With iOS 10.2 released this week, Apple introduced a series of changes to the iOS. While the headlines around the new iOS centered around availability of new emojis and the new TV app, Apple has made some much desired changes in its Music app among other things.
With the iOS 10 earlier versions, it was hard to locate the shuffle/repeat options on the music app. In 10.2, the directions are little clearer. When you first update your iPhone to iOS 10.2 and access the Music app, the app shows you how you can access these functions. Wish we had this clarity when trying to figure it out in iOS 10.
iOS 10.2 Music App – Quick Tips
Simply swipe up on the screen to access Repeat, shuffle and Up Next functions.
In iOS 10.1, you had the option to Sort Songs and Albums in the Settings area. When you tapped on Settings > Music , you could choose Sort Songs & Albums and choose by Artist or by title in this section.
This option has been now changed in iOS 10.2. Tapping on Settings > Music shows you only the Genius option in the Library section.
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In order to set up the sort order in iOS 10.2, you will need to access this feature within the app itself as opposed to Settings.
From your main Library screen in the Music app, tap on Songs. You will find the Sort function on top right corner of your screen. Tap on Sort and you can choose to select the sorting either by the Title or the Artist.
The same options hold true for Albums as well and you can change the sort order by tapping on the Sort button.
In the case of Playlists, you can now sort either by the Playlist Type, Title or Recently Added.
These options to sort were not readily available in iOS 10.1 variants earlier.
With any new change, it does take a while getting used to. What do you think about the subtle changes introduced in the new iOS 10.2 Music app? What are some of the changes that you would like to see in the Music app moving forward?
Cwrkr says
Please just make it simple to sort alphabetically within a playlist! I have numerous duplicates and it would be nice to be able to sort alphabetically to I can find duplicates easier.
Vijay Reddy says
Shocking. If this application is not reverted or truly improved… After years of debilitating, senseless updates and no amendment I may attempt to find a less frustrating, more joyful solution. If they don’t change, then we must.
Vijay Reddy says
Take some responsibility! I am confused by the possibility that thousands of Apple employees don’t see such obvious failings in a simple music application. How many years has iTunes been around? I don’t think that anyone at Apple understands the value that a iTunes has brought to the company. It’s the only reason why I have purchased more than a dozen high-priced/ one buttoned devices. It’s integrity is vital. In the meanwhile, your “updates” corrupted iTunes to the point of functional worthlessness. Not once in the past five years have I been glad for an update. I have never asked why interfaces (displays and user inputs) are not coordinated throughout all the platforms. Why are managing executives allowing their teams to pursue advances on their particular projects without communicating with the other engineers that can approve and implement the changes in a universal method so that applications are similar if not the same on desktops or phone or iPod. I don’t need album art. I don’t need Apple music either. Not if they are going to ruin my ability to sort and play my purchases. Stop fooling around with the basics of iTunes!! It’s your most valuable asset!!!
Tiffany says
Very unhappy. I cannot access the repeat or the “loop” button at all and cannot repeat my playlist. When I swipe up, my “quick” menu comes up, the grey box to get to your flashlight and dim the screen and wifi button, and stuff like that.
This is the stupidest thing apple has ever done. What is the purpose behind making this so difficult?
Dylan says
THANK YOU! I was so upset when I could no longer sort my song title and I would have seen that sort button in the app!
Unhappy iTunes user says
If Apple lets software engineers design user interface, this is what you get. Now the sort and repeat features are gone at the playlist level. This is the most used features for any iphone/itouch user.
Great job Apple.
alligator69 says
Same issue. Does Apple think before doing these things?? I need the songs within each playlist sorted, not the list of playlists themselves. This was never an issue before. The song order in a playlist on your phone defaulted to the same order the playlist’s songs were in on iTunes. I now find playlists that were previously fine to be out of order. Either in reverse order as noted above or completely random and there appears to be no option to sort it the way you want. Could somebody who knows please tell me that there is some way to do this?? If not, my playlists as I intended them are worthless other than on my computer and thousands upon thousands of songs and countless hours of work over the years have been completely wasted. Sadly, this is the norm for Apple “upgrades” and “improvements”. They just seem to change things for the sake of change itself and remove essential functionality and add useless functionality without considering the impact on users. Just more frustration and business as usual
Mahmoud says
Very comprehensive explanation, but although it explained how to sort songs, it oversaw how to sort songs within the playlist.
In most of the cases, when you have hundreds of songs loaded on your phone, you never use it from the songs category. you rather create playlist and listen to the songs within this playlist.
My playlist contains songs sorted alphabetically, upside down. If the song titles are numbered from 1 to 9, it shows in the playlist sorted from from 9 to 1. and there is not option to change this.
Travis says
It’s still absolute garbage that one can’t access the “love” and “dislike” functions from the lock screen.