iOS 27 Adds Five New Apple Music Features to iPhone

The landscape layout now extends to many system apps, Apple Music among them. On iPhone Duo and other iPhone models, artwork is displayed alongside playback controls as it is in portrait orientation. Lyrics also appear side by side with artwork, a layout the report describes as useful when the phone sits on a desk or kitchen charger.

AutoMix, which debuted last year in iOS 26, has been upgraded and expanded in iOS 27. According to 9to5Mac, the transitions are designed to feel more immersive and engaging than before, and the feature will also be available in Apple Music on tvOS and on HomePod. The report's reviewer wrote that AutoMix was sometimes frustrating in iOS 26 but has been almost entirely a positive in iOS 27 so far.

Artist pages receive a refreshed design that draws on the album and playlist updates introduced in iOS 26.4. As with albums, artist pages now use fullscreen color backgrounds that complement the header image. Key controls are placed for more convenient access, and the featured music title is displayed more prominently than previously.

Apple's roster of weekly-updated Made for You playlists expands with a Friends playlist. Apple describes it as the best of what your friends are listening to, updated every Thursday. Each track shows which friend is listening to it as well.

iOS 27 introduces an extra-large widget size for the first time, and 9to5Mac reports that Apple Music uses it more than any other app. Three Apple Music widgets come in the new size: Recently Played, Recommendations and Top Charts. They can be added to the Home Screen or the Today view.

Apple Music is available for 11.99 dollars a month, or as part of the Apple One bundle.