Frequently Asked Questions

Muky is a kid-friendly iPhone/iPad app for creating and managing parent-controlled music playlists with Apple Music, Spotify, or local files on your device, plus an offline mode. The app creates a focused, distraction-free audio experience for children.

Muky is compatible with iOS 16 and newer versions on iPhone and iPad. The app also supports older Apple devices like iPhone 8 and iPad (5th generation), allowing you to enjoy the latest features without upgrading your hardware.

Muky allows you to link your playlists with Apple Music or Spotify playlists and sync their content with just one tap. You can instantly update tracks from your Apple Music or Spotify playlists and save them for offline use.

Yes. Muky offers an offline mode, and it is included for everyone, no subscription needed: after you create and sync your playlists, you can enjoy music and audiobooks without an internet connection. And with the Local Files source, your own music and audiobooks always play straight from the device - no connection needed at all.

Muky provides comprehensive parental controls with password protection, guided access, and a kid-friendly audio player. Exiting the audio player mode requires the password set by parents, ensuring children cannot simply exit the app.

Yes, since Muky 5.1.0. Turn it on per profile in the player settings once an exit password is set. Muky accepts only Face ID or Touch ID, never the device passcode, because many kids know it, and the exit password always works as a fallback. If a face or fingerprint is added on the device later, Face ID or Touch ID stops unlocking the player until you turn it on again. Only enable it if no child's face or fingerprint is saved on the device.

You can create custom playlists with your choice of songs, albums, or audiobooks. The app offers a user-friendly drag & drop interface for organizing music. Customize each playlist with your own images, emojis, or pick cover artwork directly from your tracks. With multiple profiles, each child gets their own playlists and settings.

The kid-friendly audio player features enhanced playback controls with shuffle mode, AirPlay support, progress bar with scrubbing controls, auto-stop timer for bedtime stories, and Freeze Dance mode with configurable timing. Choose between cover grid, scrollable track list with title, artist and duration, or both views with a toggle. Now with offline playback for on-the-go listening.

Yes, Muky offers backup and restore functionality. Easily backup your playlist data, profiles, and settings by exporting backup files to any location. Import backup files to restore your playlists, profiles, and all per-profile settings.

It's super easy: First create your own Spotify app in your Spotify Developer account so Muky can connect. Then open Account > Music Service > Spotify for a step‑by‑step guide, enter your Client ID and Client secret, and tap 'Connect to Spotify'. Be sure that Spotify is installed on your device. You may want to lock Spotify so kids can't access it.

To download titles for offline use, use the download button in the Spotify app or let them download automatically.

This happens when your Spotify authentication token expires. Muky will automatically try to refresh your connection and re-authenticate. If you still see this error, go to Account > Music Service > Spotify to reconnect your account.

IMPORTANT: Muky may need to open the Spotify app briefly to re-authenticate when your token expires. In Guided Access mode, this happens in the background and is not visible to children. This is normal behavior and ensures uninterrupted music access.

Since Muky needs to access Spotify for music, you may want to lock the Spotify app so children can't access it directly. This ensures they only use Spotify through Muky's controlled interface.

IMPORTANT: Spotify's Web API has strict limitations that prevent Muky from providing a general app. The API requires each app to have its own credentials and limits development mode apps to 25 users. While this means users need to create their own Spotify app, it actually provides better security, privacy, and control over their music data. This approach ensures your music data stays private and you have full control over your Spotify integration, rather than sharing credentials with a general Muky app.

Muky offers two subscription plans: Individual for $1.99/month or $19.99/year, and Family for $3.99/month or $39.99/year, both with unlimited playlists and tracks. The Family plan can be shared with up to 6 family members. New users get the first week free. If you prefer to pay once, there is also Lifetime for $59.99 and Family Lifetime for $99.99, both including all future updates. Offline playback is included for everyone. Prices may vary by region.

Subscriptions are managed through the App Store. Simply download Muky from the App Store, open the app, and follow the prompts to start your free trial. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Prefer a one-time purchase? See the Lifetime question below.

Yes! All new users get the first week free when they subscribe to either the Individual or Family plan. You can cancel anytime during the trial period without being charged.

With the Family plan, your subscription can be shared with up to six family members through Apple's Family Sharing feature. Each family member gets full access to all premium features including unlimited playlists and tracks. Family Lifetime can be shared the same way.

Yes, you can cancel your subscription anytime through your App Store account settings. If you cancel during your free trial, you won't be charged. If you cancel after being charged, you'll continue to have access until the end of your billing period. This applies to subscriptions only, a Lifetime purchase has nothing to cancel.

No, Muky does not collect any personal data. Your privacy is our priority. The app ensures a secure and private experience without data collection.

Muky is multilingual and supports English and German. You can seamlessly switch between languages and use the app in your preferred language.

Yes, Muky offers a Dark Mode for a sleek, modern look that's easy on the eyes and perfect for low-light environments.

Yes, you can effortlessly create a demo playlist! This showcases a selection of tracks that demonstrate the app's features and user-friendly interface.

Yes, Muky remembers exactly where you left off. You can continue your music or audiobook session right where you paused it.

Freeze Dance mode adds musical fun and games with configurable timing! Music plays and pauses randomly while kids freeze in place. Fine-tune play and pause durations with dual-thumb range sliders to match your kids' level.

Yes, you can set an auto-stop timer that automatically stops playback. Perfect for bedtime stories or music sessions with time limits.

