Apple Music is making it easier to skip songs in iOS 26
Apple Music’s iOS 26 overhaul brought a sleek new interface, with a new update already planned to bring back quick song skipping.
Apple made major changes to the Apple Music interface thanks to the iOS 26 update last week. While it offers a new and impressive new design, some users have been left frustrated at small changes to the basics. One of which is the ability to easily skip songs, which Apple already looks to be remedying according to 9to5Mac.
The new MiniPlayer (and the problem)
The new iOS 26 design introduced a compact MiniPlayer at the bottom of the screen. It looks clean, but it removed the pre-existing buttons for easily skipping forward or going back a track (especially when it’s collapsed). In order to change songs, users had to tap the MiniPlayer to open the currently playing track.
This extra step adds a touch more inconvenience, and while I love the liquid-glass redesign, this added step can be found across Apple’s wider iOS 26 interface.
The fix: Swipe controls
Now, Apple looks to be rolling out a neat little fix. In the latest iOS 26.1 beta, Apple Music users can swipe left or right directly on the MiniPlayer to move between tracks.
As 9to5Mac notes, “swiping left advances to the next song in your queue, while swiping right goes back to the prior track.” While it’s a small change for a very minor inconvenience, it’s one that makes Apple Music that bit more easier to use.
What else is new in Apple Music?
Alongside the sleek new liquid-glass look, Apple Music also received some fresh features of its own.
Apple Music users can now experience AutoMixing, Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation, animated Lock Screen album art, and Library Pinning– most of which were unveiled at Apple’s WWDC25 event back in June.
As an avid Apple Music user, I have personally found the AutoMix feature the most exciting new addition to use, despite its inconsistencies.
The takeaway
Apple Music’s iOS 26 update came with flashy features and a big redesign, and while this tweak may seem minor on the surface, it could be one that users appreciate a lot. Features like this highlight how much user experience helps to shape the competitive edge in streaming, and Apple Music is moving quickly to resolve even the smallest of friction points.
As for listeners, skipping songs is back to being quick and seamless, which can only be welcome news.
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