How to See Recently Played on Apple Music

Apple Music keeps tracks of everything you’ve played, whether it’s a single song, a full album, or an entire playlist. So, don’t worry if you heard something great on Apple Music but forgot to add it to your own library. Chances are, it’s still in your Recently Played of the Apple Music app.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to see your Recently Played on Apple Music, whether you’re using iPhone, Android, Mac, or Windows. You’ll also find out what to do when the history disappears or stops updating and how to clean it up if needed. And if you want to keep a permanent copy of your Apple Music favorites, we’ll also show you how to back up your Recently Played in MP3 format using StreamFox for Music.

Apple keeps your play history for as long as your subscription is active and often for up to two years after it ends. Even if you listen Apple Music offline, your activity is stored locally and synced back once you’re online again.

Here’s how to check Apple Music’s Recently Played on both mobile and desktop.

For Recently Played Songs

When you listen to a playlist or album on Apple Music, they will simply appear as individual songs in your listening history without showing which playlist or album they came from.

You also won’t see exact timestamps for when each track was played either. Still, the app does keep a straightforward list of songs you’ve recently heard, in order.

Let’s start with how to view this list on the mobile app and then we’ll move on to the steps for desktop.

Steps on iPhone/Android

To view this list on your phone, you can use the Now Playing screen. This works the same on both iOS and Android, giving you a quick way to revisit what you’ve recently played. Here’s how:

Step 1. Open the Apple Music app on your device.

Step 2. Tap on the Listen Now tab or start playing any track.

Step 3. On the Now Playing portion of the screen, tap the Up Next icon — three horizontal lines stacked at the bottom right.

Step 4. You’ll first see what’s queued up for playing next. To access your listening history, scroll upwards.

As you do, the section label changes from Up Next to History, confirming you’re now seeing previous tracks. Keep swiping up to reveal more. The most recently played songs appear first and older ones show up further up the list.

Steps on Windows/Mac

Even if you’ve already checked your listening history on mobile, Apple Music doesn’t sync playback records properly between devices. So, if you want a more complete view, checking on a Mac or Windows app helps.

The process on the desktop is almost the same, just with a slightly different layout. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Open the Apple Music app on your Mac or Windows PC.

Step 2. At the top, click the Listen Now tab. Look for the Up Next icon (three stacked lines). 

Step 3. Click it and a side panel will slide out. You’ll see two options: Up Next and History.

Step 4. Hit History to view your playback list. Your most recent songs appear at the top while the older tracks load as you navigate down.

For Recently Played Playlists/Albums

Apple Music, whether on mobile or desktop, keeps track of the last 40 albums or playlists you’ve played. It’s a rolling history: once something new is added, the oldest item drops off. These items simply show up as bold tiles under the Recently Played row on your Home screen. However, you can’t see which songs you have played from the album/playlist via Recently Played section. 

Still, to make it easier for first-time users, we’ll walk through how to spot it， both on phone and desktop.

Steps on iPhone/Android

Step 1. Launch the Apple Music app and stay on the Home tab.

Step 2. Scroll down until you spot the Recently Played row. Tap the small right arrow beside the heading to open the full list.

Steps on Windows/Mac

On the desktop, it’s even easier.

Step 1. Open the Apple Music app and click the Home menu from the sidebar. You’ll see the Recently Played tag right away.

Step 2. Click the Recently Played heading to expand the complete list.

The Recently Played section simply appears on the Home screen, based on your most recent activity.

No matter what device you’re using, first make sure Use Listening History is turned on in your settings, which is essential for your Recently Played section and listening history to show up properly.

However, if the section still doesn’t show up with the option on or if it has disappeared entirely, here are the ways to bring it back.

Way 1. Reinstall the Apple Music app

If Recently Played isn’t showing up on your phone, reinstall the Apple Music app from your device, whether that’s iPhone(iOS 14 or later) or Android. That’ll make sure you’re running the most current version, which usually solves these small interface bugs. The same goes for Windows users, you can remove the app completely or just check for a newer update inside the Microsoft store.

Needless to say, macOS users can’t uninstall the Apple Music app, but just make sure you’re on the latest version of macOS.

Way 2. Request Music Data from Apple

You can also request a full copy of your listening data from Apple. This is also useful, as Apple keeps a record of your listening history and downloading it will give you far more detail than what you see in the app. You can make such a request, even after your subscription ends.

With the listening data, you’ll be able to see which songs were played, on which device, and the exact time they were played, which the regular mobile or desktop view doesn’t provide.

Here’s how to request it:

Step 1. Go to privacy.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID.

Step 2. Choose Request a copy of your data.

Step 3. On the next page, check the box for Apple Media Services Information. You can include other categories if needed, but this one holds your music history.

Step 4. Hit Continue. Then confirm the file size and the default 1 GB is fine for most users.

Step 5. Select Complete request.