Artworks are cached for offline usage and lightning-fast loading. Caching runs automatically in the background or can be manually triggered and cleaned as needed for optimal performance.

Yes, you can start the app directly in the audio player for a quick and easy music experience, perfect for kids. This enables seamless and fun listening without detours.

You can share any playlist by generating a QR code within the app. Others can scan this QR code with their device to instantly import the playlist into their Muky app. It's perfect for sharing audiobooks between family devices or swapping favorite music with friends – no complicated setup needed.

The Browse tab is where you discover hand-picked albums and audiobooks perfect for kids. Its home greets you with a featured stage of rotating highlights and themed collections, plus a searchable album grid with sorting. You can preview tracks before adding them and import entire albums with one tap. The content is regularly updated with fresh selections.

In the search results, you can now select multiple songs and albums at once using Multi-Select mode. Simply tap the items you want to add, then add them all to your playlist in one go. This makes building playlists much faster.

Haptic feedback provides subtle vibrations when you interact with buttons, tabs, and player controls, making the app feel more responsive. If you prefer not to have these vibrations, you can disable haptic feedback in the app settings.

Create a profile for each child with their own playlists and independent settings. Each profile has its own password, theme, auto-stop timer, and audio player preferences. Switch between profiles instantly with a long-press on the Account tab. Move playlists between profiles anytime, and when deleting a profile, choose to move or remove its playlists. Profiles are included in backups for easy restore.

Cover List Mode lets you choose how the audio player displays tracks: artwork grid, scrollable track list with title, artist and duration, or both views with a toggle to switch between them. Each profile can set its own preferred display mode.

The Cover Picker lets you set your playlist cover by choosing from existing track artworks. It shows a grid of all unique album covers from your playlist, ready to pick with one tap.

Search results show an "E" indicator next to explicit tracks and albums for both Apple Music and Spotify, so you can spot them before adding to your kids' playlists.

Yes! Muky works with CarPlay so your kids can listen to their playlists on the road. Browse playlists, switch between profiles, see track artwork and duration, and resume right where you left off - all from your car's display. CarPlay currently works with Apple Music.

CarPlay currently supports Apple Music only. Spotify support for CarPlay is not available at this time. You can still use Spotify playlists in the Muky app on your iPhone and iPad.

Yes! Muky now supports Local Files as a music source. Add folders of music or audiobooks stored on your device or in iCloud Drive, and Muky scans them for titles and artwork - no streaming subscription required. You can search your local tracks and add them to playlists just like Apple Music or Spotify. Local files play on the device with lock-screen controls. Note that CarPlay currently works with Apple Music only.

Yes. The music source is now set per profile, so each child can use Apple Music, Spotify, or Local Files independently on the same device. When you update from an earlier version, every profile keeps the source you used before, so nothing changes unless you switch it.

Not necessarily. To stream from Apple Music or Spotify you need an active subscription with that service. But with the Local Files source you can play music and audiobooks stored on your device or in iCloud Drive without any streaming account. Muky Premium (a subscription or Lifetime) unlocks unlimited playlists and unlimited tracks.

Lifetime is a one-time purchase of $59.99 instead of a subscription. You pay once and Muky is yours forever, including all future updates. It unlocks unlimited playlists and tracks for you. Lifetime itself is not shared with Family Sharing, for that see Family Lifetime. Prices may vary by region.

Family Lifetime is a one-time purchase of $99.99 that you can share with up to six family members through Apple's Family Sharing, including all future updates. If you already own Lifetime, you can upgrade to Family Lifetime for $39.99. If you are currently subscribed, you can switch to Lifetime or Family Lifetime at any time. Cancel the subscription in your iPhone's Settings under your name > Subscriptions so it does not renew. Muky keeps working until the end of the period you already paid for.

Yes. With skip control you can block skipping completely or unlock it only after a delay (a set listening time). You set it per profile and can override it for single playlists, for example to let audiobooks run uninterrupted. Skip control applies inside the Muky player only. It does not cover the lock screen, Control Center, headphones, or CarPlay.

Yes. The listening history shows per profile which songs were played, in which playlist, for how long, and whether they were skipped. It is stored only on your device. It is never sent anywhere, not part of iCloud sync, and not included in device backups. When you export a Muky backup, you can choose to include it. By default entries are deleted after 30 days. In Account > Listening history you can choose 90 days, 1 year or never delete, turn recording off, or delete the history of one or all profiles. Deleting a profile or the app deletes its history too. Kids never see it in the player.

Yes. In Apple Music or Spotify, tap Share on a song, album, or playlist and choose Muky. You pick an existing playlist or create a new one, and Muky adds the content automatically. The share extension is part of the parent area, so the player password does not protect it, and it never appears for kids in the player.

Yes. Hide a playlist in the player and your kids will no longer see it, while its tracks and settings stay untouched. You can show it again anytime from the parent area.

Muky shows a small notice in the parent area when a newer version is in the App Store, so you do not miss fixes and features if automatic updates are off. Your kids never see it in the player. To do this, Muky asks the App Store for the latest version number at most once a day. See the privacy policy for details.

Yes, this is fixed in Muky 5.0.0. Some playlists imported from your Apple Music library could play the wrong songs or miss downloaded songs offline. If a library playlist still misbehaves after updating, delete it in Muky and import it again, and the songs will match correctly. Write to hi@muky.app if anything is still off.