How to Turn Off the Music During an iPhone Picture Slideshow

To turn off the music during an iPhone picture slideshow, tap the screen while the slideshow is playing, then tap the Mute button (the speaker icon). The photos keep playing without the song. If you only dislike the track, tap Customize > Music > Choose Song to swap it instead.

These steps match iOS 27 and Apple’s guide to making a slideshow. Photos sets every slideshow to music, so you mute each one while it plays. iOS 26 and iOS 18 use different menu names, covered below.

What You Need Before You Start

• An iPhone with the Photos app. The main steps below match iOS 27. To see your version, open Settings, tap General, then tap Software Update, where Apple shows the installed version of iOS.
• At least one photo or video in your library. A slideshow can be built from items you pick, or from a whole album or collection.
• A slideshow that is actually playing. The Mute and Customize controls only appear after you start the slideshow and tap the screen.

How to Start a Slideshow on iPhone (iOS 27)

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap Select, then tap each photo or video you want to include. A checkmark shows what is selected.
4. Tap the More button (the three dots), then tap Start Slideshow.

The slideshow begins right away, with a song Photos picked for you. To play a whole album instead, tap Collections, open any album or collection, tap the More button, and tap Start Slideshow.

How to Turn Off the Slideshow Music

1. While the slideshow is playing, tap anywhere on the screen. The playback controls appear over your photos.
2. Tap the Mute button, which looks like a speaker.
3. Tap the screen again, or wait, and keep watching.

How to confirm it worked: the song stops while the pictures keep changing. To undo it, tap the screen and tap the same speaker button again; the music should come back.

Every slideshow starts with music, so tap Mute again the next time.

Silence a Slideshow With the Volume Buttons

If you cannot find the Mute button, or you are on an older version of iOS, turning the media volume all the way down has the same effect for your audience. Apple’s guide to adjusting the volume on iPhone explains that the volume buttons control media volume while audio is playing, and Apple’s page on the iPhone side buttons and controls says the volume buttons adjust the volume for music, videos, and games.

1. Start the slideshow so the music is playing.
2. Press the volume down button on the side of the iPhone until the on-screen volume indicator is empty.
3. Alternatively, open Control Center and drag the volume slider to the bottom. The steps for using Control Center on iPhone show how to open it on every model.

One thing to know before you rely on this: it lowers the volume for other media too, such as videos and music apps. Press volume up when the slideshow is over.

Why Silent mode doesn’t do it: Apple describes Silent mode, set with the Ring/Silent switch or the Action button, as the setting that makes your iPhone vibrate for incoming calls and alerts. It is meant for calls and alerts, so use the Mute button or the volume buttons for slideshow music instead.

How to Change the Slideshow Music Instead

If you like having a soundtrack but not the one Photos chose, tap the screen while the slideshow plays and use Customize:

• Choose a song: Tap Customize, tap Music, then tap Choose Song.
• Change the pace: Tap Customize, then Transition & Duration to change the transition style, speed and time per slide.
• Repeat it: Tap Customize, then Loop to play the slideshow over and over.

For memory movies, you can choose from memory soundtracks or suggested songs, and Apple Music subscribers can also browse the Apple Music library. For full control over the audio, build the video yourself and add music to it with iMovie.

Slideshow Music in iOS 26 and iOS 18

On an iPhone that has not been updated to iOS 27, the slideshow feature works, but the names are different.

1. Open Photos. In iOS 18, swipe down to see the photo grid first.
2. Tap Select, then tap each photo you want.
3. Tap the More button, then tap Play as Slideshow.

To silence it, tap the screen and tap the Mute (speaker) button if it appears. If it doesn’t, use the volume buttons. To change the song, use the memory music controls.

Task	iOS 27	iOS 26 and iOS 18
Start	Select > More > Start Slideshow	Select > More > Play as Slideshow
Turn off music	Tap the screen, then Mute	Mute button if shown, or volume down
Change song	Customize > Music > Choose Song	Memory music controls
Repeat	Customize > Loop	Not listed on Apple’s slideshow page

How to Mute a Memory Movie

A memory movie is a short video that Photos assembles from a memory, album or collection and sets to music. It is separate from a slideshow you start yourself, but it has the same problem if you want quiet. Apple’s guide to playing memory movies gives these steps:

1. In Photos, tap Collections.
2. Swipe left under Memories, or tap Memories to see them all.
3. Tap the Play button in the bottom-right corner of a memory.
4. Tap the screen, then tap the Mute button.

The memory keeps playing without its soundtrack. To give it a different song instead, tap the screen, tap Customize, tap Music, then tap Change Song, as described on Apple’s page about personalizing memory movies. If memories about holidays are missing, turn on holiday events in the Memories section of the Photos app.

If Music Starts When You Open Photos

Music that plays as soon as you open the Photos app usually comes from a memory movie or featured memory, not from a slideshow you started. Your photos are not changed; Photos only plays them as a video with a soundtrack. You have three choices:

• Mute it now: tap the playing memory, then tap the Mute button, as in the memory movie steps above.
• Lower the volume first: press volume down before you open Photos if you often browse in quiet places.
• Hide the Memories collection: choose which collections show, using the steps in Customize the Photos app on iPhone. In iOS 18, scroll to the bottom of Photos, tap Customize and Reorder, and turn off Memories. Hiding the collection doesn’t delete any memories.

If videos in your library also start playing on their own, you can disable video autoplay in the Photos app.

Share or Show a Slideshow on Your TV

• Share: Tap the screen, tap the More button, tap Share, then pick an option such as Messages or Mail.
• Play on a TV: Tap the More button, tap AirPlay, then pick your Apple TV or other AirPlay device. To show a single picture, here is how to AirPlay an iPhone picture to your Apple TV.

If you want a silent slideshow on the TV, mute it on the iPhone first. If you still hear the song, turn down the volume on the TV as well.

Using a Roku instead of an Apple TV? Here’s how to view iPhone pictures on a Roku.

Troubleshooting

• No Mute button appears. The controls hide during playback. Tap the screen once and look for the speaker icon. If it is not there, your iPhone may be on an older version of iOS; use the volume buttons.
• There is no Start Slideshow option. In iOS 26 and iOS 18 it is called Play as Slideshow. Also make sure you tapped Select and chose at least one item before opening the More menu.
• There is no Customize button. That label is from iOS 27. Check for an update in Settings > General > Software Update, or use the memory music controls in your version.
• The music is back the next time. That is expected, since Photos sets each slideshow to music. Tap Mute again.
• Everything on the iPhone is quiet afterward. You probably lowered the media volume. Play something and press volume up.
• The Ring/Silent switch didn’t stop the song. Silent mode is for calls and alerts. Use Mute or volume down.
• Photos plays music the moment it opens. That is a memory, not your slideshow. See the section on music when you open Photos above.

Frequently Asked Questions