iOS 8.4 with Apple Music and Beats 1 may be impressing iPhone and iPad users around the world, but it turns out that Apple has also quietly removed a longstanding handy feature: Home Sharing.
Since iOS 4.3 in 2011, Home Sharing has let iOS users stream their iTunes library from their computer to their iOS devices over a shared Wi-Fi connection. This used to include both video and audio content.
Since the release of iOS 8.4 earlier in the week, however, Home Sharing can only facilitate the sharing of video content in this way.
Apple has quietly updated its Home Sharing support page to reflect this change.
While Apple hasn’t elaborated on the reason for the removal of this feature, it’s likely to do with the licensing agreements for Apple Music. The company may not have the right to push Apple Music content to other devices over a Wi-Fi connection.
Of course, it may just be pushing the £14.99 per month Family Membership option too, which allows you to stream unlimited music to up to six different iOS accounts.
It’s also worth noting that Home Sharing still works as normal on Apple TV.
Related: Beats 1: What we thought of Radio Apple’s first 12 hours
Of course, Apple arguably has bigger problems with its new music service, with a widely reported iCloud bug causing content to be deleted and generally messing up iTunes listings.
Check out some tips for getting the best out of iOS 8 in the video below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
