Introduction
Your collection has a history. Albums you keep coming back to, carefully assembled playlists, discoveries waiting for the right moment. Discrete brings that collection to iPhone, iPad and CarPlay with a native interface made for enjoying it.
Find an album, follow an artist, shape the queue or settle into the lyrics. Download music for the journey, then browse it from your car’s display. Open Discrete on iPad for a roomier view, or unfold iPhone Duo and watch the navigation and player adapt around the space you have.
The care is in the details: quick queue actions, useful menus beside your music, a mini-player you can swipe, and layouts that keep controls within reach. Your music stays on your Jellyfin server. Discrete makes it feel close.
Download Discrete for iPhone and iPad
Requires iOS 18 or later, or iPadOS 18 or later, and access to a Jellyfin music library. Core listening, downloads, CarPlay and adaptive device layouts are free. Discrete Pro is an optional purchase that helps fund development and adds a few extras.
iPhone Duo gets a layout of its own
iPhone Duo’s changing shape deserves careful design. Discrete adapts its navigation, mini-player and expanded player to folded, unfolded and partially open use. On the expanded display, artwork and playback controls can share the screen with the queue or lyrics in a dedicated arrangement.
Rotate, open or fold your phone, and the interface responds to the available space. The full-screen player also has an interactive downward dismissal gesture, so returning to your library feels natural.
A proper place for music on iPad
iPad gives your collection room to breathe. Browse through an adaptive sidebar, explore album artwork in larger collections, and keep the player’s artwork and controls visible alongside its queue or lyrics. The layout follows the space available, with compact navigation when you need it.
Take the music, keep the connection optional
Save songs, albums and playlists with artwork and library information. Choose original audio or a smaller download format. When your server is unavailable, Discrete can show the local content you have ready. A download Live Activity lets you follow progress outside the app, including in Dynamic Island where available.
Make listening feel like yours
Synced lyrics, a sleep timer, favorites, flexible queue controls and separate streaming preferences for cellular and Wi-Fi are part of the app. Pro adds multiple accounts and servers, alternate app icons and accent colors, while the everyday player stays useful on its own.
Getting started
Discrete plays music from Jellyfin. You need a server address and a Jellyfin user account with permission to access its music library. There is no separate Discrete account to create, and the app does not require a music subscription.
- Install and open Discrete.
- Choose Add Account and enter your server address.
- Select HTTPS or HTTP to match your server. Include its port and base path if your setup uses them.
- Enter your Jellyfin username and password. If that user has no password, leave the password field empty.
- Check the device name. You can edit how this installation identifies itself to Jellyfin.
- Confirm the form and let the library load.
You can paste an address beginning with https:// or http://; Discrete recognizes the scheme. Enter your server’s base address, rather than a link to a particular album or the web interface’s current screen.
To begin listening, tap an album cover or artist to explore it, or tap a track once to play. Play and Shuffle controls can start a whole album or list.
A reachable server on your local network is enough for listening at home. Away from home, use your existing remote-access setup or listen to music you downloaded before leaving.
Finding your way around
Library sections
The main navigation gives you Home, Playlists, Albums, Artists and Tracks. On iPhone these are available through the tab interface; roomier layouts can use a sidebar. Each section keeps its own navigation path so you can move between parts of the collection without starting over.
| Section | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Home | Explore suggestions, new releases, recent additions and less-played music. |
| Playlists | Browse, create, edit, favorite and download server playlists. |
| Albums | Explore your albums, with sorting and filters. |
| Artists | Open artist pages, their music and albums they appear on. |
| Tracks | Browse the selected account’s song library. |
Use the standard back control to return from an album, artist or playlist page. Open the search field to find something across the selected account’s library.
Account menu and shortcuts
Tap your account avatar on a main library screen to open the account menu. It provides:
- Your current username and server, with account switching when multiple accounts are available.
- Add Account.
- History, Favorites and Downloaded; Downloaded appears when local music is available.
- Downloading while transfers are active, including their count and an indication of failures.
- The Force Offline shortcut when its visibility setting allows it.
- Settings and Log Out.
In wider sidebar layouts, shortcuts and download activity can also appear directly in the sidebar. The account menu remains a useful route to them when the layout is compact.
Keep playback close
The mini-player stays accessible while you browse. On iOS 26 and later it is integrated with the tab bar, which can minimize as you scroll. Earlier supported versions use the floating mini-player layout. Tap its artwork or title, or swipe upward, to open the full player.
Library
Home and discovery
Home helps you rediscover music already in your Jellyfin library:
- Suggestions uses Jellyfin’s suggested tracks.
- New Releases highlights albums using their release information.
- Recently Added presents albums by when they were added to the server.
- Try This Out draws attention to music with little or no recorded playback.
- New Artists shows recently added artists.
Tap a track to listen or an album or artist to explore it. Sections with a more control open a fuller list. Touch and hold an album card for actions without opening the album first.
Recommendations depend on your server, its music and the information Jellyfin has about it. Offline Home draws from available downloaded albums and local tracks; it cannot discover new server additions while disconnected.
Albums, artists and tracks
Album pages
An album page brings together artwork, artists, release year, genres and a description when provided by Jellyfin. Expand a longer description to read it. Multi-disc albums are grouped by disc, and tracks show their numbers and durations. The footer includes the track count, total duration and release date where available.
