During installation, Apple’s music app forces other programs out of the iPhone dock – including the competition. This is about to change soon.
Apple Music should no other apps in the future throw more out of the iPhone dock. Apple implemented the correction in the second beta of iOS 15.6: If the manufacturer’s music app is reinstalled, it – like all other apps – ends up in the next free position on the home screen or, depending on the setting, right in the app media library, as reported by developers with access to the pre-release version. iOS 15.6 should be released for general download by July at the latest.
Music Returns to the Dock
So far, Apple’s music app automatically pushes itself back into the dock in a prominent position when reinstalled from the App Store and replaces an app placed there. The reports from users that Spotify or another music service competing with Apple Music was thrown out of the dock as a result caused a stir.
However, the music app makes no difference in this respect, it is provided by the operating system simply installed again and again in the place where it is placed by default as a pre-installed app – namely on the far right in the dock. Other apps – including Apple apps – are being pushed out as a result. The music app is the only one of the four standard apps in the iPhone dock that can be deleted from the operating system so far. The phone, the Safari browser and the Messages app cannot be removed by the user.
EU against Gatekeeper Apple
The ultimately quite banal bug is delicate, because the preferential treatment of Apple Music regulators has long been a thorn in the side. The EU Commission accuses Apple of damaging the market with its app store rules for music streaming services and to favor the in-house streaming service. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) will also require gatekeepers like Apple to delete all non-essential pre-installed manufacturer apps from the operating system.
