To listen to music offline on iPhone for free, you must download the music inside a compatible app first, then play those downloaded items without Wi-Fi or cellular data. There is no universal free mode that works across all services; each app has its own download feature that you need to use before disconnecting from the internet.
Apple Music offline mode
Open the Apple Music app and add a song, album, or playlist to your library first. For an album or playlist, tap the Download icon. For a song, tap the More button next to the song, then tap Download. Apple says this applies on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, or Android. To play music when you are not connected to the internet, you must download it first. Apple Music requires an active subscription to use offline mode. Apple Music offline content requires periodic internet connection to refresh and verify subscription is still active.
Spotify offline mode
Open Spotify and tap your profile picture at the top. Tap Settings and privacy, then tap Data-saving and offline. Switch Offline mode on. Downloaded music plays automatically when you lose internet, and Offline mode makes sure only your downloads play. Spotify premium subscription is required to download music for offline listening. Spotify offline mode limit: you can only download up to 10,000 songs on a maximum of 5 devices. Spotify requires connecting your device to the internet at least once every 30 days to keep downloaded music accessible. This is one of the key Spotify mobile features that lets you keep listening without using mobile data.
YouTube Music offline playback
Open the YouTube Music app and tap your profile picture. Tap Settings, then tap Downloads & storage. Toggle on Smart downloads to enable the offline mixtape. To download specific content, tap More on a playlist or album and select Download, or use the download arrow on the details page. For songs and podcast episodes, go to the episode’s detail page and tap Menu then Download. YouTube Music offline playback is available to YouTube Premium subscribers, but ad-supported offline playback is available for free. The help page shown is for iPhone & iPad.
What about SoundCloud Go?
SoundCloud Go requires a subscription for offline listening. SoundCloud Go offline downloads are limited based on subscription plan. If you want to make an album on SoundCloud mobile for offline listening, you would need to check the app’s current settings directly, as the verified facts do not cover this feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need internet the first time?
Yes, you need an internet connection to download the music to your iPhone first. Once the download is complete, you can play the content without any network.
Can you listen offline on iPhone for free across all apps?
Offline playback depends on the app and, where applicable, a subscription or available free download feature.
How much storage space do downloaded songs use?
The amount of storage space occupied by downloaded songs depends on the audio quality and the number of songs you have saved. Most apps allow you to adjust audio quality settings to conserve storage space while maintaining good sound quality.
Can I listen to music offline on my iPhone without a subscription?
What about SoundCloud Go?
For the wider topic, see Spotify mobile features.