Use Play or Shuffle to start the album, the heart to favorite it, and its menu for playlist, queue and download actions. Tap a song to begin at that point. Keep Index determines whether earlier tracks stay before it in the playback sequence.
Artist pages
An artist page can show an image, biography, genres, album and track counts, and total music duration. Explore the track preview, open the full track list, browse the artist’s albums, or follow Appears On albums where the artist contributes.
Use the page’s heart to favorite the artist. Artist entries open with a tap; use the albums and tracks inside the artist page for their respective menus.
Offline artist pages are assembled from saved music and can contain a smaller collection or fewer details than the online page.
Track lists
Tracks shows songs from the selected account. Other lists keep their context: album order, playlist order, an artist’s tracks or a discovery selection.
Rows show the relevant title, artist and album information, artwork or track number, duration, current-playback indication and local download state. Tap the row to play. Tap its ellipsis for actions without changing what is playing.
Sorting, filters and refresh
Open a collection’s Options… menu to choose how it is organized.
| Collection | Sort choices | Filters |
|---|---|---|
| Albums | Name, Recent, Artist, Year | Favorites, Downloaded |
| Artists | Name, Recent | Favorites |
| Playlists | Name, Recent | Favorites, Downloaded, Hide System |
Use ascending or descending order where offered. Recent shows newer additions first. Album collections scoped to an artist do not need the Artist sort.
Discrete remembers collection choices. Show Section Headers controls their grouping headings, and Reset in the filters restores the default filters for that collection.
Jump through a large collection
When an indexed collection shows the section strip at its edge, tap or slide along it to jump between sections. The strip adapts to the available space and gives tactile feedback on supported hardware. Its sections depend on the current sort and collection.
System playlists
Hide System Playlists is enabled by default. If you expect a server-provided or file-based playlist and cannot find it, turn off Hide System in the Playlists filters. Its default is also available in Behavior settings.
Refresh and cached views
Pull down to refresh a library page, or use the refresh action provided by its current content state. This fetches updated information from Jellyfin, including newly added music and changes made in another client.
Discrete saves library information locally so previously loaded views can appear quickly. Cached-content information can show when a view was saved, and errors can explain why newer information could not be fetched. Continue with the available content or retry when the connection returns.
A cached library listing is not downloaded music. An album or song can be visible without its audio being saved. Download it explicitly before depending on it offline.
Search
Use the search field to find tracks, albums, artists and playlists in the selected Jellyfin account. Tap a result to open it, or tap a track to play. Leave the active results with the search dismissal control.
Search belongs to the currently selected account. Pro lets you switch accounts and servers, but their libraries are not merged into a single search.
Offline search works through downloaded tracks, albums and playlists. It can match saved titles and relevant artist, album, description and genre information. Separate artist search results require the server, although artist links from downloaded music can still open the available local artist view.
Playback
Mini-player and full player
Control music while browsing
The mini-player shows the current track and keeps essential playback controls close. The controls expand when the layout has room, and reduce when space is limited.
| Gesture on the mini-player | Action |
|---|---|
| Tap the artwork or title area | Open the full player. |
| Swipe upward | Open the full player. |
| Swipe left | Move to the next track. |
| Swipe right | Go to the previous track, or restart the current track after its opening seconds. |
Horizontal track swipes apply to the mini-player. Use the transport buttons in the full player to move between songs there.
The expanded view
The full player combines artwork, track information, progress, playback controls and access to queue and lyrics. Its arrangement adapts to portrait, landscape and roomier displays, with dedicated iPhone Duo behavior.
Use the sheet’s dismissal gesture to return to browsing; on the Duo full-screen presentation, drag downward for interactive dismissal. Playback continues when you close the player view.
Transport and seeking
Use Play/Pause, Next and Previous for the current session. Previous restarts a song after more than three seconds of playback; near its beginning it goes to the preceding track.
Tap or drag the progress bar to seek. Elapsed and remaining time help you see where you are. When available, audio details include the current format, bit depth, sampling rate and channel count. These reflect the audio being played, which may be a transcoded version rather than the original server file.
Artwork, titles and menus
With Cover Tap enabled, tapping the player artwork toggles play and pause. Disable it in Behavior settings if you prefer artwork taps to have no playback effect.
Tap the title and subtitle area for navigation to the current album and artists. Use the heart to change the track’s favorite state, or the ellipsis for actions such as Similar Tracks, Add to Playlist and downloading or removing the local copy. The exact placement of the heart and menu adapts to the player layout.
Subtitle Mode chooses what appears beneath a track title: Album, Artists, Album · Artists or Artists · Album.
The queue, current position, shuffle and repeat state are retained, along with saved playback progress and app volume, so you can return to your listening after reopening Discrete.
Queue and playback history
Put something next
Open a track’s ellipsis menu, an album or playlist menu, or touch and hold an album or playlist card:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Insert into Queue | Adds the selected music immediately after the current song. |
| Append to Queue | Adds it after the existing upcoming tracks. |
| Play Now | Starts the selection by replacing the playback queue. |
Insert and Append are useful for choosing what comes next without interrupting the current song. They can work with one song, an album or a playlist.
