Audio playback stuttering/skipping iOS11.4

I am glad that I am not the only one with this issue. It started for me about 2 weeks ago.

The issue was spotted via Spotify, playback would stop for a second, then restart - followed by glitching and skipping. It was intermittent but happened regularly.

The setup where I experienced this was in my car. iPhone 7 into an auxiliary cable, with a lightning adapter. So I assumed the issue could be any of those connections.

But after updating from 11.3 to 11.4, changing auxiliary cable, uninstalling and reinstalling Spotify - the problem still exists. And it happens with the Apple podcast app, so the issue isn’t unique to Spotify.

Pretty alarmed that other people have this problem also, but notably over an extended period of time, and no updates have solved it.

This is my main way of listening to music - so it’s very frustrating.

Thanks for posting this. I have the same exact problem as described. It happens to me more often than not using the music app, and yesterday occurred in conjunction with use of the Youtube app. Had to manually restart the apps to get them to function properly. This has been an issue for the last several updates and is overwhelmingly frustrating. Please get this fixed Apple!

Nor has Apple publicly and formally admitted to this issue that 1000’s of us experienced. They expect the public to figure it out in public forums.

It is unacceptable, and as an apple customer for 30 years, I’m finally seeing their customer service slip.

Not Happy..

Audio Skipping... in a device whose secondary function is severely comp

I have a 6s, and have been experiencing this exact same issue since iOS 11 first came out. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, via apps including Audible, Overdrive, and Hoopla. I also use Apple’s Podcast app, Music app, and Amazon Music. Not only have I experienced this pause/stutter/skip/cutting in and out within ALL of these applications, but apparently, it’s also impacting my phone as well; my husband has noticed the same issues when on calls with me.

I took my phone in to an Apple Store (for a defective battery replacement) about a month ago. When I mentioned this issue to the staff member helping me, he said he’d “never heard anything about that,” but said he’d “make a note about it and pass it along.” I’m pretty sure he thought I was just another village idiot who didn’t know how to plug my headphones in properly (or something to that effect); I’d be willing to bet the cost of a new iPhone that my concerns were NEVER noted nor passed along to anyone.

After eagerly awaiting two more updates, I’m starting to feel like this issue is never going to be resolved. I’m

glad I downloaded the 11.4 update...now my battery drains super-fast, my apps freeze, and the stuttering audio is STILL a chronic issue. SMH.

I know the feeling — if this really is a case of 11.3 adding so many features the iPhone 6s can't cope with the overhead of all the extra background CPU usage, they shouldn't have released it. Prior to 11.3, I had only considered upgrading to get some of the newer features, because my phone was still working great. Now, I'm so frustrated I don't want to upgrade unless this problem actually gets fixed, *and* I'm reluctant to install updates until then, since it could make things worse.

My hope is that Apple will fix this bug in 11.4.1 or something very soon. My suspicion is there's some runaway processes since the phone also seems to get hot, but I have no idea what that would be, since like you said it happens often when the phone is otherwise idle, and just playing back audio. It'd be one thing if it skipped when I was heavily multi-tasking, but the fact that it's acting like winamp on a 486 while idle makes me think this is 100% a bug, and not just the phone being over-taxed and being unable to keep up with demand.

Frustrating, since even phone calls are affected. Maybe one of these days Apple will develop a real-time OS kernel for their mobile architectures, so we can prioritize CPU usage. Seems like this kind of bug shouldn't be possible in a well-designed application framework.

@welafever - you seem to be somehow personally offended by the fact people are experiencing a problem with their iPhone software?

I'm not sure anyone posting on this thread expects volunteers to help them with suggestions to reboot their device etc, I think what they DO expect is that Apple acknowledge and fix an apparently yet-to-be-identified software problem that was introduced in IOS 11 and continues to be a problem now with 11.4 (in my case - actually worse than it was under previous releases)

Just to clarify, the issue is not related to Spotify or Pandora or any other third-party app - the stuttering occurs with audio in the native Apple Music app and even on phone calls.

If someone here can confirm that a full wipe and restore actually resolves this audio stuttering problem for them on IOS 11.4 I'll happily follow this process - as frustrating and annoying as that is. It still doesn't explain the problem or why Apple haven't acknowledged it up until now.

kellyseattle wrote:

I believe the accelerometer then kicks in, the cpu goes to 100%, and the audio stops for 10 or 15 seconds then stutters, skips, and warbles because IOS is confused.

There is definitely a spike in CPU usage, but I think it's unrelated to the accelerometer. Have a look at this:

This was the CPU usage on my phone while audio was playing starting when it was removed from power (connected to computer, charging through USB) with the "pause" in audio, and the 30 or so seconds elapsed until the audio kicked back in.

CPU reached around 55% when the pause occurred, and a whopping 75% around the time it kicked back in.

I had about 6 or 7 apps open at the time as well, in addition to holding the phone vertically and inverted (to simulate being in a pocket... even bounced it up and down a little). While connected to power and screen display active, this didn't reach much past 25% of CPU usage. While disconnected the first time (same movements), the CPU spikes occur until the OS seemingly "corrects" itself.

