Discover One of iOS 18’s Best Hidden Features: Music Haptics
iOS 18 is packed with new features and updates, some of which Apple has spotlighted, while others fly under the radar. Among these hidden gems, my personal favorite this year is Music Haptics.
Music Haptics is a straightforward but intriguing feature. Available on iPhone 12 models and newer, it adds a new dimension to your music listening experience by syncing haptic vibrations to the beat of your songs. This feature works across various music genres, whether it’s rock, rap, classical, or jazz—if a song has a discernible beat, your iPhone will vibrate in sync with it.
These vibrations are more than just repetitive buzzes. Thanks to the Taptic Engine, the haptic feedback is varied and dynamic, ranging from subtle taps to deep, sustained reverberations. This responsiveness makes the experience quite immersive, and while it’s hard to fully convey the sensation in words, it’s definitely something worth experiencing firsthand.
Apple introduced Music Haptics in May as part of their announcement on upcoming accessibility features. Designed to aid users who are deaf or hard of hearing, it aims to enhance the experience of following music beats on Apple Music and potentially other supported third-party platforms (though Apple hasn’t specified which ones). Although the announcement didn’t confirm that these features would be included in iOS 18, it was clear that they would be.
How to Enable Music Haptics for Apple Music
After updating to iOS 18, open the Apple Music app and go to the New tab. You’ll find a new “Feel the Music” section featuring four curated playlists designed to showcase Music Haptics. However, Apple hasn’t provided instructions on how to activate the feature, so here’s how you can set it up:
- Open the Settings app.
- Navigate to Accessibility.
- Scroll down to the HEARING section and tap Music Haptics.
- Toggle the switch to enable the feature.
Once enabled, open Apple Music and play a song. If the track supports Music Haptics, you’ll see a Music Haptics button below the playback bar. Tap this button to activate or pause the haptic feedback.
For convenience, you can also control Music Haptics from the Control Center. After enabling the feature, a Music Haptics option will appear in Control Center. It’s initially found in the second Control Center menu, but you can add it to any page for easy access, thanks to iOS 18’s new customization options. Enjoy the enhanced musical experience!
