Lossless Audio on iPhone & iPad: How to Enable It

Apple Music can play lossless audio on iPhone and iPad, which means you hear the music file exactly as the artist and engineer intended, with no compression artifacts. This guide walks you through turning on lossless playback, choosing the right quality setting, and getting the hardware you need to actually hear the difference.

What You’ll Need

An iPhone or iPad with iOS/iPadOS 14.6 or later
An active Apple Music subscription (lossless is not available on the free tier)
Wired headphones or speakers — Bluetooth does not carry lossless audio
A Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter (if your device has no headphone jack) or a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for newer iPads
Sufficient storage space — lossless files are much larger than standard AAC files

Step-by-Step

Update your device. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any pending updates. Lossless requires iOS/iPadOS 14.6 or later.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Scroll down and tap Music. This is the settings panel for the Apple Music app.
Tap Audio Quality — it’s near the top of the Music settings, under the “Playback” heading.
Turn on Lossless Audio by tapping the toggle. When it’s green, lossless is enabled.
Choose your quality settings. You’ll see separate options for Wi-Fi Streaming, Cellular Streaming, and Downloads. For each one, pick:
- Lossless (up to 24-bit/48 kHz) — the standard lossless option, good for most listeners and uses less data than the next tier.
- Hi-Res Lossless (up to 24-bit/192 kHz) — the highest quality, but files are very large and require a compatible external DAC to fully benefit.
Set the same quality for downloads if you want offline listening in lossless. Tap Downloads and select Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless.
Plug in wired headphones. Use the Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter (included with older iPhones) or a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. The built-in speaker and Bluetooth headphones will not play lossless.
Open Apple Music and play any song. If the track is available in lossless, you’ll see the text “Lossless” or “Hi-Res Lossless” next to the song title in the Now Playing screen.
Re-download any existing music. Songs you downloaded before enabling lossless are still in the old AAC format. Delete them and download again to get the lossless versions.

Common Mistakes

Using Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth (including AirPods) compresses audio and cannot transmit lossless. You must use wired connections to hear the difference.
Forgetting to re-download. Existing downloads stay in the old format until you remove and re-add them.
Enabling Hi-Res Lossless without a DAC. The iPhone’s internal DAC only supports up to 24-bit/48 kHz. Hi-Res Lossless (above 48 kHz) is downsampled unless you use an external digital-to-analog converter.
Not checking the “Lossless” label. Not every track on Apple Music is available in lossless. If you don’t see the label, the song is still in AAC.
Confusing lossless with high-res. Lossless (48 kHz) is already a big step up from AAC. Hi-Res is a further step but requires extra hardware.

Tips

Start with standard Lossless, not Hi-Res. For most people and most headphones, the difference between 48 kHz and 192 kHz is inaudible. Standard Lossless uses less storage and battery.
Check your storage. A 3-minute song in Lossless is roughly 30–40 MB; in Hi-Res Lossless it can be 100–150 MB. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much space you have.
Use Wi-Fi for downloads. Hi-Res Lossless files are large and can quickly eat your cellular data allowance.
Use a good pair of wired headphones. Lossless can’t fix poor headphones. A decent wired pair will reveal the improved clarity, especially in cymbals, reverb tails, and background detail.
Turn off Sound Check if you want pure output. Sound Check normalizes volume and can slightly alter the signal. It’s not destructive, but purists turn it off.

Troubleshooting

I don’t see the Audio Quality option. Make sure your device is on iOS/iPadOS 14.6 or later. Also confirm that you’re signed in with an active Apple Music subscription — the option is hidden for non-subscribers.
No “Lossless” label appears next to songs. First, check that the Lossless toggle is on. Then check the specific album — some older or independent releases are only available in AAC. Try a recent, well-known album to test.
It sounds the same as before. You’re likely using Bluetooth headphones or the built-in speaker. Plug in wired headphones. Also, the difference is subtle on cheap earbuds — try a higher-quality wired pair.
Hi-Res Lossless songs skip or stutter. This usually means your connection or device can’t handle the 192 kHz stream. Drop the Wi-Fi Streaming setting back to standard Lossless, or download the song first and play it offline.
Downloads are still showing as AAC. Delete the song from your library, then re-download it. The new download should show the Lossless label.
My external DAC isn’t recognized. Make sure it’s a class-compliant USB DAC and that you’re using the correct adapter (USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to Lightning). Some DACs need their own power source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does lossless audio work with AirPods?
No. AirPods and all Bluetooth headphones use compressed codecs (AAC or SBC) that cannot carry lossless audio. You need wired headphones for lossless playback.

What’s the difference between Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless?
Lossless is up to 24-bit/48 kHz, which is CD quality. Hi-Res Lossless goes up to 24-bit/192 kHz. The iPhone’s built-in DAC can only output up to 48 kHz, so Hi-Res requires an external DAC to hear its full quality.

Will lossless audio use more cellular data?
Yes. A lossless track streams at roughly 1.5 Mbps, compared to about 256 kbps for standard AAC. A 3-minute song is about 30–40 MB in lossless, vs. about 6 MB in AAC.

Do I need to buy special cables?
If your iPhone has a Lightning port, you need the Apple Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter or a Lightning-to-USB-C adapter for a DAC. If you have an iPhone 15 or later with USB-C, a standard USB-C to 3.5mm adapter works.

Does lossless work on the iPhone’s built-in speaker?
The speaker plays whatever audio the system sends it, but the speaker itself is low-fidelity. You won’t hear any benefit. Lossless matters most with high-quality wired headphones or a good stereo system.

Can I tell the difference between AAC and lossless?
On good wired headphones, many people can hear improved detail, especially in high frequencies and complex passages. On standard earbuds or in noisy environments, the difference is often imperceptible.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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