Upcoming tracks and earlier history
Open the queue panel in the player. Upcoming tracks appear below Now Playing. Scroll upward to see earlier items from the current playback sequence. The header changes between Queue and History and shows the duration of the group being viewed.
Tap an upcoming row to skip forward to it, or an earlier row to return to that point. Tap the Now Playing divider to return to the start of the upcoming list.
The boundary between history and upcoming tracks is designed to settle neatly as you scroll, with haptic feedback on supported devices. Earlier tracks remain accessible without needing a separate page.
Reorder and remove
Touch and drag an upcoming row to rearrange the queue. Earlier history rows are not rearranged this way. Swipe an upcoming row to reveal removal, or use a row’s ellipsis and Delete to remove that entry from the playback sequence.
Removing an entry here changes the current listening session. It does not remove the song from Jellyfin or change a saved playlist.
Queue menu
The queue’s ellipsis contains:
- Add to Playlist… for saving the upcoming tracks. It does not include the current track or earlier history.
- Clear to remove upcoming tracks and keep the current track and preceding history.
- Clear and Stop to pause playback and clear the entire playback sequence.
Server History is separate
The History shortcut in the account menu or sidebar asks Jellyfin for up to 200 recently played tracks. It can include listening recorded by the server beyond the current playback sequence in Discrete.
The player’s history is the earlier part of its current queue. Jellyfin History is a server view. Playback is reported to the server when reachable; do not rely on its History page as a complete record of listening done offline.
Shuffle, repeat and queue preferences
Playback modes
Toggle Shuffle in the player or queue header. It changes the remaining order while retaining the current song. A page’s Shuffle control starts that page’s music shuffled.
Repeat cycles through off → repeat one → repeat all → off. The 1 repeat symbol identifies repeat one; the highlighted regular repeat symbol identifies repeat all.
Settings → Interface → Queue Controls shows or hides dedicated Shuffle and Repeat buttons beside the player’s transport controls. The queue header also provides these controls, so you can choose the simpler player arrangement and still change modes there.
Replacing the queue
Open Settings → Behavior:
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Keep Index | Starting from a song inside an album or list keeps the whole list and begins at that song. Earlier tracks remain before it in the playback sequence. With this off, playback starts with the chosen song and omits preceding items. |
| Keep Shuffled | Retains the existing shuffle state when playback starts from a track row. Explicit Play and Shuffle controls still request their own mode. |
| Show Confirmation | Asks before replacing the current queue, including the currently playing track. |
Show Confirmation is enabled by default on iOS. Keep Index and Keep Shuffled are initially off. These preferences let you choose whether a tap starts a fresh selection immediately or preserves more of the surrounding listening context.
CarPlay starts new track selections and shuffled lists directly, without the queue-replacement confirmation.
Favorites
Favorite songs, albums, artists and playlists with their hearts or menu actions. Use Unfavorite to remove the mark. Favorites belong to the relevant Jellyfin account.
The Favorites shortcut shows favorite tracks. For favorite albums, artists or playlists, open the corresponding collection and enable its Favorites filter.
The current player has a track-favorite action, CarPlay’s Now Playing has a heart, and artist pages have their own heart. Saved local information can show favorite state offline, while changes that must persist on Jellyfin require a server connection.
Creating and editing playlists
Playlists are stored on Jellyfin, so changes are available in other clients using that server and account. Creation and editing require the server and appropriate Jellyfin permissions.
Create a playlist
- Open Playlists.
- Tap +.
- Enter a name.
- Choose whether to enable Visible to All.
- Tap Save.
Visible to All controls public visibility on your Jellyfin server. It does not publish the playlist to a separate Discrete service.
Add music
Choose Add to Playlist… from a track or album menu, the current track’s menu, or the queue menu for upcoming tracks. Select a destination playlist. The picker also lets you create a playlist before selecting it.
The destination uses the music’s account and server. Adding music means adding references to tracks that exist there; it does not transfer audio between servers.
Reorder or remove entries
Open the playlist and touch and drag a track row to change its position. Use the row’s menu or deletion swipe action to remove the entry. This changes the playlist on Jellyfin while leaving the original song in the server library.
Name, visibility and deletion
Open the playlist menu or touch and hold its card, then choose Edit…. Change the name or Visible to All setting and tap Update.
Delete removes the playlist from Jellyfin. It is separate from removing a downloaded copy and does not delete the original music files referenced by the playlist.
Keep a local copy current
Download the playlist to keep its current contents available locally. If you change its contents later, choose Update from its download actions to refresh saved information and fetch missing songs. Already downloaded audio is reused. See Downloads for details of updates and local removal.
Similar tracks and stations
Similar Tracks opens Jellyfin’s related songs for a selected track. Find it in the song’s menu or the player’s ellipsis. Browse the results, play something or add individual choices to the queue.
Play Station starts Jellyfin’s Instant Mix from an eligible song, album or playlist. It creates a new playback selection based on that source. Use it when you would like the server to choose a related mix from your collection.
Similar Tracks is for browsing suggestions; Play Station starts a mix. Both depend on the server’s music and metadata. They do not introduce a separate online music catalogue or internet-radio directory.
Lyrics
Tap the lyrics button in the full player to open the lyrics panel.
- Synced lyrics highlight the current line and follow the song. Tap a different line to seek to it. Scroll to read ahead, and tap the current line to return to its position.
