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User profile for user: rayworth15
rayworth15 Author
User level: Level 1
32 points

iTunes Match not updating on iPhone SE

I‘ve had an iTunes Match account for a few years (I don’t use Apple Music) and for the most part it works pretty well. I have an iPhone SE running iOS 11.2.1 which has suddenly stopped updating when I add new music to iTunes on my Mac. All my other apple devices are working fine (Apple tv, iPod, iPad, iPhone 5S) and show new albums pretty much instantly. My iPhone SE used to as well, but suddenly it has stopped updating the library.


Switching the the iCloud music library on and off leaves me with just my iTunes purchases - in fact I have been unable to get the iPhone to reload my library at all once it has been switched off. The only fix seems to be a rather drastic ‘erase all contents and settings‘ and then the library eventually reloads with the latest additions but still won’t update any subsequent changes.


Seems to me like this might be a bug affecting the iPhone SE - anyone else having similar problems?

iPad Air Wi-Fi, iOS 11.2.1

Posted on Dec 21, 2017 3:03 PM

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24 replies
User profile for user: rayworth15
rayworth15 Author
User level: Level 1
32 points

Dec 28, 2017 8:13 AM in response to Myrah103

Following fabioluizcs1682 post that his/her iTunes Match is now being synced again on an iPhone 5S, I thought I'd just add a track to my library and see if my iPhone SE updated. Sorry to say it didn't, even though the track is visible on all my other Apple products.


The only 'fix' for me has been to sign out of iTunes on my phone, erase all contents and settings and start again - incredibly tedious and time consuming! I have sent Apple feedback about this and I'd encourage anyone else affected to ring or complete a feedback form - Feedback - iTunes - Apple


Hopefully if enough people highlight the problem they will do something about this. Essentially many of us are paying for a product that isn't working.

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User profile for user: rayworth15
rayworth15 Author
User level: Level 1
32 points

Jan 9, 2018 7:23 AM in response to fabioluizcs1682

There is a fix identified in another thread that works for me! If you switch on ’Mobile data’ for ‘Music’ this triggers the library to update on the phone. You can then switch it off and download any new music via WiFi. More details in the thread below:


iCloud music library disappeared from iPhone after iOS 11 update. iCloud is turned on/off and I have signed out several …

You still need to do this every time you update the library but at least it’s an effective workaround. Let‘s hope this glitch gets sorted with the next update.


Really hope they don’t phase out iTunes Match - I just don’t need Apple Music as most of the music I listen to is live recordings which I won’t find in the iTunes Store.

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User profile for user: celica73
celica73
User level: Level 1
4 points

Dec 28, 2017 10:22 AM in response to rayworth15

OK, I have music again.


Background (probably should have provided this before).


  • iTunes purchases all made using AppleID_A
  • iCloud account is AppleID_B.


I suspect this "dual account" part is important.


How I fixed it - maybe some steps can be omitted.

  1. Sign out of BOTH accounts.
  2. Restart phone.
  3. Sign into iTunes account, AppleID_A, only (use the iTunes and AppStore setting)
  4. Verify purchases are showing in the music app.
  5. Turn on iCloud Music sharing.
  6. Enjoy all my iTunes Match music!
  7. Log back into iCloud account, AppleID_B



Somewhere during all of this, it occurred to me that I wasn't getting ANY purchased music (without a miracle), and the probable reason was my non-purchase account, AppleID_B was being used by the Music app. I don't know what happens if I add/buy some new music, but for now it's pretty good.

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User profile for user: rayworth15
rayworth15 Author
User level: Level 1
32 points

Dec 21, 2017 11:05 PM in response to sberman

Thanks for the tip - I have tried that but unfortunately switching 'Show Apple Music' on makes no difference. Also it's not switched on for any of my other apple products and they update no problem at all. My iPhone SE stubbornly refuses to update the iCloud music library unless I do a complete 'erase all contents and settings'.


I think the problem started after the last software update - everything had been fine until that point. Anyone else having this problem?

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User profile for user: rayworth15
rayworth15 Author
User level: Level 1
32 points

Dec 23, 2017 1:54 PM in response to fabioluizcs1682

Thanks for your reply - sounds like the same problem but I actually have an iPhone 5S (operating as an iPod) and mine is updating the library ok. I can confirm my partner has an iPhone SE and she is having the exact same problem.


Perhaps it it is a bug with iOS 11.2.1 affecting some models but not others - anyone else with an iPhone SE experiencing these problems?

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User profile for user: celica73
celica73
User level: Level 1
4 points

Dec 27, 2017 11:25 AM in response to rayworth15

Not of any help here, but I'm setting up a new iPhone 8 and have the same problem. I've tried pretty much every help guide out there, and nothing has worked. OS 11.2.1 on the iPhone 8.


All my other devices seem to be OK. At least the old iPhone 5s (also 11.2.1) is showing iTunes match songs - I don't know if it will show *new* uploads or not (didn't check yet).

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User profile for user: Myrah103
Myrah103
User level: Level 1
14 points

Dec 27, 2017 1:45 PM in response to celica73

I posted on December 12th about my iPhone 6 not working with iTunes Match after the update to 11.2.0 although my iPad 4 mini was fine. After trying various things to get iTunes match to work, all I succeeded in doing was totally messing up the music on my phone. A very long phone session with an Apple Support person got most of my music back by turning off the iCloud Music Library setting on my phone and then syncing with iTunes on my PC (Windows 10 Professional) as if I hadn't subscribed to iTunes Match. Long story short--I got my music and Playlists (including Smart Playlists) all back on my phone, but it was not fun.


Since mid-December I haven't added anything to iTunes because I want to leave well enough alone for now. I also submitted feedback to Apple back when I discovered the problem, but I'm not holding my breath. If this isn't fixed soon, I'll probably drop my subscription.

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User profile for user: celica73
celica73
User level: Level 1
4 points

Dec 27, 2017 5:12 PM in response to Myrah103

I'm on an iPhone 8 (new), updated to 11.2.1 when I migrated my old settings (forced to update because my backup was from a newer OS).


Between last night and today, and few restores (what fun), I went from having basically nothing to having all my purchased music show up on the phone (even that was broken) but I still don't have iTunes Match music showing up.


Now when I try to turn off iCould Music it re-enables itself.

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User profile for user: rayworth15
rayworth15 Author
User level: Level 1
32 points

Jan 20, 2018 2:34 AM in response to ade1972

Have to say I thought the iOS11.2.2 update had resolved my problems but my iPhone SE has once again stopped updating changes to the iCloud music library! Weird as it was working fine after 11.2.2 but something has thrown it off again.


I am again resorting to using the fix described above to force the library to update on the iPhone. Come on Apple - get your act together!

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iTunes Match not updating on iPhone SE

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