How to Turn Off Your Mac’s Play/Pause Key to Prevent It from Launching Apple Music

Whenever I accidentally press the Play/Pause key (F8) on my MacBook, it launches the Music app and starts playing a song automatically, which can be quite disruptive. I often work with my MacBook’s lid at an angle while connected to an external monitor, and since I don’t always look at the keys I’m pressing, being interrupted by unexpected music can be frustrating. Additionally, I find the Music app on Mac slow, unreliable, and prone to freezing, so I prefer using Apple Music on my iPhone or HomePod instead.

To address this annoyance, I found a couple of methods to prevent the Play/Pause key from launching the Music app.

Use a Decoy Music App
Music Decoy is a straightforward utility designed to prevent the Play/Pause key from opening the Music app. It works by running a process with a name similar to the Music app, tricking macOS into thinking that Music is already open. The app is free and lightweight, having no impact on system resources. However, keep in mind that Music Decoy will completely disable the Music app, so you won’t be able to use Apple Music on your Mac while it’s running. If this isn’t a deal breaker for you, Music Decoy allows the Play/Pause key to function with all other apps.

Disable the Play/Pause Key Entirely
If you prefer to disable the Play/Pause key altogether, you can use a Terminal command. Open the Terminal app on your Mac and enter the following command:

This command will disable the Play/Pause key across all apps. To revert the change, use the following command:

Both methods have their trade-offs, but I personally prefer Music Decoy because it maintains the functionality of the Play/Pause button for other apps while eliminating the inconvenience of the Music app.