Despite reports from an iOS developer that Apple Music is intentionally removing Spotify from the dock upon installation, neither the company nor the developer has confirmed that this is the case.
When the Apple Music app is installed, you can see in a video posted by developer Kevin Archer that Spotify is pushed out of the iPhone dock.
According to Archer, the same thing happens whenever a third-party programme occupies the dock’s fourth spot, regardless of whether Apple is trying to promote Apple Music over Spotify. Apple’s Camera app will not be removed from the list, he adds.
By default, if you reinstall a pre-installed programme, it will be reinstalled where Apple believes it should be. We discovered that any programme that occupies the dock’s default space would be replaced by Apple Music, regardless of the developer. There will be no space for Apple’s applications there.
We added Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, and Photos to the dock in order to further test the situation. Apple Music was reinstalled over Photos since it was occupying the space that Apple Music “should” be occupying on reinstall.
Apps are pre-installed on an iPhone when it is set up for the first time, and four are immediately added to the dock.
Default applications like Apple Music may be deleted if they are no longer needed by the user. The software may be re-downloaded from the App Store at a later time if desired.
When it comes to a pre-configured location, though, applications are more likely to attempt to instal. Regardless of what other apps are now running, the Apple Music app will always instal on the right-most dock spot where it is already pre-installed.
Third-party programmes try to reinstall in previously-configured areas on the Home Screen, but never the dock since the default apps are locked inside the dock by the OS when it is installed.. As far as I can tell, this is more of a technical error than a deliberate effort to promote its own programmes above those of other developers.
The behaviour isn’t ideal, but it isn’t a threat to other programmes as Twitter says, and we prefer apps to be installed outside the dock.
As AppleInsider has reported, the company has contacted us to say that they are aware of the issue and will be investigating it asap.
Regulators, consumers, and developers have all filed antitrust complaints against Apple, keeping the company on the defensive when it comes to iOS and the App Store. Open and transparent guidelines are said to be in place for all developers.