How to Add Music to an iPhone Without Syncing

Open your computer's iTunes., Click iTunes., Click Preferences., Select the Devices tab., Click the box at the bottom of the window., Click OK., Connect your iPhone to your computer., Click the device icon., Scroll down and check Manually manage...

34 Steps 4 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Open your computer's iTunes.

    This is the multicolored musical note icon on a white background. , It's in the top left corner of the screen.

    If you're using a PC, click the Edit tab here instead. , It's toward the bottom of the drop-down menu.

    You can also hold down ⌘ Command and tap + (or Ctrl++ for PC users) to open this menu. , You'll find it in the top right section of the Preferences window., It says "Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically" to the right of this box.

    Clicking it should place a checkmark here.

    If there is a checkmark in this box, your iTunes won't open automatically upon connecting an iOS device. , Doing so will prevent iTunes from automatically adding music to your phone when you connect it., To do so, plug the large end (the USB portion) of your charger cable into the computer's USB port and plug the small end into your iPhone., It's shaped like an iPhone; you'll find this option in the upper left section of the iTunes window, above and to the right of the Music sidebar.

    If this is the first time you've connected your phone to this computer, check Set Up as New iPhone when prompted and click Continue, then click Get Started. , It's in the "Options" section of features toward the bottom of the iTunes page., It's the blue button in the bottom right corner of the iTunes page., It's in the top left side of the screen underneath the "Library" heading.

    Make sure you're clicking Songs under "Library" and not "Devices". , This section is in the sidebar on the left-hand side of the screen.

    You should see 's iPhone listed as an option here., Doing so will add it to your iPhone's music library without removing or synchronizing the rest of your iTunes library.

    You can also select multiple songs and drop them onto the Devices section to add multiple songs at once. , Settings is the grey gear icon on the Home Screen., It's roughly halfway down the Settings page., This button is at the top of the Music page., It will turn green.

    If you don't currently have an Apple Music account, you won't see the iCloud Music Library switch. , Doing so will enable iCloud Music Library.

    Now you can download music from the Apple Music service directly to your iPhone.

    If you'd rather default to iCloud as your music storage location and delete your on-device music, tap Delete & Replace. , Music is the blue and purple musical note on a white background.

    In order to download music from Apple Music to your iPhone, you need to have an Apple Music account., It's the magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

    If Music opens to a song's page, swipe down first. , It's at the top of the page., This tab is below the search bar and to the left of the default Your Library option.,, This option is the blue button in your iPhone's keyboard., It will start playing., This option is at the bottom of the screen., It's in the bottom right corner of the screen., It's at the top of the menu that pops up here., Doing so will add your song to whichever playlist you decide on.

    You can tap Add Music above the top song in this playlist to search for more music. , You'll find it in the top right corner of the screen.

    Now your, It's in the bottom left corner of the screen.

    If a song's page is currently open, swipe down on the screen first. , You'll find this option directly below the "Library" heading at the top of the screen., This should be the playlist to which you just added your Apple Music., It's to the right of the playlist photo in the top left side of the screen.

    Doing so will cause the playlist to download to your iPhone, which will make the music available in your Music's "Downloaded" folder as well as when you're offline.

    Depending on how many songs you have in your playlist, it may take awhile for everything to finish downloading.
  2. Step 2: Click iTunes.

