Apple Music No Longer Runs on Rooted Android Devices – But We Found a Workaround

An error message appears when using the app on rooted Android.
An error message appears when using the app on rooted Android.

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There’s an app for that.

Apple has recently implemented a new restriction in the latest beta version (4.7) of its Apple Music app for Android. This prevents the app from functioning on rooted devices, including Galaxy phones and tablets.

Apple Music’s New Restriction on Rooted Android Devices

AssembleDebug's tweet about discovering that Apple Music won't work on rooted Android devices anymore. (From: X)
AssembleDebug’s tweet about discovering that Apple Music won’t work on rooted Android devices anymore. (From: X)

The new restriction was discovered by Reddit user sername_is-taken and also reported by X user @AssembleDebug.

In the latest beta version (4.7) of the Apple Music app for Android, the app now checks if the device is rooted. If the device is found to be rooted, users are presented with an error message stating, “Apple Music is no longer available for rooted devices.”

Following this message, the app promptly crashes, preventing users from accessing the music streaming service on their rooted Android devices.

The error message users receive when trying to use Apple Music on a rooted Android device. (From: Reddit/sername_is-taken)
The error message users receive when trying to use Apple Music on a rooted Android device. (From: Reddit/sername_is-taken)

Apple is not the first company to implement such restrictions on rooted devices.

This move by Apple follows a similar decision made by Google last week to block RCS messaging on rooted devices. This potentially indicates a growing trend among software developers to remove support for rooted devices. The reasons behind this trend could include the general instability and security risks associated with using rooted devices.

Rooting is the process of jailbreaking an Android device to gain administrative control. This allows users to customize the operating system, replace settings and apps, and install specialized software. While it offers more freedom, rooting can also void the warranty, cause damage, and introduce security risks if done incorrectly.

Many banking and mobile payment apps, including Samsung Pay and Samsung Wallet, also do not work on rooted Android phones. Some banking apps have even gone as far as to stop working on devices with Developer Mode enabled.

Workarounds and Potential Solutions for Affected Users

MagiskHide can prevent your apps from detecting that your phone is rooted. (From: Magisk)
MagiskHide can prevent your apps from detecting that your phone is rooted. (From: Magisk)

For users affected by Apple Music’s new restriction on rooted Android devices, there are a few potential workarounds and solutions available.

One of the most popular solutions seems to be the use of the MagiskHide tool, which prevents Superuser binaries from being detected.

To activate Magisk Hide on an Android device, users can follow these steps:

How to use Magisk Hide on an Android device. (From: GSM)
How to use Magisk Hide on an Android device. (From: GSM)
  1. Open the Magisk Manager App on the device.
  2. Select the Menu option in the right corner.
  3. Scroll down and enable the Magisk Hide and Enforce Denylist options.
    If you are using Magisk v24, you may not find the Magisk Hide option as it has been removed. Instead, a new feature called Zygisk has been added, which functions similarly to Magisk Hide but is more secure.
  4. Click the Menu key again to see a “Magisk Hide” option. Tap on that.
  5. Choose the apps from which you want to hide the root.
  6. After enabling these options, reboot the smartphone.

For users who do not wish to employ these workarounds, you have two alternatives. One, you can switch to an unrooted device. Two, you can use a different music streaming service that does not have restrictions on rooted devices.

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