iOS 14.5 looks like it will be packed with features, including the ability to use your Apple Watch to unlock an iPhone with Face ID while you’re wearing a mask and support for next-gen console controllers. But users who have already installed the beta discovered another great feature: you’ll be able to select a third-party default music service when you ask to play a song using Siri — including Spotify (via MacRumors).
When you ask Siri to play a song on iOS 14.5, you may be prompted to select which app you want to use to play it, according to a screenshot shared on Reddit.
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I’m on the iOS 14.5 beta, but interestingly, the feature worked a bit differently for me. I asked Siri to play some Tame Impala, and I wasn’t presented with a list of apps to choose from, like in the screenshot above. Instead, I was shown a prompt asking for access to my Spotify data, which I allowed. After that, requests for songs went through Spotify without any prompts.
Other users on Reddit have reported some differences in the feature’s behavior as well, so there may still be some kinks for Apple to iron out ahead of iOS 14.5’s public release. Because this feature is still in beta, there’s always a chance it could be changed or removed before iOS 14.5 comes out.
The ability to set a default music app follows Apple’s welcome move to let users set their default mail or browser clients starting with iOS 14. You’re able to set default mail or browser apps in settings, but I haven’t found a way to set a default music app in settings. Maybe Apple will add that down the line. Still, having the option to set a default music player for Siri requests in this beta is a nice step forward. Here’s hoping Apple lets users set more defaults in future updates.
