Crossfade creates a smooth transition between songs, making your listening experience a whole lot better. However, recent reports indicate that this feature has started breaking after the latest update. If you’re experiencing the same issue, here are the best fixes to try.
How To Fix Apple Music Crossfade Not Working
1. Disable Lossless Audio
The Crossfade feature may not work properly with Apple Music’s lossless audio format. To ensure smooth playback and enable Crossfade, you need to turn off lossless audio on your device.
Time needed: 1 minute
On iPhone/iPad:
- Go to Settings > Apps.
- Tap Music.
- Tap Audio Quality and toggle Lossless Audio off.
On Mac:
- Open the Apple Music app.
- In the menu bar, go to Music > Preferences.
- Click the Playback tab.
- Under Audio Quality, check or uncheck Lossless audio to turn it on or off.
2. Use the Speakers of Your Device
Many users have noticed that the Crossfade feature doesn’t work when using AirPods, headphones, or Bluetooth speakers. However, it functions properly when playing music through your device’s built-in speakers. To test this, try streaming music through your original speaker and see if the Crossfade feature works. This isn’t an official solution, but it’s worth trying if you’re experiencing this issue.
3. Turn Off AirPlay (iOS Only)
If AirPlay is on, Crossfade won’t be available. Simply disable AirPlay, and your Crossfade settings will start working again. To ensure you don’t accidentally enable it while streaming, follow the steps below to turn off Automatic AirPlay:
- Go to Settings > General.
- Tap Airplay & Continuity > Automatically Airplay.
- Tap Never.
4. Clear Apple Music Cache (macOS Only)
Cache files store temporary data on your device to help apps like Apple Music run more efficiently. However, over time, they can become bloated or corrupted, causing performance issues. To keep Apple Music running smoothly, you need to clear its cache regularly.
- Open Finder.
- Press Command (⌘) + Shift + G or go to Go > Go to Folder from the top menu bar.
- Copy and paste the appropriate address into the search box, then press Enter:
macOS Catalina and later: Users > [Your Username] > Library > Caches > com.apple.Music
macOS Mojave and earlier: Users > [Your Username] > Library > Caches > com.apple.iTunes
- Select all cache files.
- Right-click and click Move to Trash to delete them.
5. Restart Apple Music (iOS Only)
One simple and effective fix is to force-stop your Apple Music app and relaunch it. This can help refresh the running processes and clear up any temporary glitches.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up the App Carousel.
- Swipe up on the Apple Music app to close it.
- To open it again, tap the Apple Music icon on the home screen.
6. Reinstall Apple Music (iOS Only)
If none of the above fixes work, you can try reinstalling the Apple Music app. First, you need to uninstall the app. To do so:
- Touch and hold the Apple Music icon on the Home Screen.
- From the Quick Actions menu, select Remove App.
- Tap Delete App to confirm.
- Then, you can reinstall the app from the App Store.
7. Update Device
If you’re running an older version, you might be missing out on essential support for this feature. Apple frequently rolls out improvements and bug fixes with each update, so sticking with an outdated OS could stop the Crossfade feature from working correctly.
For iOS:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap General.
- Tap Software Update. If an update is available, tap Update Now.
For macOS:
- Use Spotlight in the menu bar to search for Software Update and open it from the search results.
- If new software is available, click Update or Upgrade. If no new software is available, it will say Your Mac is up to date.
- You’ll be prompted to enter your administrator password before installation starts.
- Your Mac may restart multiple times, displaying a progress bar or a blank screen.
Now that you have hopefully fixed the Crossfade in Apple Music learn how to fix a host of other bugs in the app after the iOS 18 update.