Apple Music mystery (why have I been getting it “free” for years?)

[JimBanville]

I’ve been getting Apple Music at no cost since I bought my iPhone 11 at Sam’s club like 4 yrs ago. It doesn’t show up in my subscriptions on the phone and my Verizon plan doesn't show it as a “perk” (I actually went to the store and checked). I have bought a few Apple devices over the last 4 yrs…Apple TV box, AirPods, watch, but I honestly don’t remember “activating” any free trials.
How can I find out why I’ve been getting it for free?
I want to get the iPhone 15, but I’ll have to change my plan and even though the ppl at the Verizon store say my Apple Music isn’t coming from them, I’m concerned changing my plan my trigger something and cut it off.
Oh. I did check my “family” sharing and one person is sharing Apple+ and another is sharing iCloud. No Apple Music though.
I did find this article from 2019 where Verizon made some Apple Music trials permanent on a couple plans, but I didn’t have those plans…

Verizon Makes Free Apple Music Offer Permanent on Unlimited Plans

What started out as six months of free access is now being turned into a permanent offer. Anyone signing up for Beyond Unlimited or Above Unlimited will get free Apple Music access as part of the subscription.

www.pcmag.com

My plan is called The New Verizon Plan Single Smartphone Unlimited, which apparently doesn’t exist anymore.
I truly believe Verizon changes it plans’ names a lot to confuse customers.
Thanks!

 

[Marco Klobas]

Now Tim Cook – an avid MacRumors user – will immediately suspend your Apple Music subscription and charge you retroactively all the past years you enjoyed for free.

Seriously, I have no idea.

Or, maybe, you are responsible for the recent price hike: Apple spotted the loss (took 4 years and a dozen of accountants) and acted accordingly. Yeah, I know, Apple Music pricing is unchanged ... still, money is money...

 

[JimBanville]

Now Tim Cook – an avid MacRumors user – will immediately suspend your Apple Music subscription and charge you retroactively all the past years you enjoyed for free.

Seriously, I have no idea.

Or, maybe, you are responsible for the recent price hike: Apple spotted the loss (took 4 years and a dozen of accountants) and acted accordingly. Yeah, I know, Apple Music pricing is unchanged ... still, money is money...

So you replied to say you have no idea.
Okayyyyyy. 🤫

 

[Marco Klobas]

You're right, I posted 421 characters just for fun without giving any relevant informations.

I've found this, though: https://www.verizon.com/support/apple-music-faqs/

It mentions "The Verizon plan (single smartphone)" as a plan eligible for Apple Music promo (no more available). It's missing the "New" word, the rest matches your plan.

Even though Verizon states that no perks are active on their side, it could be that you plan is simply still grandfathered the Apple Music subscription.

 

[JimBanville]

You're right, I posted 421 characters just for fun without giving any relevant informations.

I've found this, though: https://www.verizon.com/support/apple-music-faqs/

It mentions "The Verizon plan (single smartphone)" as a plan eligible for Apple Music promo (no more available). It's missing the "New" word, the rest matches your plan.

Even though Verizon states that no perks are active on their side, it could be that you plan is simply still grandfathered the Apple Music subscription.

Correct. Your first reply had no “relevant informations”.

The link you provided in your second reply says…

“Apple Music is included for as long as you keep the plan with:

• One Unlimited for iPhone* -
• 5G Get More*, Get More Unlimited*, Beyond Unlimited*, Above Unlimited* (if you got the plan before 8/20/20)”

I didn’t have those plans.

It also says…

“Apple Music on us for 6 months with these plans. After the promotion ends, the cost is $10.99/line per month until you cancel. Cancel any time:

• 5G Start*, 5G Play More*, 5G Do More*, Do More Unlimited*, Play More Unlimited*, Go Unlimited*, The Verizon Plan Unlimited*
• Certain shared data* and data only plans* including More Everything*, My Gigs*, The New Verizon Plan*, Shared Data Plan - 5GB*, Shared Data Plan - 10GB*, The Verizon plan (single smartphone)*”

 

[iStorm]

It seems like it should show up under Subscriptions in your Apple ID account, but it sounds like it isn't.

Are you using a secondary Apple ID for Family Sharing and the subscription is going through that account? Have you and all your family members reviewed their credit cards and bank accounts to make sure there's not a charge somewhere?

Use a different Apple Account to share purchases with Family Sharing - Apple Support

If you have more than one Apple ID and you want to use a different one to share purchases with your family, you can change the account that you use for purchase sharing.

support.apple.com

Also, what do you mean by "Apple+"? That isn't a thing.

