10 ways to remove the music player from your lock screen
It's worth pointing out that these tips can help you get rid of the music player widget not only from Apple Music, but also from other music streaming services like Spotify, YouTube Music, etc. So whether you are trying to fix Spotify music widget or troubleshoot Apple Music widget, these methods will work for you.
1. Force quit the Music app
By far the easiest way to get rid of the music widget from the iPhone lock screen is to force quit the music app. Here's how you can force quit apps on your iPhone.
On iPhone equipped with Face ID
- Swipe up from the home bar to reveal the app switcher, then hold it in the middle of the screen. Then, swipe up on the app card of Apple Music to kill the app.
On iPhone equipped with Touch ID
- Double tap the home button to access the app switcher. After that, swipe up on the app card to exit the app.
Once you force kill the music app, restart your iPhone. Once your device restarts, check if you have successfully removed the blocked music widget from the lock screen of your iOS device.
2. Delete the Today Music Widget
If you added the Music widget to Today View, it may interfere with the Music Player widget. Remove the widget from the Today widget to see if it works for you.
- Swipe right from the left edge of the screen to access the Today View screen.
- Now touch and hold the Music Widget and tap "Delete Widget" in the pop-up window.
- Next, press the side button to lock your iPhone. After waiting a few seconds, tap the touchscreen to check if the music player widget has disappeared from the lock screen.
3. Reset your iPhone
If the music widget still shows up on your iPhone's lock screen, a hard reset (also known as a force restart) may do the trick. When it comes to fixing various issues like this, hard reset is very reliable. Here's how to easily reset your iPhone.
Hard reset iPhone 8, iPhone X and later
- press and release the volume up button. Then press and release the volume down button.
- Next, make sure to hold down the side button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears on the screen.
Hard reset iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
- Press and hold both side button and volume down button simultaneously until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
Hard Reset iPhone 6s/6s Plus or Earlier
- Hold both home/Touch ID button and side/top button until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
4. Check if your iPhone is connected to a Bluetooth device
When the iPhone is connected to a Bluetooth headset or a car stereo, it sometimes tends to show a recent track playing from a music app. You can get rid of the music widget from your iOS lock screen by disconnecting the device from your iPhone.
- Head to the Settings app on your iPhone and choose Bluetooth .
- Now press the "i" button next to a Bluetooth device. After that, tap Forget this device and confirm.
5. Disable today view and search on lock screen
Some iOS users who had experienced the same problem reported that disabling “Today View and Search” worked for them. Although it sounds crazy, there's no harm in giving it a shot.
- Head to the Settings app on your iPhone and choose Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode.
- Now turn off the toggle next to View and search for today .
6. Stop Siri from Showing Apple Music Suggestions on Lock Screen
Siri has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, and it keeps tabs on what you're listening to and offers suggestions on the lock screen accordingly. Although this is a well-thought-out feature designed to improve your music listening experience, the suggestions may explain why your music player is stuck. You should definitely try disabling Siri suggestions on the lock screen to try and fix a frozen music player widget.
- Navigate to the Settings app on your iPhone and choose Siri and Search .
- Now turn off the toggle next to Show while listening to prevent Siri from showing suggestions on the lock screen.
7. Reset all settings
Facing a persistent problem, factory reset all settings can be a possible solution. It erases all existing settings, which often results in solving problems. So it makes sense to give it a chance. If you are worried about losing your data, let me tell you that factory reset does not delete any media or data.
- Go to the Settings app on your iPhone and tap General .
- Now scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone and hit Reset .
- Then press Reset all settings in the context menu and validate.
8. Update iOS on your iPhone
If the music player widget is still stuck on your iPhone lock screen, chances are the problem is caused by a software bug. Knowing that iOS 15 is quite buggy just like its predecessor, the possibility of a hidden bug cannot be ruled out.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and choose General .
- Now tap on Software Update then download and install the latest version of iOS on your device.
9. Delete and reinstall the Apple Music app
If none of the solutions have worked so far, try deleting the music app and reinstalling it. A new reinstallation often resolves even complex app-related issues. Therefore, be sure to give it a try.
- Touch and hold the Music app and select Delete app from the pop-up menu.
- After that, tap Delete app then confirm by tapping Delete from the menu.
10. Last resort: restore your iPhone to like-new condition
No solution yet? It may be time to opt for the nuclear solution. With the nuclear solution, I mean restoring your iPhone to like-new condition. Keep in mind that this will erase your entire device, erasing everything including media and data. Therefore, remember to back up your device in advance.
- Simply, connect your iPhone to a computer and open iTunes/Finder -> Select your device . If you haven't backed up your device yet, click Back Up Now .
- Once done, click on Restore iPhone .
- Once your device is restored, set it up as new. During setup, you will have the option to restore your device from a backup. Do the necessary and you're done.
- If you have enough iCloud storage, you can back up your data to iCloud and restore it later. Notably, with iOS 15 or later, Apple offers free and unlimited iCloud storage for you to restore your device without losing data.
Easily Remove Music Widget on iPhone Lock Screen
Well, these are various things you can try to get rid of your lock screen music player if it's stuck there. More often than not, one of the easier methods on this list will fix your problem, but if all else fails, there's also no harm in completely restoring your iPhone to like-new condition. So which method on this list worked for you? Are there any other methods that can fix this problem that you think we should include in this list? Let us know in the comments.