If you are seeing prompts to join or start a free trial of Apple Music even though you already subscribe, there are a few potential reasons why this may be happening.
Your Apple Music Subscription Has Expired
The most likely reason you are being prompted to join Apple Music is because your subscription has expired. Apple Music subscriptions auto-renew by default, but if you turned auto-renew off or your payment method expired, your subscription will end.
To check your subscription status:
- Open the App Store app
- Tap your profile picture in the top right
- Tap “Subscriptions”
Here you can see the status of your Apple Music subscription. If it shows as expired, you will need to resubscribe to continue using the service.
You Have an Active Subscription But it’s Not Recognized
In some cases, you may have an active Apple Music subscription that is not being recognized properly on your device. Some potential reasons for this:
- You recently changed your Apple ID or payment method and the update didn’t process correctly.
- You manage your subscription through Family Sharing and the group owner payment method expired.
- You subscribed on a different device and iCloud syncing did not transfer the subscription status.
To troubleshoot this:
- Make sure you are signed in with the proper Apple ID that has the active subscription.
- Double check your subscription status in the App Store (see steps above).
- Try turning iCloud Music Library off and back on to force a refresh.
- Contact Apple Support for further help if needed.
You Have a Free Trial That is Expiring
If you started a free trial of Apple Music, you will start seeing prompts to join and subscribe once the trial period is close to expiring. This is expected behavior to remind you that your trial is ending soon.
To continue using Apple Music without interruption, you will need to subscribe before the free trial ends. You can subscribe right from the prompts or via the App Store subscription management.
There’s a Glitch or Bug
In rare cases, a glitch or bug may cause Apple Music to not recognize your active subscription properly, leading to erroneous join prompts. Some troubleshooting steps:
- Force quit the Music app and relaunch it
- Reboot your device
- Update to the latest iOS version if an update is available
- Disable Apple Music and re-enable it
If the issue persists after trying the above, reach out to Apple support with details about what is happening. They can investigate and resolve any underlying glitches that may be causing the subscription to not be recognized correctly.
You Have Multiple Apple IDs
If you have multiple Apple IDs, it’s possible you subscribed to Apple Music on a different ID than what is currently signed in on your device. Make sure to sign in with the proper ID that has the active subscription.
You can also check your subscription status under each Apple ID in the App Store to identify where the active subscription resides. Consolidate your subscriptions under a single Apple ID if needed.
Family Member Using Your Subscription
For those on a Family Sharing plan, it’s possible another family member is using your Apple Music subscription slot. Family Sharing allows up to 6 members to share an Apple Music family subscription.
If your slot is being used by another family member, you will see join prompts even though your family subscription is active. Check which family members are using subscription slots in Family Sharing settings.
Incorrect Region/Country Set
Apple Music subscriptions are region specific. If the region or country set on your device does not match where your Apple Music subscription originated, it may not be recognized properly.
Double check that the region/country set on your device matches the subscription region. You can update the region in your Apple ID account settings if needed.
Conclusion
Being prompted to join Apple Music when you already have an active subscription can be frustrating, but is usually fixable. The most common reasons are an expired subscription, subscription syncing issues, a nearing trial expiration, or confusion over which Apple ID has the active subscription. Checking your App Store subscription status, ensuring your Apple ID is properly set, and contacting Apple support can typically resolve these types of issues.