- Plain lyrics are shown as scrollable text when timing information is unavailable.
While synced lyrics are visible and music is playing, Discrete keeps the screen awake so you can follow along. Pausing playback or leaving that view releases this behavior.
Lyrics come from Jellyfin. If none are available, the panel explains that the server returned no lyrics. Add or correct them through your library setup; Discrete’s lyrics panel is a viewer.
Lyrics are fetched separately from music downloads. Saving a song does not guarantee that its lyrics will be available offline.
Sleep timer
Open the player’s sleep-timer control and choose 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours or 4 hours.
While it runs, Add extends the current end time by another preset interval, and Clear cancels the timer. When the timer ends, playback pauses and your queue remains available.
Downloads & offline
Downloads
Save music for travel, unreliable connections or the times when your server is unavailable. Downloads include more than audio: artwork and collection information help keep local browsing useful.
Download a song, album or playlist
Choose Download from the relevant item menu. Touch and hold album or playlist cards for their menu, or use the menu on the open page. Tracks have an ellipsis menu beside the row, and the current song has download actions in the player.
| What you choose | What is saved |
|---|---|
| Track | Its audio, plus associated album information and cover where available. |
| Album | Album information, track list, artwork and songs. |
| Playlist | Playlist information, track list, artwork and songs, with associated album information and covers where available. |
Songs already saved are reused when they occur in several collections. Downloading one song can save its album information without saving the album’s other audio. Choose the album’s Download action when you need the whole album offline.
Progress, cancellation and retries
Open Downloading from the account menu, Home’s download control where shown, or the sidebar in a wider layout. Transfers are grouped into metadata, images and audio, with their progress and state.
You can cancel an individual transfer, retry a failed one, Cancel All or Retry Failed. The account menu can show an active-task count and a failure indication.
Under Settings → Downloads → Retry Limit, Auto means three automatic retries. Explicit limits are 0, 1, 3, 5 or 10. Zero disables automatic retrying; you can still choose a retry yourself.
Downloads can continue while you use another app, subject to iOS background scheduling and network availability. Reopen Discrete to recover or retry interrupted transfers, and check completion before depending on the music offline.
Browse saved music
Use Downloaded in the account menu or sidebar, or apply the Downloaded filter in Albums or Playlists. Track and player indicators also show local availability.
A saved collection is a view of its contents, not a guarantee that every listed song remains downloaded forever. Removing shared audio through another track or album action can make that song unavailable locally elsewhere.
Update a saved collection
For a downloaded album or playlist, choose Update. It refreshes saved information and artwork and downloads songs that are not already saved. Use it after changing a playlist or updating server metadata.
Update does not replace existing downloaded audio, remove songs that are no longer part of a collection, or re-encode saved files after a quality change. A downloaded playlist is not automatically kept in sync with every later server edit; run Update when you need its local view refreshed.
Remove saved music
These actions remove local content while leaving original files on Jellyfin intact:
| Local action | Effect on this device |
|---|---|
| Remove a track download | Deletes that song’s local audio. It may then need the server wherever else it appears. |
| Remove an album download | Removes saved album information, its cover and local audio for its tracks. Downloaded playlists using those tracks can be affected too. |
| Remove a playlist download | Removes the saved playlist information and cover. Its songs’ downloaded audio is retained. |
| Remove All in the Downloaded page menu | Clears all Discrete downloads on this device, including audio, artwork and saved downloaded collections, across all accounts and servers. It also cancels active transfers. |
To free the audio storage used by a playlist’s songs, remove the relevant track or album downloads as well. Use Remove All only when you intend to clear the complete local download collection on that device.
Download Live Activity
Discrete can show download progress without keeping the app open. While tasks are active, it starts a Live Activity when permitted by the system.
On the Lock Screen it presents progress and task information. On devices with Dynamic Island it also provides compact, minimal and expanded views. You can see overall progress, outstanding work and whether failures need attention. Completion is indicated when the active work ends, with a different state when failures remain.
The counts cover audio, artwork and library-information tasks, so the number of outstanding tasks can be larger than the number of songs. The Live Activity is a progress display; cancellation and retries remain in Discrete’s Downloading screen.
Visibility depends on device capabilities, system settings and permission for Live Activities. If it is not shown, open Downloading to inspect the same work directly.
Offline listening
Discrete automatically presents available local content when server or network requests fail. Downloads supply the audio; saved metadata and cached library views help you browse.
To enter the offline view deliberately, enable Force Offline in the account menu or sidebar when shown, or open Settings → Downloads → Force Enabled.
Show at Home controls the offline shortcut’s visibility: When On, Always or Never. Home can show the shortcut in its toolbar, with access also available through the account menu or sidebar as the layout permits. Choose Always if you want a convenient way to switch before leaving a connection.
Available without the server
Downloaded audio can play through the normal player, queue and CarPlay. You can seek, shuffle, repeat, use the sleep timer, explore available downloaded album and playlist information, search local saved music, and follow artist links into locally reconstructed views.
Fresh server content, online discovery, stations, server History, full-library search, and changes to server playlists or favorites need a connection. Artwork and lyrics that were not saved or retained may also need the server.
Cached collections may list songs whose audio was never downloaded. Use the Downloaded shortcut and local availability indicators to check what you actually have.
