If you’ve had your iPhone 5 for a while, chances are your Music app has built up a few playlists you no longer listen to. Whether you want to clear out old playlists, fix duplicates, or make space for new ones, deleting them is quick and easy.
This complete guide explains how to delete a playlist on the iPhone 5, step-by-step — including different methods using the Music app, iTunes, and even Apple Music (if available).
Understanding Playlists on iPhone 5
A playlist is simply a custom collection of songs you’ve arranged in the Music app. These playlists can be:
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Created directly on your iPhone, or
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Synced from iTunes on your computer.
👉 Important Note:
Deleting a playlist does not delete the songs from your iPhone — it only removes the playlist itself (the group of songs).
Method 1: Delete a Playlist Directly on iPhone 5 (Music App)
This is the easiest and fastest way to delete a playlist directly from your device.
🔹 Steps:
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Open the Music app on your iPhone 5.
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Tap on the Playlists tab at the bottom of the screen.
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Scroll to find the playlist you want to delete.
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Swipe left on the playlist name.
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Tap Delete.
That’s it! The playlist disappears from your list immediately.
💡 Tip:
Deleting a playlist won’t remove the individual songs from your music library — they’ll still be available under the Songs, Albums, or Artists tabs.
Method 2: Delete a Playlist Using iTunes on Your Computer
If your iPhone is synced with iTunes, you can delete playlists through iTunes and then sync your phone again to update changes.
🔹 Steps:
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Connect your iPhone 5 to your computer via USB cable.
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Open iTunes (make sure it’s up to date).
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In iTunes, click the Music icon or select your device.
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Go to the Playlists section under Library or On My Device.
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Find the playlist you want to delete.
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Right-click (or Control-click) the playlist name.
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Select Delete from Library (or simply press Delete on your keyboard).
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Click Sync to update your iPhone.
After syncing, the deleted playlist will be removed from your iPhone automatically.
Method 3: Delete a Playlist from Apple Music (If Available)
If your iPhone 5 is running iOS 8.4 or later and has Apple Music, you can remove playlists directly from your Apple Music library.
🔹 Steps:
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Open the Music app.
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Tap Library → Playlists.
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Find the playlist you want to delete.
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Tap and hold (long-press) the playlist name.
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Tap Delete from Library or Remove.
This removes the playlist from your iCloud Music Library as well, so it will disappear from all devices connected to the same Apple ID.
Method 4: Remove Synced Playlists from iTunes Library
If you’ve synced playlists from your computer before, deleting them on your iPhone alone might not work — they’ll just reappear after the next sync.
In that case, delete them from iTunes itself.
🔹 Steps:
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Open iTunes on your computer.
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Go to the Music Library → Playlists section.
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Right-click the unwanted playlist and choose Delete.
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Connect your iPhone and go to the Music tab in the device menu.
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Under Sync Music, make sure Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres is checked.
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Uncheck the playlist you deleted.
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Click Apply or Sync.
Now, the unwanted playlist will be removed from your iPhone.
Troubleshooting Playlist Deletion Issues
If the playlist doesn’t disappear even after deletion, try these solutions:
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Playlist reappears after syncing | It’s synced from iTunes | Delete from iTunes, then resync |
| Playlist not deleting | Software glitch | Restart iPhone and try again |
| Playlist greyed out | Managed by iCloud Music Library | Turn off iCloud Music Library, then delete manually |
| Playlist missing delete option | Corrupt sync | Unsync Music in iTunes, then resync fresh |
Tips for Managing Music and Storage on iPhone 5
Since the iPhone 5 has limited storage (16–64 GB), managing your music helps keep it running smoothly.
💡 Handy Tips:
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Delete songs you don’t listen to: Go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Music.
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Use iTunes Match or Apple Music to stream instead of storing songs locally.
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Organize playlists by mood or activity to keep your music clean and easy to navigate.
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Regularly sync with iTunes to keep playlists consistent across devices.
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Back up your playlists via iTunes or iCloud if you’re planning to reset or update your phone.
FAQs
1. Will deleting a playlist delete the songs?
No — songs remain in your music library. Only the playlist (the collection) is removed.
2. Can I recover a deleted playlist?
If it was synced from iTunes, yes — just resync it.
If deleted directly on iPhone, you can’t recover it unless you backed up your device before deletion.
3. Why can’t I delete a playlist on my iPhone 5?
It might be synced from iTunes or managed by iCloud. Delete it from iTunes or turn off iCloud Music Library.
4. Can I delete multiple playlists at once?
Not directly on the iPhone, but you can remove multiple playlists at once through iTunes.
5. Do I need Apple Music to delete playlists?
No. You can delete playlists using the regular Music app — Apple Music is optional.
Conclusion
Deleting playlists on your iPhone 5 is quick and easy — whether you do it through the Music app or iTunes.
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For simple deletions, swipe left in the Music app.
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For synced playlists, delete them in iTunes and then sync your device.
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If using Apple Music, simply remove them from your library.
Keep your iPhone’s Music app clean, organized, and storage-efficient by regularly removing old playlists you no longer use.
✅ Key Takeaways
| Action | Method |
|---|---|
| Delete a playlist directly | Swipe left in Music app |
| Remove synced playlists | Delete from iTunes, then sync |
| Delete iCloud playlists | Remove from Apple Music |
| Avoid reappearing playlists | Unsync or update iTunes |
| Keep library tidy | Review playlists monthly |
