Skip to main content

Amazon adds iOS support to Cloud Player in mobile Safari

amazon-cloud-player-launch-screenBack at the end of March, Amazon got the jump on the competition when it launched the Cloud Drive remote data storage service and associated music-streaming Cloud Player. Apple and Google are both working on similar offerings, but Amazon got there first. The launch wasn’t perfect, with Sony making a stink over Amazon not securing the necessary music-streaming licenses and no support for iOS, but the second of those issues at least has now been addressed.

Amazon went in and added iOS support to Cloud Player without telling anyone. There’s no app for that, it only works in mobile Safari, but your music library is at least accessible now from your iPhone and iPad. You can bet that the company is working on a multi-platform app solution too; it’s just good sense.

Cloud Player is confirmed to work on the latest Apple devices, as well as the iPhone 3GS and original iPad, Engadget reports following hands-on testing. The interface mirrors the one you’d see in a proper computer browser and the service works smoothly, provided of course that you have an Internet connection. The player also apparently integrates with the iOS multitasking features, allowing you to play/pause and shuffle through songs while inside a different app. The only downside that Engadget notes is the absence of drag-and-drop playlist editing. Still, iOS support is an important step for Amazon to take if it hopes to keep the new Cloud Player users coming.

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
iOS 18 makes an 11-year-old iPhone feature exciting again
Someone holding an iPhone 14, showing the Lock Screen.

Following the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) keynote, developers are starting to dig into the first iOS 18 developer beta. Though this beta lacks Apple Intelligence and many of the other features demoed on Monday, it offers a surprising new take on an old iOS feature: the flashlight.

The built-in flashlight feature has been available on the iPhone since iOS 7, which was released in 2013. It hasn't changed much at all since then, which makes sense, given its basic function. Interestingly, it has received a significant update in iOS 18.

Read more
The 5 biggest things missing from WWDC 2024
A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and Apple iPhone 15 Plus Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Apple kicked off WWDC 2024 with a bang by introducing big updates to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS 15, and visionOS 2. It even revealed Apple Intelligence, which is its on-device AI across multiple platforms that gives users a much improved Siri and other helpful AI tools. But for as much as Apple did announce, there were plenty of things the company didn't announce. Here are the five biggest missing announcements from WWDC 2024.
An iOS redesign

Read more
How to download iOS 18 on your iPhone right now
The Settings app on an iPhone showing the iOS 18 developer beta.

It's that time again when Apple takes the wraps off its latest major operating system updates along with the first developer previews. This year, Apple showed off iOS 18 at WWDC 2024, which promises some exciting new "Apple Intelligence" AI enhancements for users of Apple's latest iPhone models. That's in addition to a much more customizable home screen experience, some big redesigns for the Control Center and Photos apps, new effects in Messages, and much more.

There's a lot of fun stuff here that you probably can't wait to get your hands on, but keep in mind that we're in the very early developer beta stages right now. The final release of iOS 18 won't likely arrive before September, alongside this year's iPhone 16 models, so the software has a long way to go before it's polished enough to be ready for general consumption.

Read more