FWIW, I signed up for a Discovery+ trial through Verizon. I cancelled the trial before it ended so I wouldn't get charged. Everything appeared to be cancelled on my end and it no longer showed up under my perks, but Verizon still charged me. It took a few months of talking to Verizon to get it removed for good. Perhaps the reverse is happening for you, but it still seems like it should show up under Subscriptions if that's the case...iOS has to detect there's a subscription somewhere to unlock Apple Music.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

So you replied to say you have no idea.
Okayyyyyy. 🤫

Sir, this is a forum...that's all we do here.

 

[JimBanville]

It seems like it should show up under Subscriptions in your Apple ID account, but it sounds like it isn't.

Are you using a secondary Apple ID for Family Sharing and the subscription is going through that account? Have you and all your family members reviewed their credit cards and bank accounts to make sure there's not a charge somewhere?

Use a different Apple Account to share purchases with Family Sharing - Apple Support

If you have more than one Apple ID and you want to use a different one to share purchases with your family, you can change the account that you use for purchase sharing.

support.apple.com

Also, what do you mean by "Apple+"? That isn't a thing.

FWIW, I signed up for a Discovery+ trial through Verizon. I cancelled the trial before it ended so I wouldn't get charged. Everything appeared to be cancelled on my end and it no longer showed up under my perks, but Verizon still charged me. It took a few months of talking to Verizon to get it removed for good. Perhaps the reverse is happening for you, but it still seems like it should show up under Subscriptions if that's the case...iOS has to detect there's a subscription somewhere to unlock Apple Music.

Meant AppleTv+.

That and iCloud+ are only two subs being shared with me.

I only have 1 Apple account.

I have 1 active subscription and 2 expired. None are Apple related.

There is also a button for Verizon Plan benefits in “subscriptions” under settings. I click it and is says my Verizon plan doesn’t include any Apple services.

 

[JimBanville]

Sir, this is a forum...that's all we do here.

😂😂😂

 

[Marco Klobas]

There's definitely a "contract" glitch somewhere (Captain obvious, you would think):

• The 6 months perk transformed for unknown erratic reasons into perennial
• Hidden erratic plan switch while maintaining the old name
• The Verizon rep mischecked (it happens that two or more different support reps give different results – in any company, any country)

You could also try to check with the other part, Apple (I mean, again, through a rep, just in case).

It's "risky" – it could really trigger a stop. The same goes as you said for the plan change.

If you don't get any other user feedback then I guess it's unavoidable to take the risk.

 

[casperes1996]

Meant AppleTv+.

Not sure if it’s also this way with family sharing but sometimes student subs get extra benefits. A student Apple Music sub also gets Apple TV+. Maybe vice versa is true as well?

 

[xpxp2002]

To be clear, the Verizon-sponsored "free" Apple Music subscriptions never show up in the "plan perks" section of your iCloud account settings for whatever reason. Other Apple perks, like Arcade, will.

More than likely, your plan includes Apple Music. But the only place you would see this is on your Verizon bill. It is usually billed as a line item with a matching credit to make the net cost $0 to you.

 

[JimBanville]

To be clear, the Verizon-sponsored "free" Apple Music subscriptions never show up in the "plan perks" section of your iCloud account settings for whatever reason. Other Apple perks, like Arcade, will.

More than likely, your plan includes Apple Music. But the only place you would see this is on your Verizon bill. It is usually billed as a line item with a matching credit to make the net cost $0 to you.

I looked at my actual bills that have all the plan costs, taxes and fees etc. It’s not there.
Only items are in my perks section… call filter and share name ID.

Another possible twist that I totally forgot is that my gf got her 11 pro at target around the same time i got my 11 at Sam’s. She also has been getting Apple Music for free these last several years. I haven’t looked at her phone with my own eyes, but she says Apple Music isn’t in her subscriptions and her phone bill doesn’t show it as an add on.

 

[toobravetosave]

Take your win and dont lose your free Apple Music trying to figure it out

 

[JimBanville]

Take your win and dont lose your free Apple Music trying to figure it out

I want to get the iPhone 15, but I’ll have to change my plan and even though the ppl at the Verizon store say my Apple Music isn’t coming from them, I’m concerned changing my plan my trigger something and cut it off.
This is why I’m trying to figure out why I’m getting it for free all this time.

 

[Student of Life]

I want to get the iPhone 15, but I’ll have to change my plan and even though the ppl at the Verizon store say my Apple Music isn’t coming from them, I’m concerned changing my plan my trigger something and cut it off.
This is why I’m trying to figure out why I’m getting it for free all this time.

Just curious but why would you have to change plans? Ideally just get the iPhone 15 on your own and problem solved. Now if you are trying to do one of those trade in deal type things with your cell provider, the devil is in the details so make sure it makes sense to take that path.

