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Why is it impossible to remove or disable Apple Music on MacOS?

Is this not how Microsoft got into hot water by doing the same thing with their Browser?


  • the "move to trash" item is missing from the listing in Finder/Applications
  • there are no settings in preferences to disable the automatic launching
  • there are multiple 'hacks' emerging on github and on reddit to 'fight' the operating system trying to re-enable or launch this app


Apple: Please correct this behavior, it's bad form. (and no, it *isn't* an integral part of the OS - it's a marketing decision - and a bad one)

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.3

Posted on May 31, 2021 12:19 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 31, 2021 3:00 PM

Sigh. Such a disappointment. Both the behavior of the App and the fanboy answers.


No, it's not "built into the OS" it's an App, like any App, and someone in marketing decided:


  • it should auto launch whenever you connect your headphones
  • there is no way to close it when it launches, other than Force Quitting it
  • there is no setting in Preferences to prevent it from launching


Github hosted application go disable automatic launching:


https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 31, 2021 3:00 PM in response to babowa

Sigh. Such a disappointment. Both the behavior of the App and the fanboy answers.


No, it's not "built into the OS" it's an App, like any App, and someone in marketing decided:


  • it should auto launch whenever you connect your headphones
  • there is no way to close it when it launches, other than Force Quitting it
  • there is no setting in Preferences to prevent it from launching


Github hosted application go disable automatic launching:


https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes

May 31, 2021 3:33 PM in response to Dgcunn

Some additional Googling helped narrow down the problem. I apologize for losing my cool.


It seems, currently, that if you accidentally touch the force sensor on the AirPod Pro while inserting or adjusting them in your ear, MacOS will launch Apple Music. The UX seems to provide no way to alter this behavior. The force required to trigger the action is quite light.


The documentation and UX offer a number of settings, including various Noise Cancelling settings or Siri activation, no option regarding triggering 'play' is offered or configurable despite that being what happens.


https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/395878/prevent-airpods-from-opening-macs-music-itunes-app

May 31, 2021 2:02 PM in response to Dgcunn

You simply cannot delete native Apps which are imbedded and installed with the OS. Never could.


However, I do not understand your problem - if you don't like it, simply do not use it. I do not use it, but it is there in my Applications folder. And it does NOT automatically launch - ever. Go through all of your settings - you have it enabled somewhere.

Why is it impossible to remove or disable Apple Music on MacOS?

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