  3. Step 3: Click Preferences.

  4. Step 4: Select the Devices tab.

  5. Step 5: Click the box at the bottom of the window.

  6. Step 6: Click OK.

  7. Step 7: Connect your iPhone to your computer.

  8. Step 8: Click the device icon.

  9. Step 9: Scroll down and check Manually manage music and videos.

  10. Step 10: Click Done.

  11. Step 11: Click Songs.

  12. Step 12: Click and drag a song onto the "Devices" section.

  13. Step 13: Drop the song onto the "Devices" section.

  14. Step 14: Open your iPhone's Settings.

  15. Step 15: Scroll down and tap Music.

  16. Step 16: Slide the Show Apple Music switch right if it isn't green.

  17. Step 17: Slide the iCloud Music Library switch right.

  18. Step 18: Tap Keep Music.

  19. Step 19: Open your iPhone's Music.

  20. Step 20: Tap Search.

  21. Step 21: Tap the search bar.

  22. Step 22: Tap Apple Music.

  23. Step 23: Type in a song.

  24. Step 24: Tap Search.

  25. Step 25: Tap your song.

  26. Step 26: Tap the song tab.

  27. Step 27: Tap ....

  28. Step 28: Tap Add to a Playlist.

  29. Step 29: Tap New Playlist or select a pre-existing one.

  30. Step 30: Tap Done.

  31. Step 31: Tap Library.

  32. Step 32: Tap Playlists.

  33. Step 33: Scroll down and tap your playlist.

  34. Step 34: Tap the cloud icon with a downward-facing arrow.

Detailed Guide

This is the multicolored musical note icon on a white background. , It's in the top left corner of the screen.

If you're using a PC, click the Edit tab here instead. , It's toward the bottom of the drop-down menu.

You can also hold down ⌘ Command and tap + (or Ctrl++ for PC users) to open this menu. , You'll find it in the top right section of the Preferences window., It says "Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically" to the right of this box.

Clicking it should place a checkmark here.

If there is a checkmark in this box, your iTunes won't open automatically upon connecting an iOS device. , Doing so will prevent iTunes from automatically adding music to your phone when you connect it., To do so, plug the large end (the USB portion) of your charger cable into the computer's USB port and plug the small end into your iPhone., It's shaped like an iPhone; you'll find this option in the upper left section of the iTunes window, above and to the right of the Music sidebar.

If this is the first time you've connected your phone to this computer, check Set Up as New iPhone when prompted and click Continue, then click Get Started. , It's in the "Options" section of features toward the bottom of the iTunes page., It's the blue button in the bottom right corner of the iTunes page., It's in the top left side of the screen underneath the "Library" heading.

Make sure you're clicking Songs under "Library" and not "Devices". , This section is in the sidebar on the left-hand side of the screen.

You should see 's iPhone listed as an option here., Doing so will add it to your iPhone's music library without removing or synchronizing the rest of your iTunes library.

You can also select multiple songs and drop them onto the Devices section to add multiple songs at once. , Settings is the grey gear icon on the Home Screen., It's roughly halfway down the Settings page., This button is at the top of the Music page., It will turn green.

If you don't currently have an Apple Music account, you won't see the iCloud Music Library switch. , Doing so will enable iCloud Music Library.

Now you can download music from the Apple Music service directly to your iPhone.

If you'd rather default to iCloud as your music storage location and delete your on-device music, tap Delete & Replace. , Music is the blue and purple musical note on a white background.

In order to download music from Apple Music to your iPhone, you need to have an Apple Music account., It's the magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

If Music opens to a song's page, swipe down first. , It's at the top of the page., This tab is below the search bar and to the left of the default Your Library option.,, This option is the blue button in your iPhone's keyboard., It will start playing., This option is at the bottom of the screen., It's in the bottom right corner of the screen., It's at the top of the menu that pops up here., Doing so will add your song to whichever playlist you decide on.

You can tap Add Music above the top song in this playlist to search for more music. , You'll find it in the top right corner of the screen.

Now your, It's in the bottom left corner of the screen.

If a song's page is currently open, swipe down on the screen first. , You'll find this option directly below the "Library" heading at the top of the screen., This should be the playlist to which you just added your Apple Music., It's to the right of the playlist photo in the top left side of the screen.

Doing so will cause the playlist to download to your iPhone, which will make the music available in your Music's "Downloaded" folder as well as when you're offline.

Depending on how many songs you have in your playlist, it may take awhile for everything to finish downloading.

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