 

[ignatius345]

Just curious but why would you have to change plans? Ideally just get the iPhone 15 on your own and problem solved. Now if you are trying to do one of those trade in deal type things with your cell provider, the devil is in the details so make sure it makes sense to take that path.

Verizon is offering some pretty substantial promo pricing with certain unlimited plans. Have a hunch the OP is wanting to do that.

 

[JimBanville]

Just curious but why would you have to change plans? Ideally just get the iPhone 15 on your own and problem solved. Now if you are trying to do one of those trade in deal type things with your cell provider, the devil is in the details so make sure it makes sense to take that path.

Because they’ll give me $700 credit for this old phone if I change plans. I’ll only get $150 trade in if I keep old plan. And the new plan doesn’t have to be more expensive than my current plan. There isn’t anything particularly special about my current plan other than the “potential glitch” that’s been giving me Apple Music. Two ppl at the verizon store (the sales rep and their manager) said nothing on their system showed me getting Apple Music.
My gf got $800 credit for her old 11 pro when she got her 15 pro max a couple weeks ago. It wasn’t til later that we realized she might lose the “free” Apple Music she has been getting as well since she changed plans.

 

[toobravetosave]

Sounds like it doesn’t matter either way since the trade in value is substantially higher than an Apple Music subscription you might not even lose

 

[MBAir2010]

Now Tim Cook – an avid MacRumors user – will immediately suspend your Apple Music subscription and charge you retroactively all the past years you enjoyed for free.

Seriously, I have no idea.

Or, maybe, you are responsible for the recent price hike: Apple spotted the loss (took 4 years and a dozen of accountants) and acted accordingly. Yeah, I know, Apple Music pricing is unchanged ... still, money is money...

thank you for posting this message, I laughed because the reply was original and classic!

 

[JimBanville]

Sounds like it doesn’t matter either way since the trade in value is substantially higher than an Apple Music subscription you might not even lose

I usually keep phones about 4 or 5 yrs, so $120 a year extra for apple Music going into the future if I lose the “glitch” subscription.

 

[toobravetosave]

I usually keep phones about 4 or 5 yrs, so $120 a year extra for apple Music going into the future if I lose the “glitch” subscription.

that’s 6 years of Apple Music so I guess you still come out ahead

 

[JimBanville]

that’s 6 years of Apple Music so I guess you still come out ahead

I guess I look at it as more of a wash than a win.
“If” it’s a Verizon glitch, every year I keep the plan, I’m $120 ahead.

I don’t necessarily “need” a new phone. Yes, everything is some percentage “better” on the 15 than my 11, and a shiny new phone would be nice, but there isn’t anything necessarily wrong the 11 other than battery capacity is at 80%. It still lasts me all day unless it’s one of those days where I’m stuck somewhere with nothing else to do but stay on the phone to kill time. I’m not one to scroll all day like a lot of ppl around me. As is often the case, this desire to get the new thing was inspired by someone close to me getting the new thing. Lol.

I would still like to know, short of asking Apple themselves, why I’m getting (subscribed) to Apple Music (surely they know). It would be helpful if the information was accessible to me as well.

 

[izzy0242mr]

I want to get the iPhone 15, but I’ll have to change my plan and even though the ppl at the Verizon store say my Apple Music isn’t coming from them, I’m concerned changing my plan my trigger something and cut it off.
This is why I’m trying to figure out why I’m getting it for free all this time.

Assuming your current phone is paid off, can you not just buy an unlocked iPhone 15 and manually move your SIM card to the new phone? I swap my SIM between several phones semi-regularly when I travel internationally, and I have never had any issues with that affecting my cellular carrier's plan. I also fully own my devices and don't buy from the carrier.

 

[JimBanville]

Assuming your current phone is paid off, can you not just buy an unlocked iPhone 15 and manually move your SIM card to the new phone? I swap my SIM between several phones semi-regularly when I travel internationally, and I have never had any issues with that affecting my cellular carrier's plan. I also fully own my devices and don't buy from the carrier.

if you read a couple posts back, they’re giving me a $700 credit if I trade in the iPhone 11 from 2019, and I change plans. The plans are not wildly different, nor much more expensive than what I’m paying now.
They’ll only give me $130 (or close to that) for the 11 if I don’t change plans. I wouldn’t get much more than that selling it privately, so the $700 is a huge incentive.
I used to have the old truly unlimited plan that Verizon was trying to get ppl off of, but there isn’t anything special about my current plan other than this potentially free Apple Music “glitch”, that they claim they aren’t even aware of.