If you’re looking to clear your entire music library from your iPhone running iOS 9, whether to free up space or start fresh, this guide will walk you through the process step-by-step. Deleting all songs can be useful if you’re switching to a new device, removing unwanted music, or troubleshooting storage issues. Before you begin, ensure your iPhone is charged or plugged into power, and back up any important music or data if needed, since the process will permanently remove your songs.
What You’ll Need
- An iPhone running iOS 9
- Apple ID credentials (if needed for iCloud or iTunes)
- Wi-Fi connection (for syncing or iCloud access, optional)
Step-by-Step
- Unlock your iPhone and go to the Home screen.
- Open the Settings app, which is represented by a gear icon.
- Scroll down and tap on General.
- Within General, tap on Usage. (In some versions, this might be labeled as Usage & Storage.)
- Wait for the device to calculate storage usage. Once the list appears, locate Music.
- Tap on Music. You will see the total songs stored on your device.
- To delete all songs, tap on Edit in the top right corner.
- Tap the red minus (-) button next to All Songs or individual albums/playlists, then confirm by tapping Delete.
- If you want to remove all music at once, you can also toggle off Show All Music in the Music settings, which will remove all downloaded songs from your device.
- Alternatively, for a more thorough removal, connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable and open iTunes.
- In iTunes, select your device icon, then go to the Music tab.
- Uncheck the box next to Sync Music or select Entire music library and choose None.
- Click Apply or Sync to remove all music from your iPhone.
- Once completed, disconnect your device. All songs should now be deleted from your iPhone.
Common Mistakes
- Not backing up music before deletion—music cannot be recovered once deleted unless stored in iCloud or backed up elsewhere.
- Attempting to delete songs directly from the Music app in iOS 9—deletion is mainly done via Settings or iTunes sync.
- Forgetting to turn off sync in iTunes—this could lead to re-downloading music after deletion.
- Confusing deleting downloaded songs versus removing purchased content—purchased music can be re-downloaded from the iTunes Store anytime.
Tips
- Use iTunes for a faster, bulk removal if you have a large library.
- Ensure your device is updated to at least iOS 9.0 for best compatibility with these steps.
- Consider turning on iCloud Music Library if you want to keep your music in the cloud and remove only local copies.
- After deletion, check your storage in Settings > Usage to confirm that music has been removed.
Troubleshooting
If you find that songs are not deleting as expected, try the following:
- Restart your iPhone and repeat the deletion process.
- Ensure your device is connected to Wi-Fi or iTunes for sync-related deletions.
- Update your iOS to the latest version available for iOS 9, as updates often fix bugs.
- If using iTunes, ensure that the sync settings are correctly configured to remove music.
- In case of persistent issues, perform a factory reset (after backing up data) and then restore your device without restoring the music library.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I delete all my songs directly from the Music app?
No, in iOS 9, music deletion is usually done through Settings or via iTunes sync, not directly from the Music app.
2. Will deleting songs from my iPhone remove them from iCloud?
If you use iCloud Music Library, deleting local copies may not delete the cloud versions unless you remove them from iCloud explicitly.
3. How do I prevent music from re-downloading after deletion?
Turn off iCloud Music Library or disable automatic syncing in iTunes to prevent re-downloading music.
4. Is it possible to delete only certain songs or playlists?
Yes, you can delete individual songs or playlists from the Music app or via iTunes, but for bulk deletion, Settings or sync is more efficient.
5. Will deleting all songs affect my purchased music?
No, purchased music remains linked to your Apple ID and can be re-downloaded from the iTunes Store anytime.
6. How long does it take to delete all songs?
The time varies depending on the amount of music stored; it can take a few seconds to several minutes, especially when syncing via iTunes.
Following these steps carefully ensures your music library is completely cleared from your iPhone running iOS 9, helping you free up space or prepare for a new setup. Always remember to back up important data before performing mass deletions to avoid accidental loss.
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