Turn Force Offline off to return to online browsing, then refresh a page for current information.
Audio
Audio quality and mobile data
Streaming and downloads have separate quality preferences. Streaming also has separate settings for cellular and Wi-Fi or Ethernet, so you can keep originals at home and request smaller audio on a mobile connection.
Choose a streaming profile
Open Settings → Audio, then choose Cellular or Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
| Transcoding mode | What Discrete requests |
|---|---|
| Off | The original file without server transcoding. |
| Auto | An AAC stream with automatic encoding parameters. |
| Custom | Your chosen codec, bitrate, sampling and adaptive-streaming settings. |
The defaults are Auto on Cellular and Off on Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The profile is selected according to the active network connection. These preferences are quality choices rather than a monthly data allowance or usage cap.
Customize streaming
Custom mode offers:
- Codec: AAC or MP3.
- Bitrate: Auto, Variable, or a requested fixed rate of 64, 128, 160, 192, 256, 320, 384 or 512 kbps.
- Sampling: Auto, 8, 16, 24, 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz.
- Adaptive: Let the server vary streaming bitrate to help with an unstable connection.
Variable encoding can use more data where the audio needs it. Adaptive streaming and Variable bitrate are separate options.
Actual encoding and accepted values depend on Jellyfin and its transcoder. The choices are requests; some servers may not produce every displayed bitrate. Reducing audio size can help on a constrained connection, while original files preserve the source audio’s original quality.
Download quality
Open Settings → Downloads → Quality to choose original files, Auto or custom AAC encoding. Original files are the default. Custom mode includes bitrate and sampling choices; Adaptive is a streaming control, and MP3 is not selectable for download encoding.
Download quality applies to future downloads. Existing audio is reused rather than converted in place.
Saved audio takes priority
When a song is already downloaded, Discrete prefers that local file even while you are online. Changing a streaming setting therefore will not replace an existing download or change its format.
For a different-quality downloaded copy, remove the relevant track or album download and download it again. Removing only the playlist download does not remove its songs’ audio.
Original and lossless files
Original playback can retain a lossless source such as FLAC when supported by the playback system. Server transcoding provides another route for an unsuitable format or connection. The player’s audio details help you inspect what is actually playing.
The final audio output also depends on the device, connection and output hardware. Requesting an original file from Jellyfin is distinct from guaranteeing a particular DAC output configuration.
AirPlay and volume
Tap AirPlay in the player to open the system’s audio-route choices. Select an available destination such as an AirPlay speaker, with the options determined by your device, network and connected hardware.
Tap the player’s speaker button to open Discrete’s own volume slider. This adjusts the app’s playback level and is remembered. Your device’s system volume and the destination’s volume also affect what you hear.
Use the device’s regular audio-routing controls for connected headphones, Bluetooth audio or other system outputs. Discrete opens the native route chooser from the player.
Background listening and system controls
Playback can continue when you leave Discrete or lock the screen. The app supplies the current song’s title, artist, artwork and playback information to the system’s Now Playing controls.
Use the Lock Screen, Control Center or supported headset and media controls for play, pause, next, previous and seeking where the current system surface offers them. These control the same playback session as the app and CarPlay.
Audio interruptions are handled through iOS. When an interruption ends, Discrete resumes if the system indicates that playback should resume. Disconnecting wired headphones pauses playback rather than immediately continuing through the speaker.
For downloaded songs, the original server does not need to remain reachable during listening. Streaming tracks still need a working connection to that server.
Settings & controls
Accounts and servers
Your first Jellyfin account is included in the free app. Discrete Pro adds multiple accounts and servers, so you can switch between a personal library, a shared server or separate users.
Tap the account avatar to open the account menu. With more than one account available, use the selector to change the active library. Add Account opens another sign-in form. Account information shows the username and server so you can distinguish them.
Browsing, search, favorites and playlist actions use the relevant account and server. Accounts do not become one merged library. The playback queue can retain tracks associated with different connected accounts, with each song keeping its own server relationship.
Select the account you want on the iPhone before opening Discrete in CarPlay. CarPlay loads the selected account; account administration remains on the phone.
Log Out ends the selected authenticated session. It does not clear downloads. Signing back into the same server and user reconnects the retained account information. Use the download-removal actions to clear local music.
Menus and gestures
The quickest action is often beside the item you are looking at. Track rows use an ellipsis menu. Album and playlist cards provide touch-and-hold menus, and their open pages have menus of their own. Actions adapt to the item, metadata and download state.
| Item or control | Actions available |
|---|---|
| Track ellipsis | Album and artist navigation where relevant; Favorite/Unfavorite; Add to Playlist; Similar Tracks; Insert into Queue; Append to Queue; Play Now; Play Station; Download or remove local audio. |
| Track in an editable playlist | Track actions, plus Delete to remove the playlist entry. |
| Album card or page menu | Artist navigation; Favorite where provided; Add to Playlist; queue actions; Play Station; Download, Update or remove the downloaded album. The open page also has its own heart. |
| Playlist card or page menu | Favorite where provided; Edit; queue actions; Play Station; download actions; Delete for the server playlist. Its open page also has a heart. |
| Queue or history row ellipsis | Album and artist navigation, Similar Tracks, Add to Playlist, favorite and download actions, plus Delete for the playback entry. |
| Player title and subtitle | Navigation to the current album and artists. |
| Player ellipsis | Similar Tracks, Add to Playlist and download actions; the favorite action is a heart or menu item depending on layout. |
| Artist page heart | Favorite or unfavorite the artist. |
Artist entries open their page with a tap. Use the artist page for its favorite action and the music inside it for album and track menus.
