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sdkatsh Author

Level 1

35 points

iTunes automatically starts playing when iPhone 5 (w iOS 7.0.2) is connected to car radio via an Apple cable

I'm using an iPhone 5 with iOS 7.0.2, regardless it is the most recent update

When I plug my phone into my car radio's USB port (Apple cable, not knock off) iTunes starts to play the very first song in my large iTunes library.

I plug into the USB port to charge it and to connect the phone to radio in order to use hands free audio.

I have tried two or three different cables, it happens with all cables and again all are actual Apple cables.

I do not recall this happening with iOs 6 or at least as much.

With iOs 7 it happens every f***ing 😠 time. Extremely annoying and dangerous (I may get so frustrated by this that one day I might just smash the phone or the car radio :-) to the equipment.

I have to unlock my phone, go to iTunes and pause or stop the song/iTunes. ➖➖

The app does not show as being open, that is why I have to go iTunes itself, the old fashioned way, so to speak. 😕

It sometimes happens when I plug my headset in (also Apple brand, the basic ones that come with the iPad and iPhones) to phone and have tried the two different ones I have. It only seems to happen if my phone is not in use (i.e. I am on a call and switch to the headset it does not happen)

Interestingly this issue with the headphones and iTunes automatically starting happened more with iOS 6 and than with iOS 7. Ironically the opposite is true with the car radio, USB port cable, charging and iPhone — it rarely happened with iOS 6.0 but with iOS 7.0 it always happens.

I cannot seem to find a fix here but I do see I am not the only one with this annoying issue.

Please someone (APPLE!) figure out a fix. ➕ℹ➕

PS I have even considered NOT having any of my music on my phone — none at all — which not only would solve the problem (I would hope!) but be extremely inconvenient and defeating the purpose of only having an iPhone vs an iPhone and an iPod.

PPS - I probably left out something really relevant, like what color is my car 😝, so if I did, please let me know.

iPhone 5, iOS 7.0.2, iTunes

Posted on Oct 13, 2013 7:30 PM

119 replies

May 5, 2014 11:48 PM in response to sdkatsh

RE: Music starts playing automatically when iPhone connects via Bluetooth in a car.

(In my case, it was always iTunes Radio)

I found a fix that works for my iPhone 5 running the lastest iOS 7.1.1

Go to: Settings > Cellular >

(Scroll Down until you see USE CELLULAR DATA FOR:)

This is a list of all the Apps and Utilities that can use cellular data.

Keep scrolling through these until you see Music and switch it OFF.

If you're like me and only use Bluetooth and iPhone in your car to listen to what you choose, such as Pandora orSpotify, this will work. Both Pandora and Spotify are third party apps that need to be launched to work, unlike the built in Music app that seems to have a mind of it's own.

May 6, 2014 11:53 AM in response to Bruce Forsberg

Thank you! Finally, a solution!

chrirata

Level 1

0 points

May 6, 2014 11:58 AM in response to Bruce Forsberg

I did not understand this. Can you explain it to one who needs to get it in with a teaspoon? :-) I can`t find any cellular choices on my iPhone??

May 6, 2014 12:39 PM in response to chrirata

Just like the man said: choose "settings" from your main iPhone screen, the gray picture of a bike's front gear cluster, I think it's supposed to represent. Then, your fourth-or-so choice down from the top is "cellular". Scroll down until you see a grouping titled "USE CELLULAR DATA FOR:" and scroll down until you reach (in alphabetical order) "Music." It will likely be switched "on" (green showing). Touch that green and it will slide the slide to off. Then close settings and you're done. Now, put away the teaspoon and enjoy not having unwanted music blasting you in your car.

May 6, 2014 12:42 PM in response to Jim Houghton

Thanks Jim!

Couldn't have said it better myself!

chrirata

Level 1

0 points

May 6, 2014 12:55 PM in response to Jim Houghton

Hehe... thanx :-)

chrirata

Level 1

0 points

May 10, 2014 3:36 PM in response to Bruce Forsberg

It didn`t work for me :-(

I did what you said, but my iPhone still automatically start playing songs from the library .... anyone else it did not work for or is it just me? :-(

May 10, 2014 3:52 PM in response to chrirata

I went to iTunes, discovered that a song playing was already in mid-play and in PAUSE mode. I then forced it to the end wit the slider, and left the app.

That seems, for me anyway, to do it.

It appears that when there is an unfinished song in iTunes, and the unit senses any plug-in wire with a control switch on it (headset, etc), it continues to play that song (and for no good reason - c'mon, Apple! There have been enough updates already!).

Let me know how this works. Wondering if it works for me only. Thanks!

Chris CA

Level 10

82,476 points

May 10, 2014 3:57 PM in response to stevenXcross

stevenXcross wrote:

I went to iTunes, discovered that a song playing was already in mid-play and in PAUSE mode. I then forced it to the end wit the slider, and left the app.

Do you mean the Music app?

May 10, 2014 4:27 PM in response to Chris CA

Yes. The music app.

Sorry

May 11, 2014 8:05 AM in response to chrirata

I'm a little embarrassed about my solution sounding like it was the final fix. It isn't.

My iPhone is still trying to play music on its own too. It doesn't always happen so it didn't become apparent at first.

I'm convinced there is a bug in the iOS that needs to be fixed but it will take convincing someone at Apple to take it seriously enough to look into it.

sdkatsh Author

Level 1

35 points

May 12, 2014 2:02 PM in response to sdkatsh

Wow all these comments and suggestions are quite good none of them have solved the original problem. I have simply no idea how to make Apple aware of this issue

I've talked to Apple care more than once. I've talked with and to the regular techs and their supervisors as well as senior techs

I'm explaining this problem in detail to them and they all act like they've never heard of it before

SO far at least 10 people in this "blog" have had this problem that must mean at least 1000 people have this problem or more

Upgrading the newest operating system than these little tricks of iTunes nothing helps this is really a bad move by Apple

We can hope the new operating system will take care of this bug however I remain doubtful please I would think they would've submitted a patch by now

Please excuse any grammatical, spelling, and so on errors as I am using Siri to do this you to a minor disability.

May 12, 2014 2:13 PM in response to sdkatsh

Acting as though they've never heard of the problem is Apple's normal reaction to the all problems. I think that if enough people keep complaining something will finally get done to correct the problem.

May 12, 2014 7:18 PM in response to Bruce Forsberg

At the end of the day, that fix (turning off "music" under cellular in settings) didn't change anything. Sure looked good on paper. I can't see this being one of those things like the Yahoo toolbar or the McAfee tools that install themselves and then are a ***** to get rid of. Why would Apple want to bug us like this just to promote their radio? It doesn't exactly create warm and fuzzy feelings.

May 19, 2014 11:34 PM in response to Bruce Forsberg

Finally… a solution that works!

I found another discussion regarding music on the iPhone, but this one was about removing the music.

I thought that turning off USE CELLULAR DATA would work. As you all found out, it didn't. That only stops iTunes Radio from working. Any music you have in iCloud will still be availble.

In the other discussion I found out how to remove all the music from the iPhone.

It starts with: Settings > Music, then turn off Show All Music.

Next, go to: Settings > General > Usage Click on Music and swipe right to left to bring up the Delete option.

After those steps, shut the iPhone off and then back on. You should now see this:

Hope this helps!

iTunes automatically starts playing when iPhone 5 (w iOS 7.0.2) is connected to car radio via an Apple cable