(also noticed a slight dip in RAM usage around the time audio started playing again... see blue line above)

Congratulations! You are now and Apple expert. 😁

But seriously, I'd be interested to hear what they say. The issue has been going on since iOS 11.3 with a whole different thread as well as non Apple news, see links below:

iOS 11.3 Audio Skipping

http://piunikaweb.com/2018/04/12/ios-113-users-reporting-music-audio-skipping-pr oblem/

http://www.shudhtech.com/2018/04/ios-113-music-playback-skipping-and.html

Hard restart of phone provides symptomatic relief for a few fours. I played my phone all day yesterday and after around 4-5 hours the glitch would return. I would then hard restart (press and release volume up, press and release volume down, then hold the side button until the phone restarts on its own) and everything would be fine again for a few hours.

The next thing I am trying is the redownloading/re-applying of iOS 11.4.1. Just finished, so will try this throughout the day. The next step will be to take the phone back to factory restore and see how that goes.

If none of that works, I suggest we all join the Apple iOS 12 beta program so we can give them feedback directly, given they are either not listening or ignorant of the issue.

https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/

Everybody who is experiencing this, please go to Product Feedback - Apple - it's the only way they actually find out about these things. There is too much noise in the forums for them to pay attention to it.

If you have a developer account, use their feedback system. You can save diagnostics for it (I have) - instructions are online. (Press both volume buttons + lock button - it should vibrate - then WAIT, then sync with computer and the file is in there somewhere.)

It's the only way this crap gets fixed, venting can be cathartic but it does not fix it. Especially intermittent problems that they may not be experiencing (if 1% are having this issue, it's still MILLIONS of people, but it could be hard for Apple to replicate it - the only way to combat this is by submitting all the information you can).

Do any of you also use CarPlay? If so any issues there with audio distortion?

There seems to be a similar bug since iOS 11.3 affecting CarPlay users and of course has gone completely unfixed since iOS 11.4 up until the latest iOS 12 PB8

Crackle and Pop using CarPlay

I've been having this issue for more than 6 months.

I've read several reports where they have done a complete wipe. Then either 1) restore from iCloud, or 2) reload and setup a new clean installation of IOS, and neither has worked.

I suggest reporting the issues to Apple Support and Apple Feedback, since it does not appear that anybody on the Apple staff reads this community self help blog.

Contact Apple Support

What’s happening with your iPhone?

https://getsupport.apple.com/?caller=psp&PRKEYS=PL133

iPhone Feedback

https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

I also am having this issue. 128 gb iPhone 6s iOs 11.4.1 but the issue started around iOs 11 update. As someones had mentioned I disabled shake to undo but that did not solve the issue. There is an embarrassing amount of people with this issue to have zero acknowledgement from Apple. Has anyone else filed a bug report?

I have this issue too, wanted to offer my 2c on the situation.

iPhone 7, think I was on a later version of IOS11.2 or an early version of 11.3 when the issue started (a few months ago). I just updated to 11.4.1 and that did not help.

This is what I'm seeing:

• I only have audio issues when something is plugged into the lightning connector - carplay head unit, wired headphones (I use sennheiser momentums connected to the lightning dongle).
• Issue happens with everything I listen to (Spotify, Podcasts, phone, Music app)
• Issue ONLY happens when the phone is locked - IE - I open an app to select something, then when I lock my phone it happens. Or with carplay, if I open my phone to look at the home screen then lock it again, the audio issue starts
• Only fix is to unplug and re-plug in the device. OR in the event of Carplay, if I switch to my radio, then back to my iPhone audio, the issue goes away
• Rebooting might help for a few hours
• Issue seems to persist regardless of how many or how few apps I have running in the background.

My guess is - maybe it's the audio chip related to the lightning connector? Or maybe the whole battery/throttling issue? I'm at 86% battery life.

I really like my 7 as a phone and will probably keep it (I may even do the discounted batter replacement before the end of the year) and run it into the ground, but I really would like to keep this phone a bit longer, as I tend to average 3 years between replacements...

• I have the iPhone 7S with IOS 11.4.1
• For me, the audio stuttering/skipping happens with both wired, and bluetooth headphones.
• The folks at the Apple store gave me a new lightning headphone dongle which helped a little, but every day, several times a day, I still have the audio stuttering/skipping with both wired, and bluetooth headphones.
• The level of charge of the phone does not make any difference.
• The only thing that seems to temporarily fix the issue for a few hours is re-booting the phone. I plug in the lightning to headphone adapter dongle with the headphones, turn off the phone, wait about 30 seconds for the phone to totally power down, then turn the phone back on.
• None of my music, or audiobook files have been corrupted, since they play fine after a re-boot with the dongle.
• Thousands of people seem to be having this issue across multiple generations of iPhone.
• For me it happens in both the Apple iPhone music app, and Audible audiobook app, and others have indicated other apps.
• I'm going to make a guess that it's a feature in the IOS operating system.