Many Apple users were left disappointed when the Cupertino company quietly removed Home Sharing for music with the release of iOS 8.4. Home Sharing allowed users to share their iTunes content from computers to any iPod, iPad or iPhones connected to a single WiFi network. Don’t worry, Apple is not planning to permanently ditch the feature to increase its Apple Music subscriptions. The iPhone maker will reinstate Home Sharing with iOS 9.
iOS 9 to arrive this fall
Apple’s SVP of Internet software and services Eddy Cue said in a tweet on Monday that the company was “working to have Home Sharing in iOS 9.” It is still unclear when the Home Sharing for music will be introduced in iOS 9. Apple might bring it in beta versions of iOS 9 or when the final build of the new OS releases in September.
@inklake We are working to have Home Sharing in iOS 9.
— Eddy Cue (@cue) July 6, 2015
Earlier, Cue had revealed that the next iOS 9 beta with Apple Music would arrive later this week. Eddy Cue’s statement suggests that it might have been a rights issue. Apple was unlikely to go back on itself so quickly by removing Home Sharing from the iOS 8.4. It’s possible that the iPhone maker couldn’t secure the necessary rights from labels to provide streaming across multiple devices.
Apple Music replaces Home Sharing for a cost
Apple carried over Home Sharing from Mac in iOS 4.3 to stream music and other content from a computer to mobile devices connected to a common WiFi network. Its sudden removal left the iDevice users without a solution to stream music from Mac-based iTunes libraries. Eddy Cue’s revelations are in line with early iOS 8.4 beta release notes that listed the Home Sharing feature as “not currently available” under known issues.
Owners of Apple TV and desktops can still share their music and videos. The recently launched Apple Music offers a family plan for $14.99 with full access to the Cupertino company’s music catalog for up to six people. For now, it replaces Home Sharing, but for a cost. Apple executives have become more interactive on social media in recent weeks. Last month, Eddy Cue announced on Twitter that the company would pay artists during the Apple Music free trial.
