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Double-tap home button to get music in apps - gone in v3.1 - workaround?

I hate it that Apple has not made a universal setting that lets people mute application sounds. When I get really immersed in a game, I can play the same thing for hours at a time, and I'd like my music to be on top of that. I know some newer apps are touting features that "let you play your own music library" but not all apps offer this. The workaround was to double-tap the home button to get the music player opening within the app. This effectively died with v3.1, apparently, since it's not working for me anymore.

So here's the question: is there another workaround that will let me play the tunes I want instead of listening to the same 1 minute segment of some game music for 4 hours straight? You have no idea how annoying that is.

Any ideas? And does anyone know why Apple removed this? Bug, maybe?

Stuff I build, usually, or a Macbook Air, I have lots of computers. Most of my support issues don't pertain to computers.

Posted on Sep 11, 2009 2:46 PM

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34 replies

Sep 12, 2009 6:40 PM in response to tamarw

I am having the same problem and youre right it is extremely annoying. I have found a small way around it. When you click the app to open it immediatly double tap the home key to bring up the player (Note: you need to already have music playing). Then wait for the app to shut off your music while keeping the player open. When the app shuts it off, the pause symbol will change. Simply press it again and your music will come back on. After that you can change your music as normally but if you pause it and close the player, you will have to completely exit the app in order to get your music back on.

Message was edited by: Ziggy1251

Sep 12, 2009 6:55 PM in response to Ziggy1251

Thanks. Sometimes some games override the mini player several times throughout the game, so this is a good option at least for the time being but I'm not sure it's the best option. If anything, there should be an option the Apple has in the "Settings" panel to override app/game music. Maybe we should tell Apple our thoughts via these forms:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Actually, I'd recommend that for sure. The more people who do it, the more Apple sees it as a priority. It is extremely upsetting that Apple does not value users' music since the very first generation iPod was a music player and not an app player, and I now see it as a music player primarily with apps secondarily. I believe that Apple doesn't see that, and if people tell them that's what it is, maybe they'll listen.

Sep 14, 2009 12:59 PM in response to Sam11

Sam, if I understand what you're saying, it doesn't work for me.

Here's what I did:

I turned on my music. I opened an App. I left the app sitting idly and waited for my iPod to go into "sleep" mode. I double clicked on the home button, turned the iPod back on (slide), returned to my App, and then double clicked again to access the mini-player.

Is this process incorrect?

Sep 14, 2009 1:57 PM in response to tamarw

What hes saying to do is:
1. Turn your music on.
2. Enter an app that might shut off your music.
3. Press the sleep button to turn the screen off.
4. Turn the screen back on.
5. Without sliding the bar to unlock the iPod, double tap the home key to bring up a music player.
6. Turn the music back on or change your song.
7. Unlock the iPod and your music should still be playing in the app.

Sep 14, 2009 2:48 PM in response to KaeBFly

No, changing your settings for "double-click the home button" doesn't affect the way double-clicking works when the ipod is showing the "slide to unlock" screen.

I've been playing with the workaround (thanks for detailing it Ziggy1251) and found it doesn't work with some of my third party apps, but does with mail, safari, etc.

Message was edited by: Sam11

Sep 14, 2009 3:06 PM in response to Ziggy1251

I want to say that works, Ziggy, but I get stuck on this part:

5. Without sliding the bar to unlock the iPod, double tap the home key to bring up a music player.

When I double tap here, I get nothing. I still am forced to see the slide to unlock.

Maybe, like Sam said, I'm running an app that won't let it happen.

Sep 14, 2009 3:10 PM in response to KaeBFly

KaeBFly: no.

Using versions PRIOR to 3.1.1, if you are running an app, you previously were able to double click on the home button and the mini player would come up, regardless of your iPod settings.

The 3.1.1 upgrade broke this entirely. Make sure you're using 3.1.1 and run a few apps - you'll see that double tapping on them won't bring up the mini-player. This forces you to listen to app music instead of your own library.

It's really sad for Apple when actual application developers advertise the ability to "use your own music library" as one of the "features" of the app. Why Apple couldn't give us these controls is beyond me.

And Da BomB: try to run more aggressive apps with music. I have a Touch 1G and 2G and I can't get it working at all.

Sep 14, 2009 3:11 PM in response to Da BomB

Da BomB, it DOES not (but if it does, please tell us how). The problem is that the pop-up ipod controls won't launch with a double click of the home button when there is no music playing.

In settings you can set up double click to launch pop-up ipod controls when music is playing. Or you can use double click to launch the actual ipod app, search, or home, all of which will pull you out of the app you're using.

The problem is not solved.

Double-tap home button to get music in apps - gone in v3.1 - workaround?

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