Is it possible to listen to a podcast or tunes or other audio like a radio app, while doing something else, like playing a game which would normally have audio priority? Often I'd rather hear something other than repetitive gamesounds or a website's audio. Maybe there's a utility app for this that I'm not aware of? The preferences for various apps don't seem to have anything. I have iPad Air.
iPad, iOS 7.0.6
iTunes and radio apps will continue to play while you are using another app, and if you want to mute the game sounds, you have to mute system sounds either by using the side switch or the software switch in the control center. Muting system sounds will allow iTunes to continue to play music while game sounds, keyboard clicks and other app sounds are muted.
System sounds can be muted and controlled two different ways. The screen lock rotation can be controlled in the same manner as well.
Settings>General>Use Side Switch to: Mute System sounds. If this option is selected, the switch on the side of the iPad above the volume rocker will mute system sounds.
If you choose Lock Screen Rotation, then the switch locks the screen. If the screen is locked, you will see a lock icon in the upper right corner next to the battery indicator gauge.
If you have the side switch set to lock screen rotation then the system sound control is in the control center if you are running iOS 7. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get to control center . Tap on the bell icon and system sounds will return.
If you are running iOS 5 or iOS 6, the system sound control is in the task bar at the bottom. Double tap the home button and swipe all the way to the right in the task bar to get to the speaker icon on the left side. Tap on that and the sounds will return.
If you have the side switch set to mute system sounds, then the screen lock can be accessed in the same manner as described above.
This support article from Apple explains how the side switch works.
iTunes and radio apps will continue to play while you are using another app, and if you want to mute the game sounds, you have to mute system sounds either by using the side switch or the software switch in the control center. Muting system sounds will allow iTunes to continue to play music while game sounds, keyboard clicks and other app sounds are muted.
System sounds can be muted and controlled two different ways. The screen lock rotation can be controlled in the same manner as well.
Settings>General>Use Side Switch to: Mute System sounds. If this option is selected, the switch on the side of the iPad above the volume rocker will mute system sounds.
If you choose Lock Screen Rotation, then the switch locks the screen. If the screen is locked, you will see a lock icon in the upper right corner next to the battery indicator gauge.
If you have the side switch set to lock screen rotation then the system sound control is in the control center if you are running iOS 7. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get to control center . Tap on the bell icon and system sounds will return.
If you are running iOS 5 or iOS 6, the system sound control is in the task bar at the bottom. Double tap the home button and swipe all the way to the right in the task bar to get to the speaker icon on the left side. Tap on that and the sounds will return.
If you have the side switch set to mute system sounds, then the screen lock can be accessed in the same manner as described above.
This support article from Apple explains how the side switch works.
No. Something else is at play here. I can listen to iTunes while browsing with Safari but when I navigate to, say, a youtube page, iTunes will pause. iTunes will play over most games whether the games' audio is muted by the system or by the apps' own preference, or not mutrd at all, but there are some games that act like the youtube page and iTunes is paused when the game opens. Something in the way the game is written. I guess I will need to plug my ears into a separate device to get around this.
Any other ideas?
This is how I have my iapd setup and maybe it will help you.
Go to Settings>General>Use Side Switch to>Lock Screen. That will allow you to use the switch on the side of the iPad - the one above the volume rocker - to lock the screen orientation. After you set that up in the settings, test it. Flip the switch and look for the padlock icon in the upper right corner. If you se the padlock, the setting is correct. Flip the switch back to unlock screen orientation,
Now swipe up from the bottom of the iPad to get to the control center. The Mute icon wil look like a bell with a line through it, it will be in the row of icons at the top and it will be the one on the right. Tap it and it will turn white indicating that system sounds have been disabled. Now swipe down to remove the control center from the screen.
You can test this by trying to type something and if you don't hear keyboard clicks, you set it correctly. You can also test it by launching one of your games and see if the sound disappears.
Just remember that when you're done playing and you want the sounds back, you have to go to the control center again and unmute the sounds.
Thank you. I'll see if my old brain can make this work.
Also many games and apps have volume controls inside their apps under settings. Robocop, Spider Solitaire, and ISS Space Station for example.
Listening to audio app while working (playing) at something else
