With or without U2: How to get rid of your free auto-installed U2 album on iTunes

Apple has granted iTunes users a tool designed to remove U2’s new album from their accounts just six days after giving away the music for free.

17:56 16 September 2014

Six days after U2’s new album was given away for free to a record half a billion people at the same time, the iTunes who complained that the music download file had been automatically installed to their devices without their permission have found what they’re looking for: Apple have introduced a one-click removal tool. 

"Some customers asked for the ability to delete 'Songs of Innocence' from their library, so we set up itunes.com/soi-remove to let them easily do so. Any customer that needs additional help should contact AppleCare," spokesman Adam Howorth told the BBC.

One analyst said that it was embarrassing for Apple that it’s had this backlash.

Ian Maude from the media consultancy Enders Analysis, said: "It was giving something away to its customers - so that part was really good - but what it should have probably done was make it optional. Not everybody's a U2 fan as it's just discovered.

"Is there any long-term impact? No. It's moved very quickly to fix the problem."

Apple made the album available to about 500 million iTunes customers in 119 countries to coincide with its iPhone 6 and Apple Watch launch event last week.