Did you recently update your iPhone to iOS 17 and notice that your Apple Music Animated Cover Art isn’t working? Don’t worry. While it might seem like there’s an issue with the update, it’s more likely that certain settings on your iPhone are turned off. Fortunately, this is an easy fix!

With the release of iOS 17, Apple introduced several new features to the Apple Music app. Among these were the ability to view song credits, set a sleep timer, crossfade tracks, and – the star of our show – the Animated Cover Art.

What’s Animated Cover Art in Apple Music?

In iOS 17, Apple Music added a fun twist: Animated Cover Art. This feature transforms regular album covers with subtle animations like moving clouds, falling rain, dancing figures, and other animated elements.

Troubleshooting Apple Music Animated Cover Art:

Some users have encountered issues with this feature due to specific settings being toggled on. Here’s how to make sure the Animated Cover Art works as intended:

Note: Only select songs or playlists currently support the Animated Cover Art feature. To test it out, try playing “Run the World (Girls) by Beyoncé.”

Enable Animated Cover Art

The Animated Art in iOS 17 only appears when enabled in the Apple Music app settings. While an existing feature, it’s been revamped for iOS 17. With the latest update, it might default to “off”, so be sure to toggle it on. Here’s how:

• Open iPhone Settings and navigate to Apple Music.

• Scroll down until you find the Animated Art option.

• Toggle it to the “On” position.

Play a song to see if the cover art animated.

Disable Low Power Mode

By turning off Low Power Mode on your iPhone, I guarantee the Animated Cover Art will work flawlessly. When Low Power Mode is active, certain processes are halted to save battery life.

• Go to iPhone Settings > Battery.
• Toggle off Low Power Mode.

Activate Background App Refresh

If your device’s Background App Refresh is off, it might prevent your cover art from animating. This means your iPhone apps aren’t updating in the background, possibly not fetching the album’s animation.

• Head to iPhone Settings > General.
• Tap on Background App Refresh.
• Choose the “Wifi & Cellular Data” option.

Turn off Reduce Motion

This setting can impact all animations on your iPhone, including in Apple Music.

• Navigate to iPhone Settings > Accessibility.
• Tap on Motion and disable Reduce Motion.

Enable Auto-Play Animated Images

If none of the previous methods work for you, the issue might be that the “Auto-Play Animated Images” setting on your iPhone is disabled. This setting lets your iPhone automatically display animated images (e.g., GIFs) within apps or on web pages. By enabling it, your Animated Cover Art should function correctly.

• Go to iPhone Settings > Accessibility > Motion.
• Toggle on Auto-Play Animated Images.

Follow these methods to resolve the Apple Music Animated Cover Art issue on iOS 17. Did any work for you? Share your experiences or alternative solutions in the comments below.