Apple will email you within 7 days when the data is ready to download. The file Apple sends will be in .CSV format which you can easily open using Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet viewer.

Way 3. Use Stats.fm Tool

You can also use third-party apps like Stats.fm, which recently added support for Apple Music. It’s not flawless, but it does let you connect your Apple account and see your real-time streaming history. However, you’ll need a premium Stats.fm account to unlock the full experience, especially your complete history.

• Start by downloading Stats.fm from the App Store or Play Store.
• In the Overview tab, you’ll find options for both Spotify and Apple Music. Tap Connect, sign in with your Apple ID, and authorize the link.
• From that point on, everything you stream will be recorded live in Stats.fm.

Some listeners clear their listening activity to reset their recommendations, while others just want to remove old clutter.

That said, Apple hasn’t clarified whether clearing Recently Played content directly affects your algorithm or just what’s shown on-screen. Still, it’s a simple way to start fresh.

We’ll cover the steps to remove individual songs and then playlists and albums, both on phone and desktop.

For Recently Played Songs

When it comes to clearing recently played songs, you get more control on the computer which enables you to remove individual tracks from your playback history. On mobile, though, there’s only a single option: clear all.

So whether you’re just tidying up or want a fresh listening slate, here’s how to do it.

On iPhone/Android

Step 1. Tap the three-line icon in the bottom-right corner of the Now Playing screen. This will open the Up Next & History panel.

Step 2. Tap Clear in the top-right corner. A confirmation will pop up. Hit Clear History to remove all tracks from the list.

On Windows/Mac

Clearing individual tracks from your history can be useful when you’re listening to your old plays. You can also wipe the entire section in one click — it’s your call. Here’s how to do both on the Apple Music’s desktop app.

Just head back to the History panel using the three-line Up Next icon. From there:

• To remove a single track: right-click the song and select Remove from History.
• To clear your entire history at once: tap Clear at the bottom of the panel.

For Recently Played Playlists/Albums

As mentioned, the Recently Played displaying playlists and albums follow a rolling system. Simply put, newer items push out the older ones automatically. There’s no manual way to remove specific entries from this list. A practical workaround is to simply play other content to refresh what shows up.

Keep in mind: removing a playlist or album from your library won’t remove it from Recently Played. That section has its own memory.

Apple Music’s Recently Played section doesn’t last forever. Older songs get pushed out fast, never to be seen again. So, to keep your favorites safe and build a personal archive, the better move is to save them to your device. That’s exactly what StreamFox for Music is built for.

StreamFox is an all-in-one music converter that lets you save any song, playlist, or album from Apple Music right to your local computer. This software comes with a built-in Apple Music player, so you can log into your account, browse your Recently Played section, and convert them in MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAC, or other formats. StreamFox also ensures that each playlist or album you convert gets saved in its own folder, with names and track order preserved, providing you with the same experience on Apple Music. 

StreamFox for Music

• Every converted song keeps full details, such as title, artist name, album name, and cover art.
• Batch conversions at 10X speed helps save your entire library fast.
• ODSMRT tech preserves high-quality sound for Apple Music, with options for 320/256/128 kbps.
• Also work with Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, Deezer and Amazon Music.

Download Download

Steps to Convert Recently Played Apple Music to MP3 as Backup

Click the Mac or Windows installer above to download and install StreamFox for Music on your computer. Once installed, launch the tool, and follow these steps:

Step 1. On the main screen, select Apple Music as your streaming platform.

Step 2. Sign in with your Apple ID.

Step 3. From your Recently Played list, drag albums or playlists you want to convert into the red Add (+) button at the top right.

Step 4. After your selection appears in the Converting tab, choose your desired format (MP3, FLAC, AAC, etc) and hit Convert All to save the tracks.

You’ll find your converted files inside the StreamFox folder on Downloads category of your Mac or Windows computer. You can move them to other devices and play them via third-party audio players.

While Recently Played shows what you’ve listened to (whether or not it’s saved), the Recently Added section focuses only on the songs, albums, or playlists you’ve manually added to your library. This includes purchases, uploads (like StreamFox converted songs synced to your iOS device), or anything added via iCloud. Even if you haven’t played them yet, they’ll show up here.

On Apple Music mobile, the Recently Added section displays only around 60 items. On Apple Music desktop, however, you get a fuller view, including basic timestamps (just dates and months) for when each item was added.

As for the mobile app’s Library screen, your recently added songs are organized into categories like Playlists, Artists, Albums, and Songs. Each of these tabs includes a filter called Recently Added, letting you browse your latest additions by type.

Wrap Up

You now know exactly how to check your Recently Played content on Apple Music, whether it’s individual songs, full albums, or playlists, and whether you’re on mobile or desktop.

StreamFox for Music makes it simple to convert any item like Recently Played or your full library and save it to your computer in MP3, FLAC, AAC, or other open formats. So, you can build your offline collection and play anytime, on any device, for as long as you like.