Swipe actions in lists
Supported library track rows reveal Insert into Queue and Append to Queue when swiped toward the leading actions. Editable playlist rows provide deletion from the other edge, and upcoming queue rows provide removal. Use the ellipsis when you want the fuller action list.
Touch and drag rows to rearrange an editable playlist or the upcoming queue. These are two different operations: playlist changes update Jellyfin; queue changes affect the current listening sequence.
Playback gestures
The mini-player supports swipe up to expand, left for next and right for previous. The expanded player has a dismissal gesture; the Duo full-screen player supports interactive downward dismissal. Tap the progress bar to seek, or a synced lyric line to jump directly to its time.
Settings reference
Open Settings from the account menu. The iOS settings sections are Audio, Interface, Behavior, Downloads and About.
Audio settings
Streaming → Cellular and Streaming → Wi-Fi or Ethernet each provide Off, Auto and Custom transcoding. Custom choices include codec, bitrate, sampling and Adaptive. See Audio quality and mobile data.
Interface settings
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| App Icon | Choose an alternate app icon with Pro. |
| Accent Color | Choose Discrete’s accent color with Pro. |
| Color Scheme | Follow the system with Auto, or choose Light or Dark. |
| Queue Controls | Show dedicated Shuffle and Repeat controls beside the player’s transport controls. |
| Adaptive Background | Use the current track’s artwork as a background layer in the player. |
| Track Changes | Control track-change animations. |
| Elapsed & Remaining Time | Control playback-time animations. |
Icon choices include Default, Original, Server / Simple, Server / Disc, Sound Bars, Folder and Folder Pro. On iPhone and iPad, changing the icon uses the system’s alternate-app-icon feature.
Accent choices are Default, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Mint, Cyan, Blue, Indigo, Purple and Pink. They change the app’s accent while the Color Scheme setting independently controls light or dark appearance.
Behavior settings
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Keep Index | Keep the full album or list when starting at a particular track. |
| Keep Shuffled | Preserve the current shuffle mode when starting from a track row. |
| Show Confirmation | Ask before replacing the current queue. Enabled by default on iOS. |
| Subtitle Mode | Show Album, Artists, Album · Artists or Artists · Album beneath a track title. |
| Cover Tap | Toggle playback when tapping the player artwork. |
| Hide System Playlists | Set the default visibility of playlists classified as system playlists. |
Download settings
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Retry Limit | Automatic retries for failed transfers. Auto uses three retries; explicit limits are 0, 1, 3, 5 or 10. |
| Force Enabled | Force the available offline view. |
| Show at Home | Show the offline shortcut When On, Always or Never. |
| Quality | Choose original files, Auto or custom download encoding. |
About settings
Find email support, community links, an App Store review shortcut, version and build information, privacy information and terms. When Pro is not active, this section also provides its purchase offer. The purchase screen includes Restore for existing purchases.
Keyboard shortcuts
A connected keyboard can use these shortcuts where the corresponding view is active. Text fields and forms can take keyboard focus.
| Shortcut | Where and what it does |
|---|---|
| Space | Play or pause while the library view has keyboard focus. |
| Cmd–F | Open or focus search in a library section that supports it. |
| Escape | Leave active search or cancel supported forms. |
| Cmd–Shift–S | Toggle the queue panel when its player control is available. |
| Cmd–Shift–L | Toggle the lyrics panel in the full player. |
| Return | Confirm a ready sign-in or playlist form. |
Headset and hardware media controls use the system playback commands. Keyboard-shortcut availability follows the visible controls and current keyboard focus.
Devices & CarPlay
iPhone Duo
Discrete includes dedicated iPhone Duo navigation and player behavior. The layout responds to the device’s available space, orientation and hinge state, including partially open use.
Browsing across changing layouts
Tabs, navigation controls and the mini-player adapt as you change how the phone is held. Compact layouts retain quick access to your sections and account menu. The mini-player uses a smaller set of controls when space is tight, including when the device is partially open, and shows more controls when space permits.
The Duo player
The expanded player has purpose-built vertical, horizontal and divided arrangements. In the divided arrangement, artwork and playback controls occupy one area while the queue or lyrics occupy the other. You can work with upcoming tracks or follow the words while keeping the music’s controls in view.
The player uses a full-screen presentation on the hinge-aware display. Drag downward to dismiss it interactively and return to the library. Queue and lyrics remain part of the same player, with their controls available as the arrangement changes.
You do not need to enable a Duo mode or purchase Pro. The dedicated hinge-aware behavior requires iOS 27.1 or later on iPhone Duo; the app’s general minimum remains iOS 18.
Using Discrete on iPad
Discrete’s iPad interface uses the extra space for the collection and player. Roomier layouts provide sidebar navigation, with library sections, shortcuts and download activity together. When the available width becomes compact, navigation and controls adapt accordingly.
