On an iPhone 14, iCloud Music Library is now called Sync Library. To turn it off, open Settings > Apps > Music (on iOS 17 and earlier, Settings > Music), turn off Sync Library, and tap Turn Off to confirm. Your iPhone stops syncing your music library with iCloud, and Apple Music songs and downloads are removed from this iPhone. Nothing is deleted from your iCloud library, so you can turn it back on later to get everything back.
Here’s exactly what happens when you turn it off, what stays on your phone, and how to turn it back on.
How to turn off Sync Library (iCloud Music Library)
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Apps, then Music. On iOS 17 or earlier, tap Music directly.
- Turn off Sync Library.
- Tap Turn Off in the confirmation message.
If you don’t see Sync Library, you don’t have an active Apple Music or iTunes Match subscription, so iCloud Music Library isn’t turned on for your account.
What happens when you turn it off
| Type of music | After you turn off Sync Library |
|---|---|
| Songs and playlists you added from Apple Music | Removed from this iPhone, including downloads |
| Music synced to the cloud from your other devices | Removed from this iPhone |
| Music synced from a computer with a cable | Stays on your iPhone |
| Songs you bought from the iTunes Store | Downloaded copies may be removed, but you can download them again from your purchases |
| Your library in iCloud | Not deleted. It’s still there on your other devices and comes back if you turn Sync Library on again. |
While Sync Library is off, you can still stream Apple Music on this iPhone if you’re a subscriber, but you can’t add songs to your library or download them for offline listening.
Why turn it off?
- You want to manage music with a computer. Syncing music from a Mac (Finder) or a Windows PC (Apple Devices app or iTunes) with a cable works most reliably with Sync Library off.
- Your library has duplicates or mismatched songs. Turning it off, then back on, can refresh a messy library.
- You want to free up space. It removes downloaded Apple Music songs from this iPhone.
- You share a device. It keeps someone else’s library changes off this iPhone.
How to turn it back on
- Go to Settings > Apps > Music.
- Turn on Sync Library.
- If asked, choose whether to Keep Music (merge the songs on your iPhone with your iCloud library) or Delete & Replace (replace the songs on your iPhone with your iCloud library).
Your library comes back after a few minutes, depending on its size and your connection. Downloaded songs don’t come back automatically. Download them again from the Music app, or turn on Automatic Downloads in the same Settings screen.
Free up space without turning off Sync Library
- Optimize Storage: In Settings > Apps > Music, turn on Optimize Storage and choose a minimum amount. Your iPhone removes songs you haven’t played in a while when space runs low.
- Remove downloads: Tap Downloaded Music in the same screen, tap Edit, and delete artists or albums. The songs stay in your library for streaming. For more, see how to delete music from an iPhone.
Frequently asked questions
Will turning off iCloud Music Library delete my music?
Not from iCloud or your other devices. It removes Apple Music and cloud-synced songs from this iPhone only. Turn Sync Library back on to get them back.
Will I lose my playlists?
Playlists stored in your iCloud library disappear from this iPhone while Sync Library is off, but they’re still saved in iCloud and come back when you turn it on.
Does this cancel my Apple Music subscription?
No. To cancel, go to Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions.
Are the steps the same on other iPhones?
Yes. The steps are the same on any iPhone running a recent version of iOS, not just the iPhone 14.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He started on a university help desk, spent years as the IT person for small businesses, and has been writing tech guides full time since 2020. Each guide is checked on a device he owns, and re-checked when a menu moves. More about Kermit.