iOS 14.5: Setting the Default Music Service
Jay Peters (tweet):
But users who have already installed the beta discovered another great feature: you’ll be able to select a third-party default music service when you ask to play a song using Siri — including Spotify (via MacRumors).
When you ask Siri to play a song on iOS 14.5, you may be prompted to select which app you want to use to play it, according to a screenshot shared on Reddit.
Next, how about supporting Google Maps and Alexa?
Previously:
- iOS 14.5: Unlock an iPhone While Wearing a Mask
- Setting Default Apps in iOS 14
- Spotify: Time to Play Fair
Update (2021-03-11): Sarah Perez:
Apple has clarified that the iOS 14.5 beta is not actually allowing users to select a new default music service, as has been reported.
[…]
Apple also points out there’s no specific setting in iOS where users can configure a “default” music service, the way there is with email and browser apps.
[…]
More broadly, the feature is an attempt to help Siri to learn the listening apps you want to use for different types of audio content — not just music.
Imagine instead that if upon opening Spotlight, Siri would launch the app it thought I wanted immediately. It would be infuriating. When it got it right, it would be cool but it won’t be able to get it right every time. These systems are always going to make mistakes, so you can’t go all in on a feature like that. Suggestions or recommendations are about as far as you can go without being frustrating. Even if it is was correct 49 times out of 50, that one time it is wrong will mean you will never use it again.
This latest music app situation falls directly in that latter camp. Through this TechCrunch article, Apple is very determined to say that the app picker UI is only a guide for Siri rather than a strict default app setting.
It reminds me of that button in the Twitter app that allows you to toggle between an algorithmically sorted timeline and a reverse-chronological one. If you open the app often enough, it will usually stick with the last sorting mode you selected. But if you do not, it will revert to showing an algorithmic timeline. If you prefer reverse-chronological, it sucks.
It is a bit like if you went out to your car one morning and the seat and steering wheel were in a completely different position to the way you left it. It is uncomfortable. It is no longer yours.
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Or how about returning to playing my audio book through my library app (BorrowBox) instead of switching over to Music any time I play any other audio (eg watch a video in News or Safari).
They can manage to switch back to Apple’s own Podcast, but not to third party apps. Apple’s aggressive integration and aggressive third party exclusion dilutes the value of the device.
Lately its been switching back to Music between each track of my audiobook!
