Siri offers default music app options in iOS 14.5 beta

Apple is making it easier for iPhone users to use a music service they subscribe to, with Siri in the iOS 14.5 public beta offering to set their preferred app as the default for vocal requests.

Owners of iPhones and iPads are typically used to having to specify the name of a music service as part of a verbal Siri request. A change spotted in the first iOS 14.5 beta indicates that may not always be the case in the future.

Surfaced by Reddit and first spotted by MacRumors, users asking Siri to play a song for the first time in the beta are given a selection of music or streaming services to choose from. Users are then meant to select their desired service from the list, which will start playback via that app.

Importantly, the user's selection is set as a default for future song playback requests, playing the song without adding "on Spotify" or "on Deezer" to the end of the query.

[via Reddit u/matejamm1]

The presence of the option in the beta is new and promising for those who don't want to keep reminding Siri of their preferred service. There's no guarantee that it will arrive as part of the final iOS 14.5 release.

Apple currently only allows the changing of the default browser and mail apps in iOS. This may be a sign of more changes on the way.