Having music stuck playing on your iPhone lock screen can be annoying and confusing. There are a few potential reasons why this may happen and several troubleshooting steps you can try to fix it.
Quick Summary
Here are some quick potential reasons and fixes for music getting stuck on your iPhone lock screen:
- You have an app like Spotify or Apple Music open in the background – Close the music app entirely
- You have media controls enabled for the lock screen – Disable lock screen media controls in Settings
- There is an issue with the app that is playing music – Update or reinstall the problematic app
- You have Hey Siri enabled – Disable Hey Siri to prevent accidental music playing
- Your iPhone is stuck on the lock screen – Hard reset your iPhone to clear any glitches
- Your iPhone is jailbroken – This can cause music playing issues, restore to factory settings
Read on for more detailed information on what causes music to get stuck on the lock screen and how to troubleshoot the issue on your iPhone.
What Causes Music to Get Stuck on the Lock Screen?
Here are some of the most common reasons you may find music continues playing on your iPhone’s lock screen:
Music App Running in Background
The most common reason for music sticking on the lock screen is having an app like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora or other streaming music apps continuing to run in the background after you leave the app. Even if the app is minimized, the music can keep playing while on the lock screen.
Make sure to fully close out any music apps by swiping them away from the app switcher when you are done listening. That will fully quit the app and stop any background music playback.
Lock Screen Media Controls Enabled
Another cause of lock screen music is having media controls enabled on the lock screen itself. Apple allows you to access playback controls for music and other media directly from the lock screen for convenience.
If you have this enabled but are not actively listening to music, it can seem like music is getting stuck or randomly playing. Double check your lock screen settings and disable media controls if you do not want them.
Issues with Music Apps
Sometimes bugs or glitches within music apps themselves can cause music to keep playing on the lock screen incorrectly. If closing the app entirely does not fix it, the app itself may have issues.
Try updating the problematic app to the latest version from the App Store. If issues persist, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the app to clear out any corrupted data.
Accidental Hey Siri Activation
If you have Hey Siri enabled on your iPhone, this allows your device to listen for the “Hey Siri” command and activate Siri hands-free. However, sometimes background sounds can accidentally trigger this feature.
If Siri gets accidentally activated, music could start playing from your Apple Music library or other commands could be triggered. Disable Hey Siri if you are finding music playing unexpectedly.
iPhone Stuck on Lock Screen
In some rare cases, an iPhone may become stuck on the lock screen due to a software glitch. This can lead to unusual behavior like music continuing to play in the background.
If you cannot interact with your phone and the screen is frozen, you may need to perform a hard reset by holding the Power and Home buttons together for 10+ seconds until the Apple logo appears. This will restart your phone and clear any lock screen glitches.
Jailbroken iPhone
Jailbreaking an iPhone gives you more administrative access to modify system software, but this can also lead to instability and strange issues like music sticking on the lock screen.
If your device is jailbroken, the only true fix is to restore your iPhone to factory default settings. This will get rid of any problematic jailbreak modifications that could be interfering with music playback.
How to Stop Music Playing on Lock Screen
Based on the cause of your lock screen music issues, here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and stop the unwanted music playback:
Close Open Music Apps Entirely
Go through your recently used apps and make sure you fully force quit any streaming music, podcasts, radio or other audio apps. Swipe the app windows upward to close them instead of just going to the Home screen.
Disable Lock Screen Media Controls
Open the Settings app and go to Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode on older models). Scroll down to the Allow Access When Locked section and toggle off Media Controls.
Check App Updates and Reinstall
Open the App Store and go to your Updates tab. Install any pending updates for Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora or any other media apps on your iPhone. If that does not resolve it, uninstall and reinstall the problem app.
Turn Off Hey Siri
Go to Settings > Siri & Search. Toggle Hey Siri to the Off position. This will disable always-listening Siri so accidental activations do not play music.
Hard Reset iPhone
If your iPhone is stuck on the lock screen, perform a hard reset by holding the Side/Power button and either Volume button together for 10+ seconds until the Apple logo appears. This will force restart your iPhone.
Restore iPhone to Factory Settings
For jailbroken iPhones or serious system corruption, you may need to wipe your device. Open Settings > General > Reset and choose Erase All Content and Settings. This will erase your data and restore factory defaults.
Preventing Music from Sticking on Lock Screen
To avoid music continuing to play incorrectly on your iPhone’s lock screen in the future, follow these tips:
- Always fully close music and audio apps when you are done listening to them
- Disable media controls on your lock screen if you do not use them
- Keep your apps updated through the App Store
- Be careful about enabling Hey Siri if you do not want accidental music playing
- Avoid jailbreaking your iPhone as it can cause instability
- Restart your iPhone regularly to clear out any small glitches
Conclusion
Music sticking on your iPhone lock screen when you are not actually listening to audio can certainly be annoying. In most cases, it is caused by background audio apps, lock screen settings, app issues, accidental Siri activation or iPhone glitches.
By being aware of what causes lock screen music playback, you can better troubleshoot and fix the problem when it happens. Simply fully closing music apps, disabling media controls, updating apps, turning off Hey Siri and restarting your iPhone can typically resolve the issue.
Following best practices like closing apps when done, avoiding jailbreaking and rebooting your iPhone periodically can also prevent music from getting stuck playing when you do not want it. Using a disciplined troubleshooting approach and being proactive can help ensure your iPhone’s lock screen only plays music when you want it to.
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Music app running in background | Close the music app entirely |
| Lock screen media controls enabled | Disable lock screen media controls |
| Issue with music app | Update or reinstall problematic app |
| Accidental Hey Siri activation | Turn off Hey Siri |
| iPhone stuck on lock screen | Hard reset iPhone |
| Jailbroken iPhone | Restore iPhone to factory settings |
Following the troubleshooting guide above and being mindful of preventing lock screen music issues will help you resolve and avoid this problem on your iPhone. With a few simple steps, you can stop unwanted music from interrupting your day and ensure your device only plays the tunes you want to hear.