Lyrics not Showing in Apple Music in iOS 14: How to Fix

Many people have been unable to see music lyrics in Apple Music after updating to iOS 14. For these users, they were able to read the lyrics for a particular song before the update, but not since. In this article, we will outline some suggestions that have solved the problem for some users experiencing this issue.

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It seems there may be at least a couple of different factors affecting the ability to read lyrics in Apple Music in iOS 14. One has to do with the Increase Contrast setting and Light vs Dark Mode. Another is that lyrics with Explicit Content may not be showing even when the settings allow it.

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The problem is described as:

• When trying to view the lyrics, it will seem as though the lyrics page will show, but then the song screen reappears.
• Unable to search for explicit songs – only by going to the artists profile.

Or for others:

• Cannot see lyrics in Light Mode.
• Can see lyrics in Dark Mode.

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Restart your Phone

This is an easy first thing to try. It may help if there is a problem with your network connection – some users have reported that a network reset has helped fix their problem.

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iPhone with Face ID

1. Press and hold both the side button and either volume button until the slider appears on the screen. 
2. Drag the slider.

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iPhone with Home Button

1. Press and hold the side button or the Sleep/Wake button on the top of your phone (depending on your model). 
2. Drag the slider.

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Update your iPhone

This will make sure your iPhone’s software has the latest improvements and bug fixes.

1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. 
2. If an update is available, tap Download and Install then, when prompted, click Agree.

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If you Can’t See any Lyrics

If you are unable to view lyrics for any of your songs, it may be because you have increased contrast turned on in Accessibility. What seems to be happening is that, when in Light Mode, the increased contrast makes the background behind the lyrics white, just like the text. With white text on a white background, you can’t read the lyrics. To fix this, try changing to Dark Mode or turning off Increase Contrast.

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Change Phone to Dark Mode

Switching your iPhone to Dark Mode fixes the white lyrics on white background problem by changing the background behind the lyrics to black, while the lyrics text remains white.

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to open Control Panel.

2. Press the Brightness control until it opens a screen with more display preferences. Tap Dark Mode button to turn on Dark Mode.

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Turn off Increase Contrast

If you had previously turned on Increase Contrast, turning it off may fix the problem so that you will be able to again see lyrics when using Light Mode.

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
2. Toggle Increase Contrast to OFF.

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Check for Content Restrictions

Although users have reported a problem with viewing explicit lyrics despite having no restrictions enabled, you should check your settings to be sure. You will not be able to view explicit lyrics if restrictions have been turned on. To check for this:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. If Content & Privacy Restrictions are enabled:
   • Tap Content Restrictions and see if Explicit is allowed for Music or,
   • Just toggle the Content & Privacy Restrictions to OFF.

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Reset Network Settings

Some have reported success with resetting their network settings. Resetting your network settings can be a pain – it resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings and VPN settings. For that reason, before resetting your network settings, try the simpler steps first.

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Airplane Mode

You can toggle Airplane Mode on, and then back off again.

1. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen.
2. Tap the Airplane Mode button. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Tap the Airplane Mode button again to turn off.

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Forget Network

You will have to re-enter your Wi-Fi password for the network you are forgetting.

1. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the info button next to your network.
3. Tap Forget This Network. Tap Forget.

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Reset Network Settings

1. Go to Settings > General > Reset.
2. Tap Reset Network Settings and enter your passcode.
3. Tap Reset Network Settings to confirm.

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Force Restart

This is also called a hard reset. But do not worry, it does not delete anything. Here is how you can force restart your device:

• iPhone with Face ID models, iPad with Face ID models, iPhone 8 models, and second (and later) generation iPhone SE models:
  • Press and release the volume up button.
  • Press and release the volume down button.
  • Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo. And release the buttons and your device will restart. 
• iPhone 7 models: Press and hold the volume down and the on/off (sleep/wake) buttons together until you see the Apple logo.
• Other iPhone models (iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, etc) and iPad with Home button models: Press and hold the on/off (sleep/wake) and the Home buttons together until you see the Apple logo.

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