How to mute ads separately on iOS while using YouTube?

The foreground app is always going to have control over any audio that is playing, whether that is from the app or if it is going to allow play through audio from another source. It can pause/resume or even prevent audio from playing from another source. There is no ranking of audio that is determined by iOS, it is the sole discretion of the app you are currently using. If your current foreground app is not resuming your previous background music, that is either by design of the developer or an oversight on the developers part if they have not resumed your audio after they told the system to pause it for the content they want to play.

From the Developers perspective, this is done using the AVAudioSession framework within their app. The default behavior is to pause background audio when the app chooses to play something, but they can certainly configure the AVAudioSession to perform any way they wish. A game that plays ads is making the choice to have the ad content play instead of your background audio for monetary reasons and they are sending the Pause command to the System for your background music.

AVAudioSession | Apple Developer Documentation

In addition to the 2 previous solutions of not using that particular app, or choosing an in-app purchase option to eliminate the ads, I should also have added a 3rd option to contact the developer as they are certainly capable of resuming your background music after it has been paused, if they wish. You are having to manually start your background music again, because the foreground app is not doing it for you. If a Developer wants to allow this, they must notify the system to return your previous audio source:

Let other apps know when your app finishes playing temporary audio. If your app can temporarily interrupt the audio of other apps, be sure to flag your audio session in a way that lets other apps know when they can resume. For developer guidance, see notifyOthersOnDeactivation.

Playing audio | Apple Developer Documentation

Sorry to get into the weeds on how developers use these API's, but the point is that the foreground app has total control of the audio playing while you are using that app.

The core issue is: you are listening to music, via YouTube, in the background. Meanwhile, you are playing a game, where you probably have in-game volume turned down, I don’t know. So, then there is a certain point, when the game decides, whoops, and plays an ad. iOS will probably consider this as new content being delivered. Similar to me listening to Apple Music, opening YouTube and playing a video. In both cases, iOS will pause background play and continue playing the in-game sound, in this case, the ad. After the ad ends, you will need to resume background play either via the control center or by returning to YouTube. Same concept applies to the fb/ig problem. iOS will rank the content being played in the foreground higher than your background play. Period. Only way to possibly get around it, is I’d imagine if you have your music video play Picture in Picture, and slide it to the side, which you can do since you are a YouTube premium subscriber, iOS won’t stop it for the ad, or you can at least swiftly resume playing the music (if you start it when the ad is currently running, it will “outrank” the ad again). Any other solutions or corrections by other members are appreciated. Thanks.

It is up to the Developer of the game to allow muting the sound/ads while playing their game. If you don't like the behavior of the game you are playing, you have 2 options:

• Don't support that developer any longer by playing their game/app.
• Choose an in-app purchase if offered to eliminate the ads.

The developer spends their own time and money to create the game and continue to update it for their customers, so the income to be able to do that is either going to come from the ads they play or from an in-app purchase to remove the ads. On your device you can turn all sound on/off, but with it on, your options depend on the app you are using. YouTube also runs ads and for those it is up to them on if you are allowed to mute them while still being able to listen to the content when the ad finishes. That is also why you are given the option to purchase Premium Youtube to prevent the ads. The same is true for the apps/games you are using.

If you read Mac Jim ID’s response, it says effectively “not possible, game developer missed out on programming the game sufficiently”. The game doesn’t want you to hear the music, it wants you to listen to the ad. If you don’t like that, you need to stop supporting that game. So, yes. No way to get around it unfortunately.

I wouldn’t expect Apple to copy every single feature from their competitors.

However; if this is important to you, then you can request it by providing ⇢ Product Feedback. 😉

Take care! 👋🏼😉

Is the game separate from YouTube? Games tend to be loaded with ads. If you read the game reviews on the Apple App Store, you will see a prime complaint is the avalanche of ads even from some apps where people say they paid to go "ad-free."

Smells like blackmail to me.

YouTube is not an Apple product. You need to ask them for help with ads on their product.

Thank you for clearing this up with the details and correcting me.