In Apple's iOS 18.4 software update, there's a new Ambient Music feature available in the Control Center options on iPhone. It's free to use, and does not require an Apple Music subscription. It's also more customizable than most users probably realize. Keep reading to learn how.

iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center
There are four different sound categories to Ambient Music, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. You can add each category individually to your Control Center, and then tap on one to start a playlist of songs in the chosen category.

Add Ambient Music Buttons to Control Center

  1. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen.
  2. Tap the + button in the top-left corner, or long press on a blank space.
  3. Tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Scroll down to the new "Ambient Music" controls section and choose from Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.
  5. Tap any blank space to exit out of edit mode.

control center
When you turn on one of the Ambient Music options in Control Center, playback controls will appear on the screen. You can also tap or long press the Dynamic Island on newer iPhones to access playback controls or bring up a fullscreen music player with album art.

Changing Ambient Music Category Playlists

It's not obvious, but you can actually choose different playlists for each Ambient Music category. In fact, this option is so hidden in the interface that some might even call it an "easter egg" – or perhaps a non-intuitive UI design choice. Apple describes the playlists as follows:

  • Sleep: Sleep Sounds, Bedtime Beats, Sound Bath, and Piano Sleep.
  • Chill: Piano Chill, Ambient Chill, Lo-Fi Jazz, and Pure Chill.
  • Productivity: BEATstrumentals, Binaural Frequencies, Pure Focus, and Classical Concentration.
  • Wellbeing: Pure Meditation, Spa, Beats & Breath, and Pure Calm.

Here's what you need to do to choose a different playlist – or even one of your own:

  1. Open Control Center, then tap the + icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
  2. Tap one of the Ambient Music buttons that you added to your Control Center (try to avoid tapping the minus symbol or the button will disappear).
  3. Tap the playlist name in blue next to "Playlist," then select one of the playlists from the dropdown. If you select From Library, tap Choose to pick a playlist from your Music library.
  4. Tap any blank space, then tap again to exit out of edit mode.

control center
So now you know how to switch up the playlists when listening to Ambient Music, whether that's for restful sleep, relaxation, focusing on tasks, or for meditation and self-care.

Top Rated Comments

MrPiper415 Avatar
12 hours ago at 04:23 am
I like this feature but worry it will mess with my algorithms.

I used to listen to ambient music whilst working but all my personalised stations quickly assumed I despised anything with lyrics. Took me months to correct!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Godspeed8230 Avatar
12 hours ago at 04:35 am
Is it just me or is anyone else also trying to add a "control" by clicking on the empty circle space instead of the tiny "+ Add a control" on the bottom? This is so not intuitive - arrrrgh.
Also, wow, this playlist feature could not be more hidden and secretive. I miss 3D Touch - would have been THE perfect use case.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechWhisperer Avatar
11 hours ago at 04:46 am
I love it, but I don’t like the fact that it shows up in my history and subsequently altering my personalized algorithm.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
11 hours ago at 05:28 am

Is it just me or is someone else also trying to add a "control" by clicking on the empty circle space instead of the tiny "+ Add a control" on the bottom? This is so not intuitive - arrrrgh.
Also, wow, this playlist feature could not be more hidden and secretive. I miss 3D Touch - would have been THE perfect use case.
Yes the interface is ridiculous, and the fact that you have to make a separate control for each genre. And then you have to tell which is which by symbol only.

I guess this is the next step in emoji devolution. Nobody wants words, just pictures, I guess?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WU27f1xcCs Avatar
11 hours ago at 05:01 am
Wow I have been using this since the Beta and did not realise you could change playlists, this is a horrible UI. You can even open Ambient Music as a separate application and it doesn’t let you change the playlist even in the dedicated application?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dr McKay Avatar
11 hours ago at 05:05 am

I like this feature but worry it will mess with my algorithms.

I used to listen to ambient music whilst working but the all my personalised stations then assumed I despised anything with lyrics. Took me months to correct!
I don’t think it’s connected to Apple Music at all, I don’t have a subscription with them anymore and don’t even the Apple Music app installed but I can still play it. When I open the running apps screen it is its own app called “Ambient Music”.

I’m pretty confident it won’t mess with your Apple Music preferences
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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