Q: Can't delete songs from my iPhone 4

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

No offense to the many submissions above yours, but your solution was I'm sure, what the original query was looking for. I just set up a new computer after a total crash of the one with iTunes that synced my iPad and iPhone. Both were glutted with songs from the old setup and I couldn't get rid of them. Your solution required 1 sync to clean the units and another to re-load the playlists and songs that I wanted. Very professional directions in your post.

Came here because it's a top Google search hit.  As a non-match user having the "will not delete from iPhone problem," iUser619 had the solution that worked for me (without needing to restore) - though I had to do multiple deletes/reboots, where the library kept re-appearing though my available storage space kept increasing, until finally the library had completely disappeared (I had 1,500 songs I was trying to erase).

Additionally, it was a bit frustrating reading CobaltComet's posts, who came to the thread refusing to understand the problem and that the main people experiencing the problem had already done all the steps they were outlining, and that the problem was not fixed by anything they were typing (though they may have been helping newbies coming to the thread who simply don't understand how to manage their music, this was a thread about working around a specific bug that CobaltComet had no understanding of.)  Cheers to iUser619!

You're problem is unrelated to the thread. Perhaps that's why you're having trouble fixing it.

The method I used helped me before I even found this thread, I was leaving the instructions here because the thread had/has not been solved as far as I could/can tell. It helped some, and it helped me. Think next time before you accuse people of things. Furthermore, when I made multiple posts it was for anything specific people had asked after my post. So if it didn't help you, move on. Easy. I worked around the bug just fine. Often times people skip over steps, overlook things entirely out of laziness and a craving for instant gratification then blame others for their gross lack of knowledge and savvy. iUser169's thread was totally awesome and should have helped everyone, but it seemed like some people were still having issue after that (granted, it's possible that they did not even read the previous posts and see his or her answer). Either way, they were who I was trying to help using the same steps I used. So next time, thank who helped you, and leave your tongue-in-cheek smack talk back at 4 chan, neophyte.

Or -gasp- figure it out yourself and see how far you get.

___

Did you mean iUser169? Or 12xbl? I don't think i saw 169's post before, and got him or her mixed up with 12xbl's post. I'm sure it was just as good, just wondering.

I have but that didnt work either. I think it has to do with updrading the software from 4 to 5 will resolve it all.

This is THE solution:

https://discussions.apple.com/message/18246002#18246002

It fixed the following problems on my iPhone:

• Settings > General > Usage was crashing while computing the disk usage
• Music app was crashing when I was going in Songs, Albums, Podcasts
• Music app was not showing me all the genres
• In iTunes, with iTunes Match disabled and in manual sync mode, I was not able to delete all the music files
• One song in an album I bought 2 months ago was not downloading properly (was stopping at the end, was not playing, ...)

Thanks to GeekDad3 for posting this amazing solution.

the whole delete storgare thing didnt work at all. to the point where i am over itunes and apple.

This is what I discovered. My iPhone is a jailbroken one and so I am stuck with the orginal software. If I try to upgrade the software, as iTune tells me to do, the phone gets locked and can only be opened by an expert.

When it was new and the software was the latest one I could add and delete songs on iTune. Now that 2 more upgradable software has come in the phone is stuck with all the songs it had at the begining.

What surprises me is that iPhones are manufactured by Apple and there are no second manufacturer of this instrument, they why do they not legalise the product? What I mean is every iPhone comes from the Apple factory so why and how are they sold illegally? Surely they all come from the same factory/factories.

I know this is beating a dead horse into the ground, but here is my particular problem.

I have done all of the fixes that have been recommended, yet when I am on my iPhone anytime I swipe the song to get the delete button the song starts playing.

The song is in my library, does not show on my device on iTunes, on my iPhones, Settings>General>Usage>Music shows No Data.  However, on my iPhone, when I open the Music app, there are still 3 songs displayed.

I have tried to unclick Manual manage, sync, and reclick Manual manage sync.  It never shows up in iTunes on my device and it is always on my iPhone.

Sorry for the repeat I kind of felt mine was slightly different.  Thanks

iUser619

Thank you for your simple and elegant solution.

Thank you further for recognizing that people may actually be having a legit problem and "the normal way" doesn't always work.

This was the fix for me.  Thank you thank you!

https://discussions.apple.com/message/18246005#18246005

This is difficult. I am using a mini mac and have recently updated my itunes to the new "more convenient" format. I am trying to remove 99 songs from my iphone 4s that is currently running on the most recent updates including the new itunes format. Under "music" on my iphone I thought i could remember swiping left on songs or albums, etc and would be given the option to delete. this does not work. I have tried to delete through itunes, also somehting I remember working by unchecking or left clicking and selecting "delete". (this being when the phone is linked to itunes and I am operating under the "music" tab under the phone in the left column.) I have also tried unselecting the music in the library, I have checked the "sync only checked songs", synced and this has not worked. Why is it so difficult to remove music? Any help out there?

Whittaculus wrote:

 

Under "music" on my iphone I thought i could remember swiping left on songs or albums, etc and would be given the option to delete. this does not work.

It works on my iPhone 4, also with the latest iOS.  Note that one place this does not work is within a smart playlist.  You can delete a song from a regular playlist, as well as the Song menu (Artist and Album too) but you can't delete a song in a smart playlist in this manner.

If that's not the problem, how are you syncing your iPhone?  By auto-sync or by manual drag and drop?

I had up till recently downloading it from the cloud onto the phone. If I recall correctly, the last time I added music while syncing it was drag and drop.

Sorry, if you have iCloud enabled then I can't offer any advice, but I suspect that's why you can't delete your music from your iPhone.

But if you meant that you still manually manage the iPhone using iTunes, but re-downloaded music from your iTunes store account, then that's different than syncing to iCloud.  If that's the case you should definitely be able to delete music directly from your iPhone, or while connected to iTunes, even items that you re-download directly to your iPhone.