The player can place artwork and transport controls above a persistent queue or lyrics area, rather than requiring you to leave the player to inspect what comes next. Rotate your iPad or change the available window space to get the arrangement that fits your current use.
The same account, playlist, download and queue features are available on iPad. A connected keyboard can also use the shortcuts available in the current view.
CarPlay uses your iPhone’s connection and music session. The iPad app is for listening and library access on the iPad itself.
CarPlay
Discrete brings your Jellyfin collection to a native CarPlay interface with artwork, useful browsing paths and direct control over the queue. Your phone and the car share one playback session, so the music and upcoming tracks belong to the same player.
CarPlay with the same attention to detail
Your library deserves a good place on the dashboard, too. Discrete’s CarPlay interface brings together Home, Playlists, Albums and Artists, with artwork, discovery sections, favorites and downloaded music. Explore an artist’s albums, open a playlist, shuffle a collection or add it to what is coming next.
The Now Playing screen has Shuffle, Favorite and Repeat controls, and Up Next opens your upcoming tracks. Album and playlist pages carry their artwork, music information and download state into the car. It is a considered part of Discrete, with the same playback session as your iPhone.
Connect and get ready
Sign into Jellyfin on your iPhone and select the account you want to use before opening Discrete in CarPlay. Connect the iPhone to a compatible CarPlay system and open Discrete from the car’s app launcher.
For streaming, the iPhone needs to reach your Jellyfin server. For listening without server access, download music on the iPhone beforehand. CarPlay uses those same local files, artwork and saved collection information. CarPlay is included in the free app.
Four familiar tabs
| Tab | What is available |
|---|---|
| Home | Suggestions, New Releases, Recent Albums and Try This Out where available, plus History, Favorites and Downloaded shortcuts. |
| Playlists | Your playlists, with artwork, favorite state and local download indicators. |
| Albums | An organized album collection, artwork and access to individual album track lists. |
| Artists | Artist pages, their tracks, Albums & EPs, and Appears On albums. |
Home’s album artwork rows let you open an individual album or explore the fuller collection behind the section. Its shortcuts provide a direct route to familiar lists, including downloaded music. They can be available while the rest of Home is still loading.
Collections use the saved sorting and filtering choices from Discrete on your iPhone. Where the collection has several sections, CarPlay can show a section index for navigation. If you see fewer items than expected, check the collection’s filters on the phone, including Favorites, Downloaded and Hide System, then reload the relevant CarPlay view.
Albums, playlists and artists in the car
Open an album or playlist to see its title, artwork and available music information. Album track lists retain track numbers and multi-disc grouping; list footers show the number of tracks and their total duration when available.
Tap a song to start from that point and open Now Playing. The page’s Shuffle control starts its contents shuffled. Starting a new selection in CarPlay replaces the queue directly; the phone’s queue-replacement confirmation does not interrupt this flow.
An artist page provides Show All Tracks, Albums & EPs and Appears On, with artwork and further album browsing. Use its heart to change the artist’s favorite state when connected to the server.
Add a collection to the queue
The queue-action control on a track-list page opens two choices:
- Insert into Queue places the page’s tracks after the currently playing song.
- Append to Queue adds them after the existing upcoming tracks.
Use these when you want to add an album, playlist or displayed list while continuing to listen to the current music.
Favorites and downloads
Album and playlist pages provide a heart for their favorite state when online. The Now Playing heart changes the current song’s favorite state, and artist pages have their own favorite action.
For an eligible album or playlist that is not already saved or downloading, the cloud-download button starts its download to the iPhone. Track lists show local availability and download status; available downloaded songs remain selectable in an offline view.
Use Discrete on the phone for the full download-management interface, including retries, updates and removal. Downloading before a trip gives you a chance to check that every song you need has completed.
Now Playing and Up Next
The native Now Playing screen shows the current music and playback controls, with additional Shuffle, Favorite and Repeat buttons. Their state follows the same player you use on the phone.
Open Up Next to inspect upcoming tracks. The queue view includes a song count and total duration. Tap an item to skip ahead to it. The queue-clear control removes the upcoming tracks while leaving the current song playing.
CarPlay’s Up Next view is focused on upcoming music. Use the phone’s player for the current queue’s earlier history and detailed rearrangement.
When the server is unavailable
CarPlay can present downloaded music and local collection information when requests fail. Offline and cached-content information can appear above a list, with a refresh or retry control to reconnect. Songs without downloaded audio can be unavailable until the server is reachable again.
The Downloaded shortcut is the most direct route to saved songs. Online recommendations, the server’s History page and fresh library information still require server access. Use the phone for account changes, full search and playlist creation or editing.
Discrete Pro
Discrete’s core is available before you buy anything: streaming, downloads, playlists, favorites, lyrics, queue controls, the sleep timer, CarPlay and the adaptive iPhone, Duo and iPad layouts.
Choosing Pro helps fund continued development and adds:
- Multiple accounts and servers, with convenient switching between their libraries.
- Alternate app icons for your device.
- Accent colors to make the interface feel more yours.
- A Pro badge in the account interface.
Monthly, yearly and lifetime choices are shown in the app with current App Store pricing. Choose the option that suits how you would like to contribute.
For an existing purchase, choose Restore on the Pro screen while signed into the Apple Account used for that purchase.
