iOS 18 has a secret Apple Music feature that no one is talking about

iOS 18 is full of new features. However, it doesn’t seem like Apple Music is getting much attention. Recently, BGR found five new Apple Music features coming to iOS 18, many of which you probably had no idea were available this fall.

With that in mind, there’s another secret Apple Music feature coming to iOS 18 that no one’s talking about: Smart Crossfade. At the moment, Apple hasn’t yet added a new button to enable the feature or an explanation of how it works, but it’s there.

If you remember, Apple added crosstalk between Apple Music songs in iOS 17. Now, the company is expanding this feature to make it even smoother. For example, when a song is about to end, Apple can mix it into the next song, so it creates a very interesting transition.

While not every song will have a cool transition, some of them start right after the last word is sung. A mix between two different melodies is also possible. Thankfully, Apple Music is careful not to create a transition that doesn’t exist when you’re listening The Beatles‘ Abbey Road side B, for example, so you can have the real experience of listening to the LP.

Currently, it looks like the smart shuffle feature works if you enable the interface in the Music app settings. Apple also allows you to choose the length of the transition from one to 12 seconds, although I noticed that even when choosing a single second, the transition can start earlier.

In addition to this hidden Apple Music feature in iOS 18, Apple is also bringing the following additions to its streaming service:

• Musical haptics: Apple Music has a breakthrough feature coming to iOS 18. With Music Haptics, Apple brings a new way for users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music on iPhone. The company explains: “With this feature enabled, the Taptic Engine on iPhone plays refined taps, textures and vibrations in music audio.”
• InSight on Apple TV+: This feature displays real-time information about actors, characters and music from Apple TV+ movies and shows on the screen in real time. Users can select an actor to view their background and filmography page or quickly view the song playing in a scene and add it to an Apple Music playlist.

Below, you can learn more about the new features coming to Apple Music in iOS 18.