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Level 1

12 points

I can't listen to purchased music without wifi

I have recently downloaded IOS 8.4, and ever since downloading IOS 8.3 I have not been able to listen to music without WiFi. It either does not show up or it says this when I press play "You need a wifi connection to listen to songs". This has been annoying since I bought the music to listen to it offline! I would not have bought it otherwise since things like YouTube exist. Is this an issue and if so, could you maybe say anyway of fixing it? I know it hasn't been like this forever, because I used to listen to music using the SAME device on IOS 8.1 on the bus. Is this a new thing in the update?

iPad Mini, iOS 8.4

Posted on Jul 8, 2015 8:35 PM

Best reply

Silverlis

Level 1

10 points

Posted on Jan 26, 2016 3:06 PM

Yo,

I had the same problem and I've found a solution. Make sure that you're connected to Wi-Fi (just for this part) on the device that you want your music on, and press the three-dot symbol. When the options such as "Play Next", "Add to Up Next" etc appear look above them and there should be some other options in red symbols. One of them will be the download from cloud option (it looks like a cloud with a downwards facing arrow coming from it). Press that and you'll start downloading the song onto your device. Once that's completed you won't need Wi-Fi to listen to it.

This is how I've managed to get my music on my iPod touch (using my phone as a personal hotspot) and listen to it without Wi-Fi.

You'll be able to tell that you can listen to a song without Wi-Fi by looking next to the three dot symbol, and there should be a wee picture of an iPhone/iPod with a tick on it. This means that the song's on your device and that you won't be streaming it when you're connected to Wi-Fi.

If you've got a huge library of music that's not showing or whatever, then this might get pretty tedious and you should have a crack at asn1983's solution; I don't see why that wouldn't work.

Hope this helps.

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28 replies

Mar 11, 2016 10:08 AM in response to DREWAJW

Thanks for the easy step by step instructions, it worked! 🙂

Apr 2, 2016 2:27 PM in response to commute1042

This is totally unacceptable. I made a playlist and I ought to be able to download just those songs. But following the above instructions doesn't give me that option: it's all or nothing--download all 1347 songs or none of them. I am in a hotel in Paris, leaving early in the morning and want to listen to my songs in flight w/o spending an arm and a leg for spotty wi-fi. Is there a shortcut that will let me access just my chosen songs?

lhouska

Level 1

4 points

Apr 26, 2016 12:32 PM in response to DREWAJW

Thank you for this answer!!! 🙂 Made my day.

swandy

Level 4

2,545 points

Apr 26, 2016 5:12 PM in response to Sandra Andina1

You can certainly just download the songs in a playlist. Go to My Music/Playlists and then tap on the name of the playlist NOT on the three dots.

After the playlist opens you should see a little cloud icon with a downward pointing arrow to the right of the playlist icon (the little album covers). Tap that cloud icon and the songs in that playlist and ONLY in that playlist will start to download.

Now, having said that, there have been many complaints - and I have occasionally seen it myself - where not the entire playlist will download. You might have to delete the songs that were downloaded and try again, but it usually works the first time for me.

swandy

Level 4

2,545 points

Apr 26, 2016 5:14 PM in response to kharly85

The option to download songs/albums/playlists were removed from the ellipse dropdown menu a few updates ago. What you should be looking for is a cloud icon with a downward pointing arrow to the right of the song/album/playlist title (after you tap on the album/playlist title to bring it up). That is the new download icon.

May 1, 2016 11:33 AM in response to DREWAJW

Thank you for these great instructions. I followed them and easily fixed this problem. Thank you for taking the time to post your helpful advice!

RAL999

Level 1

4 points

Aug 19, 2016 12:31 PM in response to Izunaa

On iOS 9 there is a cloud symbol at the top of the playlist so you can download all the tracks. But it's very slow. asn1983's solution worked for me

Aug 28, 2016 8:28 PM in response to kharly85

Maybe there is a little cloud thingie with an arrow pointing down...aka download button. There was no make available offline for me, but there was the little fluffy cloud, and that seemed to do it for me.

Sep 21, 2016 9:14 PM in response to DREWAJW

You sir, are a bloody legend!! This has been so frustrating and now all fixed 🙂

lotus007

Level 1

8 points

Sep 27, 2016 9:21 AM in response to DREWAJW

Very helpful indeed many tks!!

ashivah

Level 1

25 points

Dec 23, 2016 1:01 AM in response to Sandra Andina1

I agree. We should not have to do ANYTHING at all. All we should do is choose a playlist and then listen to the music. Some incompetent at Apple has made a big blue OR this is some deliberate ploy on their behalf. It is this sort of thing that is making me move all my songs over to Android. If the Apple Corporation actually employed qualified marketers, they'd realise that their success is in pleasing their customers, not trying to control them. There are many other issues as well, such as continually attempting to link me up with some semi-literate, escapee from the 17th Century rapper whose vocabulary consists of only four letter words. I have even stopped listening to iTunes on my PC for the first time ever and am using other systems. Well done Apple.

Babs1950

Level 1

12 points

Jul 14, 2017 4:37 PM in response to DREWAJW

Yes! This has driven me mad as I'm taking a trip out of the county and need to access my music without using wi if or cellular!! Thank you sooooo much

Sep 16, 2017 5:18 PM in response to DREWAJW

Thanks so much for the help!

I can't listen to purchased music without wifi