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User profile for user: Peter Lee
Peter Lee Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Podcasts Stops Playing in Background When Using Safari

There appears to be a playback bug with the Podcasts app with the latest iOS 8.4.1. When a podcast is playing in the background while engaged in some other activity on an iPhone 6 in the foreground like browsing the internet using Safari, the podcast will stop playing whenever data is transmitted over a cellular connection. This happens even when the podcast isn't streaming but playing back from a downloaded file saved on the iPhone 6. This playback interruption only occurs when data is transmitted over a cellular connection (a Verizon LTE connection in my case); background playback of the podcast doesn't stop if you happen to be surfing over a wifi connection. I am pretty confident this bug with background playback did not exist with previous versions of iOS but cannot be sure. Anyone else experience the same problem? There doesn't appear to be any way workaround except for keeping the Podcasts app in the foreground.

iPhone 6, iOS 8.4.1

Posted on Aug 15, 2015 5:33 PM

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User profile for user: Nefariousnina
Nefariousnina
User level: Level 1
4 points

Posted on Feb 10, 2017 11:31 AM

this need to be fixed. I've stopped using my iPad to listen to podcasts because of this. It's a ridiculously easy problem to fix Apple. so fix it.

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6 replies
User profile for user: AKRBTN
AKRBTN
User level: Level 6
8,431 points

Aug 16, 2015 3:01 AM in response to Peter Lee

Sounds like some media is opening on the website you're going into, which cancels the podcast playback, just as it would also cancel music playback. It is a feature of the phone that a newly introduced piece of audio/video will cancel anything playing.


The other possibility is that the data connection just isn't fast enough to cope with streaming a podcast and surfing the web at the same time.

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User profile for user: Peter Lee
Peter Lee Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Aug 16, 2015 1:42 PM in response to AKRBTN

Hi AKRBTN,


As I mentioned in my original post, the podcast isn't streaming but is playing off a downloaded copy saved on the iPhone. A slow data connection therefore should be irrelevant to the podcast's playback since it's playing off the flash storage on the iPhone.


Your first suggestion seems more likely. However, if playback is being interrupted because media gets loaded in the browser, then why does playback only stop when browsing over a cellular connection? Shouldn't playback also be interrupted when browsing over wifi if the design is to stop playback when media is opened on the site? Yet, playback only stops when browsing on a cellular connection, not wifi. The fact it only happens over a cellular connection and not wifi makes me think this is a bug and not a feature.


I could swear I never experienced this issue before upgrading to iOS 8.4.1. I suppose it's possible the interruption of the playback is by design and has been this way with previous versions of iOS but I just never noticed it before because most of the time when I listen to podcasts, the podcasts app remains in the foreground and I'm not doing anything else but listening. Still, I'm curious if others could chime in and confirm this is or isn't their experience as well, whether with iOS 8.4.1 or earlier versions.

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User profile for user: AKRBTN
AKRBTN
User level: Level 6
8,431 points

Aug 16, 2015 1:44 PM in response to Peter Lee

OK...but you said in your OP "This happens even when the podcast isn't streaming but playing back from a downloaded file saved on the iPhone 6." which suggested to me that you'd tried both ways.


The other issue can arise because a video starts playing automatically on a website without you having the chance to choose whether you want it.

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Podcasts Stops Playing in Background When Using Safari

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