone using an iPhone SE, for example.

Perhaps predictably, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has already jumped on the situation, suggesting that Apple has "rigged their operating system to do this."

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!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!— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 5, 2022 May 5, 2022

As much as people are predictably suggesting that Apple is doing this on purpose to give Apple Music a leg up over Spotify and the competition, this is clearly a bug rather than anything untoward. However, at a time when Apple is continually facing antitrust investigations and probes relating to the way it favors its own apps and services over those provided by third parties, this is definitely a problem that it could do without.

After all, we all know that Apple Music is the best iPhone music streaming service without the need to resort to underhanded tactics, right?

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.