How do I stop random music playing on my phone?

What causes random music playing?

One of the most common causes of random music playing on your phone is downloaded apps that continue playing audio in the background. Many apps like Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, etc. have settings that allow audio to keep streaming even when you switch to another app or lock your phone.

If you have multiple music/audio apps installed, they may be starting playback randomly when detecting a trigger like Bluetooth connecting or an alarm/notification going off. Even if you force close the apps, some will restart background audio due to OS integration and audio service privileges.

Check the audio and notification settings in apps like Spotify and YouTube to disable auto-playing and prevent unwanted background music. You can also uninstall apps you don’t use regularly that could be triggering the audio.

According to community forums, this issue appears most commonly on iOS and Android devices when using apps like Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, podcast apps, or social media apps. Make sure to update these apps and tweak their permissions if needed.¹

Check app notifications settings

One of the most common reasons for random music playing on your iPhone is that you have notifications enabled for music or audio apps. When notifications are turned on, these apps will automatically play preview clips of songs when sending you notifications. To stop this, you’ll need to disable notifications for any music, audio, or streaming apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, etc.

To turn off notifications for specific apps on iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications, then select the app you want to disable notifications for. Turn off ‘Allow Notifications’ and this will stop all notifications including the auto-playing preview clips. You can also customize notifications to your liking for each app.

As per Apple Support: “To turn off notifications selectively for apps, go to Settings > Notifications > Siri Suggestions, then turn off any app. When you use Focus, it delays the delivery of notifications from apps not allowed in that Focus.” (source)

So be sure to check your music app notification settings and turn off any unnecessary notifications to stop random audio from automatically playing on your iPhone.

Stop auto-playing in streaming apps

Many popular music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have auto-play features enabled by default. This means that when you finish listening to a song, playlist, or album, the service will automatically start playing similar music without you having to select it.

To stop your phone from randomly playing music from streaming apps, you’ll need to disable auto-play in the app’s settings:

In Spotify, go to Settings > Playback and toggle off “Autoplay.” [1]
In Apple Music, go to Settings > Music and toggle off “Autoplay.”

In YouTube Music, tap your profile picture > Settings > Autoplay and toggle it off.
Check for an “Autoplay” or “Auto-play” setting in any other streaming music apps you use and disable it.

Disabling auto-play prevents the app from automatically queueing up new music when your current playback ends without you explicitly choosing to play something new. This should stop your phone from randomly playing music when you’re not actively using a streaming app.

Close open apps

Having too many apps open in the background can cause random music playback on your phone. Apps that stream music like Spotify and Pandora can begin autoplaying songs even when minimized. According to an article from MakeUseOf, iPhones don’t actually need you to close apps manually. However, closing unused apps can help free up RAM and stop background processes that could be triggering unwanted music.

To close all open apps on an iPhone running iOS 13 or later, simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause halfway through the gesture. The app switcher will appear and you can tap and hold on apps to close them, or tap the “X” icon in the top left corner to close all apps at once.

For iPhones running iOS 12 or earlier, double click the home button to bring up the app switcher, then swipe up on each individual app to close it. There is no option to close all apps simultaneously on older iOS versions.

Check device audio settings

One common reason random music may start playing on your iPhone is if the media volume has been turned up high. To check your device’s audio settings:

Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Here you can view and adjust the volume levels for ringer and alerts, media, and system sounds. Make sure the media volume slider is not turned up high, which could cause music to start playing randomly if an app triggers audio output.

You can also toggle “Change with Buttons” on or off in this menu. When enabled, the physical volume buttons on your iPhone will control both ringer/alert and media volumes at the same time. When disabled, the buttons will only affect ringer volume, allowing you to control media volume separately.

Check that no apps have been allowed to “Play Media in Background.” Disabling background media playback for all apps may prevent unwanted audio from suddenly starting.

Finally, scroll down this Settings page to the “Headphone Safety” section. Enable “Reduce Loud Sounds” and drag the decibel slider to limit the maximum volume output on your device. This prevents media from playing at full, potentially painful volumes.

For more help adjusting audio settings, see Apple’s guide: Adjust the volume on iPhone.

Update your device OS

One potential cause of random music playing on your iPhone is bugs in an outdated operating system (OS). Apple regularly releases software updates to fix bugs and provide new features. Running the latest iOS version can resolve random audio issues caused by bugs in older versions.

For example, Apple recently released iOS 17.2.1 to address several issues including problems with Siri requests and CarPlay connectivity (https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2023/12/20/apple-iphone-update-ios-17-2-1/71986822007/). Updating to the newest iOS version can fix random music playback triggered by bugs in the current OS.

To update, open Settings > General > Software Update and tap “Download and Install” if an update is available. Staying current with iOS updates helps resolve system issues causing erratic behavior like unprompted audio playback.

Clear app cache and data

Clearing the cache and app data is an effective way to troubleshoot random music playing on your iPhone. The cache consists of temporary files stored by apps on your device. Over time, these cached files can get corrupted or outdated, potentially causing app glitches like unintended audio playback.

To clear the cache for a specific app like Spotify or Apple Music:

Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage.

Tap the app you want to clear the cache for.
Tap Offload App or Delete App to clear cached files (your app data will not be deleted).

You can also delete the app entirely and reinstall a fresh version from the App Store to completely wipe its cache. According to SiteGround, this ensures all temporary files are erased.

Clearing app caches forces the apps to rebuild their temporary data files and prevents outdated information from causing problems like random audio playback. Keep in mind you may need to log back into apps after clearing the cache.

Restart your device

Restarting your iPhone can reset any processes that may be stuck and clear out memory that could be causing issues like random music playing. A force restart quickly cuts power to the device and restarts it, which resets everything and interrupts any rogue processes.

To force restart your iPhone, follow these steps according to Apple’s support guide:

Press and quickly release the volume up button.
Press and quickly release the volume down button.
Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

This will force your iPhone to restart and clear any problematic memory issues. If random music continues after a restart, it likely indicates a deeper issue. However, restarting is a good first troubleshooting step that can resolve basic software glitches.

Restore your device as a last resort

If you have tried all other troubleshooting steps and random music still persists, you may need to erase and restore your iPhone as a last resort. This will erase all content and settings on your device.

Before restoring, be sure to back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes. You can then use these backups to restore your data after the device has been wiped clean. Refer to Apple’s support guides for instructions: Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup, Restore all content to iPhone from a backup.

Once your device has been completely restored from a backup, it should function like new. This process wipes the device and removes any problematic files, settings, or apps that may be causing random music playback.

Restoring your iPhone should only be done as a last resort, after trying other basic troubleshooting steps. But if you continue experiencing unexplained music playing from your device, a full restore may resolve the issue.

Contact support

If none of the troubleshooting steps resolve the issue of random music playing, it’s recommended to contact the device manufacturer or carrier support. This is especially important if you suspect the issue is due to a hardware malfunction rather than a software glitch.

For iPhone users, visit Apple Support and select iPhone, then describe the issue with random music playing. An Apple advisor can run diagnostics, suggest further troubleshooting, or set up a repair if needed.

For Android devices, visit the support site for your phone’s manufacturer, such as Samsung, Motorola, or Google. Explain the problem in detail and they can advise on possible hardware faults.

As an alternative, you can contact your mobile carrier’s tech support, like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile or Sprint. They can walk through troubleshooting or facilitate a replacement if it appears the device is defective.