To donate directly, visit the donation page. Sharing Discrete with another Jellyfin listener or leaving a thoughtful review also helps more people find it.
Help & FAQ
Questions and troubleshooting
What do I need to use Discrete?
An iPhone running iOS 18 or later, or an iPad running iPadOS 18 or later, plus access to a Jellyfin music library. For CarPlay, use a compatible iPhone and CarPlay system. Dedicated hinge-aware Duo layouts require iOS 27.1 or later on iPhone Duo.
Do CarPlay, downloads or iPad layouts require Pro?
No. CarPlay, offline downloads, lyrics, playlists and the adaptive device layouts are part of the free app. Pro adds multiple accounts, alternate icons, accent colors and a Pro badge.
Is there a separate music catalogue or account?
No separate Discrete login is needed. The app signs into your Jellyfin server and plays the music available there. It does not include a music catalogue from another provider.
Can I import files from Files or connect another music service?
Discrete uses Jellyfin as its library source. Add and organize files through Jellyfin, then browse and download them in Discrete. This version does not provide a separate local-file import library or connect directly to Apple Music, Spotify, Navidrome or Emby.
Why does tapping a song replace my queue?
A song tap starts a new selection from its current list. Use Insert into Queue or Append to Queue when you want to add music without replacing what is already arranged. Keep Show Confirmation enabled if you want a prompt before replacement on the phone.
Why are earlier album tracks missing from the player’s history?
Enable Keep Index before starting from a track partway through an album or list. It retains the whole selection and starts at the chosen position. With it off, preceding items are omitted from the new queue.
My server works at home but fails when I leave
Your iPhone needs an address that can reach the server from the current network. A local-only address will not become remotely accessible because you are using Discrete or CarPlay. Use your existing remote-access setup or download music while connected at home.
Sign-in is failing even with the right password
Check HTTP versus HTTPS, the server address, port and base path, and whether the device can reach that address. Use the server’s base address rather than a link to the web interface’s current screen. Also check that the Jellyfin user has permission to access the music library.
Why is recently added music missing?
Pull down to refresh the page. Check your selected account, filters and Force Offline state. A previously saved library view can appear before fresh server information. If Jellyfin has not scanned the music yet, update the server library first.
Why is a playlist missing from CarPlay or the phone?
Check the selected account and Playlists filters, especially Hide System, which is on by default. CarPlay uses saved collection choices from the phone; a Favorites or Downloaded filter can narrow what is shown there too. Reload the relevant CarPlay view after checking those choices.
Why does CarPlay show the wrong account?
Select the intended account in Discrete on your iPhone before opening the CarPlay interface. Account switching is managed on the phone. If an existing CarPlay session still shows the previous library, reconnect CarPlay after selecting the account.
Why can I see an album but not play it offline?
A cached listing or album description does not mean all of its audio was downloaded. Explicitly download the album and check the audio transfers. Removing shared song audio through another collection can also change local availability.
Why are songs retained after removing a playlist download?
That action removes the saved playlist information and cover. It intentionally retains downloaded audio so those songs can remain available elsewhere. Remove the relevant track or album downloads to clear the audio too.
Why is there no download Live Activity?
Its availability depends on system permission, device capabilities and the current tasks. Dynamic Island views require a device with Dynamic Island. The Downloading screen remains the direct way to inspect progress, failures and retry controls.
Why does the download count exceed the song count?
Downloading music also creates artwork and library-information tasks. The progress displays can count these alongside audio work. This does not mean the app is downloading duplicate copies of every song.
I changed quality, but the song still plays the same version
Check for a downloaded copy. Saved audio takes priority, and quality changes do not convert it in place. Remove the relevant track or album download and download it again for a new local encoding. Updating or removing only the playlist does not replace existing song audio.
Can I edit playlists offline and sync later?
Playlist and favorite changes need the server. Offline playback and saved browsing information are available, but this version does not offer a general pending-edit workflow for synchronizing those changes later.
Are lyrics included with downloaded songs?
Lyrics are fetched separately from Jellyfin. Downloaded audio and artwork do not guarantee offline lyrics. If lyrics are missing online too, check what the server provides for that song.
Why does the screen stay awake while lyrics are playing?
The synced-lyrics view keeps it awake so you can read along. Pause playback or leave that view to let normal screen-sleep behavior resume.
Are gapless playback, crossfade, an equalizer or ReplayGain controls available?
This version does not expose dedicated controls or guarantees for those features. Its audio settings cover streaming and download encoding, app volume and system audio routing.
Can I control a different Jellyfin client or sync several devices?
The app controls its own playback session and available system audio routes, including its CarPlay session. It does not provide a remote-control interface for another Jellyfin client or a synchronized multi-device listening session.
Which interface languages are available?
English, German, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Luxembourgish, Russian and Serbian, with both Cyrillic and Latin Serbian localizations.
How do I report an issue?
Include your Discrete version and build, device model, iOS or iPadOS version, Jellyfin version and the steps that reproduce the issue. Mention whether it happens with streaming or downloaded music. For playback issues, include the audio format, quality setting and output route; for CarPlay or Duo layout issues, screenshots of the relevant screens are useful.
Help and further information
Get Discrete for iPhone and iPad and take your Jellyfin collection with you.