Q: Greyed out songs on iphone after iOS 5 update

snicker: Thank you!

After trying for several days to find a way to clear a long list of greyed out songs that showed on my iPhone 4 music list when it was connected to iTunes on my iMac, these steps finally gave me the "delete" option I was looking for.

I knew that all I needed was that option, but I just couldn't find the right combination of steps to give me that option.

Thanks to your suggestion,  I've been able to clear my iPhone iTunes list of unwanted entries. Yeah!

Several of my songs were grayed out as well (both on my iTunes and iPhone 4s).  When I attempted to play some songs from my iPhone it would show that album but play some other song.  I noticed that when selected my phone from the iTunes PC screen, it also showed several songs as "grayed" out and unable to synch.

The Fix (for me):

I played around with the iTunes settings (while phone was connected to my PC) such as "Manually update" checked on and then off again.  I then deleted all music from the phone and re-arranged several of my playlists.  When I synched these back into the iPhone all updated just fine. 

So, I wouldn't go through extreme measures (restoring phone, etc.) until you've played around with it or if the problem still exists after a week or so.  Bottom line, the fix was that it just seemed to work itself out. 

Good luck!

ok heres the deal guys:

1) the reason this is happening is because you have selected to sync over wifi. this is a feauture in ios5 that apparently you see as a glitch

2) the cause is that it has not fully synced the songs via wifi due to the following reasons:

•      not enough time
•      closed itunes
•      files too large for bandwidth of router

3) solution: you can go about this numerous ways depending on what works best for you.

1.      plug your phone into your computer and select sync via itunes. this solution can and will work because itunes should recognize anything that had failed in previous syncs over wifi or not
2. go into the muic section of your itunes when your iphone is plugged in and deselect the specific artist having an issue (likely this is any artist that you have altered in you itunes since your last full sync) sync your phone without the artist selected then reselect the artist and sync again

Sorry, but my issue had zero to do with wifi syncing. I have never wifi synced and do not intend to.

There is a new itunes software update it folks!

Itunes 10.5.3 (3) after that everything will be just like before

That's Exactly What I Had Yesterday But I Synced My iPhone Again And It Finally Went Back To Normal.

Turning off Zone Alarm Firewall fixed the problem for me instantly.  I was immediately able to sync all my songs correctly. No more greyed out BS!!!!!!!!!  Check your firewalls.

So, after several hours spent reading mutlple posts across multiple threads and websites, it's obvious that there are several potential solutions for both Mac and Windows users... problem being that no one solution works for everyone's particular situtation.  While we all utlimately have the same problem, we don't all have the same cause.

Here's what finally fixed it for me... hopefully, this will turn out to be something that will work for you too.

1. Select the iPhone, iPad or iPod in the iTunes "Devices" section.
2. Drill down into the Music, Movies or TV Shows section that is having issues with greyed out items.
3. Determine the Song(s), Movie(s) or TV Show(s) with the issue.
4. Within the Library in iTunes, drill down into the corresponding Music, Movies or TV Shows section that matches the section with greyed out items.
5. Select the Song(s), Movie(s) or TV Show(s) with the issue.
6. Right-Click selected item(s) and choose the "Get Info" option from the pop-up menu.
7. Select the "Options" tab.
8. Reverse the "Part Of A Compliation" option:

• if the option is currently checked, uncheck it. 
• if the option is currently un-checked and the correspnding drop-down menu says "No", than check it and select the "Yes" option.
• if the option is currently checked and the correspnding drop-down menu says "Yes", than check it and select the "No" option.

Finally, after you've addressed all of the greyed out items:

1. Click the "OK" or "Apply" button.
2. Re-Sync your iDevice.

I forgot to mention that for some greyed out items, I had to repeat the steps above multiple times (reversing the setting and re-syncing the device each time).

I found the following on the iPhoneWriter.com website... Thankfully, it worked for me (although it take a little time).

Many people are encountering issues syncing their Music, Movies and/or TV Shows with their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. We're happy to report that the iPhoneWriter.Com team has successfully tested the following fix on multiple iDevices.

1)  Select the iPhone, iPad or iPod in the iTunes "Devices" section.

2)  Drill down into the Music, Movies or TV Shows section that is having issues with greyed out items.

3)  Determine the Song(s), Movie(s) or TV Show(s) with the issue.

4)  Within the Library in iTunes, drill down into the corresponding Music, Movies or TV Shows section that matches the section with greyed out items.

5)  Select the Song(s), Movie(s) or TV Show(s) with the issue.

6)  Right-Click selected item(s) and choose the "Get Info" option from the pop-up menu.

7)  Select the "Options" tab.

8)  Reverse the "Part Of A Compliation" option:

      *   if the option is currently checked, uncheck it.

      *   if the option is currently un-checked, check it.

      *   if the option is currently un-checked and the correspnding drop-down menu says "No", than check it

           and select the "Yes" option.

      *   if the option is currently checked and the correspnding drop-down menu says "Yes", than check it and

           select the "No" option.

Finally, after you've addressed all of the greyed out items:

9)   Click the "OK" or "Apply" button.

10) Re-Sync your iDevice.

NOTE: For some greyed out items, we had to repeat the steps above multiple times (reversing the setting each time).

While we all utlimately have the same problem, we don't all have the same cause, there are likely several potential solutions for both Mac and Windows users... problem being that no one solution works for everyone's particular situtation.

Hopefully, this will turn out to be something that will work for you.

I've had the same problem. I went to Apple and they told me they didn't know what I was talking about. I went to another Apple store a few days later. I was told it was my PC so I needed to make a new profile in Windows and sign into ITunes with a new name.......that didn't work at all. The phone stinks as far as syncing all my songs. I don't want to even hook it up to my PC. Each time it screws up my ITunes and I have to uninstall and reinstall it.......I've explained this and they say it can't happen...........do I need ot video tape it.

Apple really should know about these problems, the denial is outrageous when all this is posted on their site. I'll just use my IPod.....the phones a bust.

i realized the greyed out songs were those that i had duplicated of in itunes...

i just deleted the duplicates in itunes and all the songs synced

I'm having this problem on my iPad 2. Except, I can't try any of the solutuions in the previous 9 pages because I only have an iPad. I transferred all my stuff, then wiped my computer and gave it to my brother. I didn't have any syncing problems or errors come up while I was syncing so I have no idea of the cause or any solutions :/ any ideas anyone?

thanks that was it!

Tried this yesterday after four days of trying to get my iPod to work and it did! Thank you!