Apple Music Songs Missing or Grayed Out on iPhone? Fix It

Common causes

• Signed in with a different Apple Account than the one you use for Apple Music
• Sync Library turned off on a device, or songs still waiting to sync
• Music restrictions set to Clean, which grays out explicit songs
• Hidden songs
• Songs removed from the Apple Music catalog
• A canceled Apple Music subscription
• Original song files that can’t be located on your Mac or PC

Step-by-Step Solutions

Start with the account check, then follow the steps for grayed-out songs or for missing songs, and leave turning Sync Library off and on until last.

1. 1

   Step 1: Check which Apple Account you’re using

   Apple Music, Sync Library and your purchases all depend on being signed in to the right Apple Account.

   If you’re signed in to a different Apple Account, you can’t use your Apple Music subscription, use Sync Library or download your purchased music. Check the account on every device you use with Apple Music. If it’s the wrong one, sign out and sign in to the correct one.

   On your iPhone, open the Apple Music app, tap the My Account button at the top, then scroll down and tap Account Settings.

   For music bought from the iTunes Store, open Settings, tap your name, then tap Media & Purchases to see the Apple Account used for purchases.

   Good to know

   If you sign in with a different Apple Account, purchases tied to the account you sign out of are removed from your iPhone, so back up your music library before you sign out. Apple Music isn’t a backup service. On a Mac or PC, a grayed-out iTunes Store purchase can also mean you need to authorize that computer to play iTunes Store purchases.

2. 2

   Step 2: Allow explicit music if songs are grayed out

   When music restrictions are set to Clean, explicit songs appear grayed out.

   Screen Time can allow or block content labeled explicit in the Music app. Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Under Content Restrictions, set your music restrictions to Explicit to allow explicit content.

3. 3

   Step 3: Unhide songs that are grayed out

   A hidden song might appear grayed out, or not show in your library at all.

   Hidden items don’t appear in your library on devices that use your Apple Account, unless the item was downloaded to that device. Unhiding a song lets you play and download it.

   On your iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, tap Media & Purchases, then tap Hidden Purchases. If you find the music, tap Unhide next to the song, then you can download it.

   Good to know

   On a Mac, open the Apple Music app and choose Account, then Account Settings. On a Windows PC, click your name in the sidebar of the Apple Music app, then View My Account. Look for Hidden Purchases or Hidden Items, click Manage, then click Unhide.

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   Step 4: Replace grayed-out songs that are no longer available

   No Longer Available next to a grayed-out song means it might have been removed from the Apple Music catalog.

   Search the Apple Music catalog for another version of the song. If you find one, tap the More button next to it, then tap the Add button to add it to your library. To listen offline, tap the More button again, then tap Download.

   Good to know

   If you see “This item is not currently available in your country or region”, search for the song to check whether it’s available in your country or region. If it is, back up your music library first, because Apple Music isn’t a backup service, then delete the grayed-out version and add the song again. If many songs show this, sign in to the correct Apple Account on all your devices, update them to the most recent OS or update the Apple Music app for Windows, and turn on Sync Library everywhere.

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   Step 5: If songs are missing, turn on Sync Library everywhere

   Every device you use with Apple Music needs Sync Library turned on, the same Apple Account and an internet connection.

   On your iPhone, open Settings, tap Music, then turn on Sync Library. Make sure all your devices have Sync Library turned on, are signed in with the same Apple Account you use with Apple Music, and are connected to the internet.

   On a Mac, open the Apple Music app, choose Music, then Settings, click the General tab and select Sync Library. In the Apple Music app for Windows, click Sidebar Actions at the top of the sidebar, then Settings, then General, and turn on Sync Library.

   Good to know

   On a Mac or PC, wait for your library to sync. To check the status, click Updating Cloud Library at the bottom of the sidebar. In iTunes for Windows, Sync Library is called iCloud Music Library.

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   Step 6: Check your Apple Music subscription

   Sync Library and songs added from the Apple Music catalog need an active subscription.

   Sync Library requires a subscription to Apple Music or iTunes Match. If you don’t see the Sync Library option in Settings, you may not have a subscription, or your iPhone isn’t signed in to the Apple Music app with the Apple Account you use for it.

   If you canceled Apple Music, your music library is removed on all your devices except the original computer where it’s downloaded. Music added or downloaded from the Apple Music catalog is removed, along with playlists added from the catalog, created with catalog music, or synced with Sync Library. Your iTunes purchases stay in your library on all devices.

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   Step 7: Check song cloud status on your Mac or PC

   If your library started on a computer, the Apple Music app there can show why a song is missing or grayed out.

   On the computer where your music library originates, open the Apple Music app and select Songs in the sidebar. Show the Cloud Status and Cloud Download columns: on a Mac, choose View, then Show View Options; in the Apple Music app for Windows, right-click the headings bar. Then select Cloud Status and Cloud Download, and look at the status next to each song.

   • Exclamation point: the song can’t be played or synced across your devices until the original file is located. Click the exclamation point, then click Locate. If the song is found, click Find Files to look for other missing songs. If you can’t locate it, you might need to import it from the original source.
   • Waiting: the song won’t appear on your other devices because it’s waiting to sync. Make sure the computer is connected to the internet, Update Cloud Library, wait for the song to sync, then check your iPhone. If it still doesn’t sync, back up your music library first, because Apple Music isn’t a backup service, then delete the song and import it from the original source.
   • No longer available: the song was in the Apple Music catalog but has been removed. Look for another version as described above.

   Good to know

   To update Cloud Library on a Mac, choose File, then Library, then Update Cloud Library. In the Apple Music app for Windows, click Sidebar Actions, then Library, then Update Cloud Library. Update the computer where your library originates first, then the synced computer. If a song is on your Mac or PC but not in the Apple Music app, search the computer for it, drag it into the Apple Music app, then Update Cloud Library.

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   Step 8: Redownload missing iTunes Store purchases

   Music you bought from the iTunes Store can be downloaded again.

   Make sure you’re signed in to the correct Apple Account on all your devices. Then open the iTunes Store app, tap Purchased, then Music. Select Not on This iPhone, choose the artist, then tap the Download button next to the song.

   Good to know

   If a purchase doesn’t appear there, check Hidden Purchases as described above.

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   Step 9: Turn Sync Library off and on again

   If music is still missing, Apple’s last step is to restart Sync Library on all your devices.

   Turn Sync Library off and on again on all of your devices. On your iPhone, the switch is in Settings, then Music. Turning Sync Library off removes all of your downloaded music, and Apple Music isn’t a backup service, so back up your music library before you turn it off.

   Use a good network connection. Larger music libraries might take more time.

Frequently Asked Questions