According to the developer beta, the upcoming release of Apple’s iOS 14.5 update will finally allow something users have wanted for years: the ability to set Spotify or other music streaming apps as the default choice ahead of Apple Music.
For the longest time, Apple has had a vice-like grip on the default apps used in iOS. The Apple-made suite that comes pre-installed on your iPhone or iPad (Safari; Mail; Photos; etc.) would always take precedence over third-party alternatives when opening a link or making a Siri request.
Last year, with the release of iOS 14, Apple took its first baby steps towards a more app-inclusive future that grants users more choice and customizability. From our article on the change:
“Apple’s decided you should be able to change your default email client and web browser. So rather than Mail, you could opt for Spark or Hey. Instead of Safari, you could default to Firefox or Google Chrome. This will be a boon for anyone who uses those products on PCs, Macs or Android, or who demands features Apple’s own products don’t provide.
Ideally, Apple should take things further. There’s no good reason eventually why you shouldn’t be able to set Fantastical as your calendar, Spotify as your streaming music app, and Weather Pro as your weather app of choice. The key word in that sentence, though, is eventually.”
Well, later this month one of those dreams will come true, with the stock Music app no longer king of the hill. Early reports from the iOS 14.5 suggest you’ll be prompted to set a new default the first time you ask Siri to play music – or you can simply delete the Music app and iOS will automatically default to whatever you have set up instead.