How to store music on iPhone or iPad instead of the cloud

Store Music Locally

Got an Apple, Mac or iOS tech question? We have the answer. Storing stuff in the cloud can be very convenient, but sometimes it can cause problems too, especially when you don't have a constant, stable online connection. One reader wants to store all of her iTunes music locally instead of relying on the cloud for just that reason, but her iPad isn't making it easy. We'll show you what you can do to make sure your music is stored locally on your device instead of in the cloud.

How do you store music on iPhone or iPad?

The Music app on my iPad keeps automatically removing songs from the device and storing them in the cloud. I then need to download these songs again to listen to them, which is a total pain, especially if I am somewhere with no or poor Wi-Fi. Is there any way to stop this? I don't use iTunes Match.

Answer

A feature called "iTunes in the Cloud" is available whether or not you are a subscriber to iTunes Match, and it provides music that you've purchased from iTunes in the Music app available for download or streaming. This is most likely what you are seeing here, so once you've downloaded any music you need, you can go ahead and disable that function.

iTunes in the Cloud

iTunes in the Cloud gives you access to all your purchased music from within the Music app by default.

To deactivate "iTunes in the Cloud" from your iOS device:

1. Open Settings.

2. Select Music.

3. Turn off the option for "iCloud Music Library."

Whenever you view the Music app from now on, only music that is stored locally on your device will be shown as available.

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