Level 1

117 points

Audio playback stuttering/skipping iOS11.4

I have an issue with my iPhone 7 where during audio playback, whether that be podcast, music or while on the phone, audio will drop out for approximately 1 second. After the dropout, the audio will stutter, much like a CD skipping. This is with the display off, waking the phone will change the issue to where the sound becomes very distorted and will repeat sections of what was just played.

I, and many others, have seen this issue since iOS 11.3. iOS 11.3.1 has not corrected it, nor has the recent release of iOS 11.4. From other people with the issue, closing the app in question, rebooting the phone, nor resetting the phone corrects the issue.

Please correct this as soon as possible as having dealt with it for two months is unacceptable.

iPhone 7, iOS 11.4

Posted on May 30, 2018 1:30 PM

Top-ranking reply

dkentley

Level 1

24 points

Posted on Jul 23, 2018 5:48 AM

Just a general observation; I'll update if something changes.

A few days ago I turned off "background App Refresh" in Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh. This has serious drawbacks, no doubt. But so far I have not had the problem when this feature is disabled. This dovetails with what I had figured it was since it started happening: background tasks locking up the CPU (or the sound subsystem) such that it can't continue to feed the output buffer fast enough, so the DSP repeats the last buffer (since it would just run in a continuous fast loop).

I reported the problem - with OS logs - at developer.apple.com in the bug reporter. There are instructions on how to generate the log, do it as soon as possible after the problem occurs (press both volume buttons + lock, you should feel phone vibrate; don't hold or the phone will reboot). After 10-20 minutes, sync the phone with your computer and a diagnostics file will be copied to your hard drive:

On a Mac it's here: ~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/MobileDevice/[Your_Device_Name]/sysdiagnose

On a PC it's here: C:\Users[Your_User_Name]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Logs\CrashReporter\MobileDevice[Your_Device_Name]\

Seems like a good thing to know in general for any iOS bug you come across.

[Edit: switched the labels for Mac and PC locations, but that was probably obvious, lol]

View in context

429 replies

dflowerz

Level 1

76 points

Jul 10, 2018 9:53 AM in response to dkentley

I have the problem on iPads from an old mini to a fairly current 12.9 inch iPad pro. This morning I went back to streaming music on my very old iPad mini and it did OK through 3 or 4 songs. Not even sure what OS version it is running. I still had the problem on the big iPad Pro with 11.4.1

dflowerz

Level 1

76 points

Jul 10, 2018 10:01 AM in response to dkentley

I am using the lighting connector for power and the 3.5mm jack for audio output to a speaker system. Can you do sound on an iPad lighting connector that also had a 3.5mm headphone jack? I never thought of trying that on an iPad. If doable I will test it tonight. So far I have never had the problem on my iPhone X.

dkentley

Level 1

24 points

Jul 10, 2018 10:06 AM in response to dflowerz

Yes, anything with a lightning port can be used with any of the lightning audio adapters, as far as I have seen so far.

I thought this problem was isolated to using the lightning port, and possibly bluetooth. Didn't know it was happening via the analog 3.5mm output, which puts this at a much deeper level than I had assumed.

TarioJ

Level 1

4 points

Jul 11, 2018 4:50 PM in response to daniellefromhighlands ranch

Yes!!! I’ve been experiencing the same thing and thought it was Amazon. So glad I found this thread. I’ve experienced it during calls too. I found a thread on Android where it was a Bluetooth issue and it was resolved by removing power saving mode on specific apps. I don’t think we have that option. And Apple did employ power saving solutions in the latest build. Related? Not sure but this is getting quite annoying.

Jul 13, 2018 7:17 AM in response to fromer_13

Been experiencing this on 11.3 but rarely and so far only on my iPad pro.

Now at 11.4.1 and occurring more frequently. A real pain in the ...

I listen to music when I work to set my mind in the proper mood.

Now my brain skids like an old scratched vinyl LP...

Apple, what happened with Q/A ? Since the first iPod we were listening to music w/o glitches...

Ouche...

Jul 17, 2018 3:57 AM in response to mátéfromnagykovácsi

No, it's exactly the same for me. As I mentioned earlier in the thread I've had the problem for a while, but it's definitely worse since the latest update. And, like you, I find it shows up when I lock the screen.

Jul 17, 2018 4:00 AM in response to IainwithtwoIsandaniPhone7

Has anyone here had any joy from Apple support with this? I have had several live chats now but they are completely unable to help. They suggest lots of steps eventually leading to restoring the phone, but none have worked for me. Infuriatingly, they say they cannot look at these threads so I don't feel as though I can get any of the operatives to understand how widespread and serious this problem is.

Has anyone else had any more luck?

Jul 19, 2018 9:36 PM in response to fromer_13

So so happy I found this thread. Started happening once I updated to 11.4.1. I listen to podcasts every single day at work and now I can’t go 2 minutes without it either skipping podcast, fast forwarding, speeding up the audio to 2x audio or adjusting the volume. I spoke to Apple and they tried a restart and troubleshoot and came back with nothing. I’m not sure if it’s my headphone adaptor but after reading this thread it seems it’s the phone. I’m book in to see Apple Genius Bar on Sunday and I’ll show them this thread! Can’t listen to any music or podcasts, which is what i use my phone for 75% of the time. Anyone had any luck? Do you think we’ll just have to wait for an update?

Jul 19, 2018 10:18 PM in response to BirdsFlyHigh

Got an appointment for Sunday at the Apple store and I already know how that conversations gonna go

“We can’t fix it or don’t know how to fix it, wait for an update or wait for more people to make a fuss about it because you’re the only person that’s come in here with that issue”

Jul 19, 2018 10:24 PM in response to BirdsFlyHigh

Wow, and here I am salty as **** that it’s been happening for 2 days!!

I’ll post back on here after my appointment, doesn’t seem like getting a new handset will change anything, but I’ll try for a new one anyway 🙈

Jul 20, 2018 6:05 AM in response to Alexsallery

It happens while I’m charging with, or without, an Apple lightning cable or a generic lightning cable. It happens when the phone is not charging. It happens while using my Apple ear buds (non wireless, and I don’t have generic ear buds). It happens while I’m using my Audible app through Microsoft Sync in my car. It happens when I’m listening to my Audible app with Apple ear buds.

I have an iPhone 6S Plus with the highest amount of memory available, and plenty of open gigs. It started with 11.3 and continues with 11.4.1 It’s evidently not the phone, the lightning cable, or ear buds since people with a brand new iPhone 10 are having the exact same issue. It’s so frustrating that it’s being ignored by Apple when there are legions of us having the problem.

Jul 20, 2018 8:36 PM in response to Bunny3987

I find it so hard to believe that NOBODY at Apple has heard of this problem when there appear to be legions of people who are having it. I’ve reported it. Has everybody else filed an official complaint?

Jul 20, 2018 9:40 PM in response to welshwitch

I also think it depends on the wording of post titles/searches. The advisor told me she tried looking up this problem to see if there were any posts about it, and she came up with nothing... and I noticed if I wrote “iPhone glitches music when connected to auxiliary cord” I don’t get any topics even close to what this issue is... I only found this thread because I used the search term “music skipping on iPhone” and just happened on this page.

So that could have something to do with them not really “knowing“ about the issue... but I do agree that it seems pretty farfetched that the majority of apple tech support have no idea about this issue.

Jul 21, 2018 8:05 AM in response to Bunny3987

I found this thread through a google search. I don’t remember my exact wording but it was something along the lines of “Music distorting and skipping on iPhone”. This thread wasn’t even at the top of the results. I got a lot of hits.

I think what really aggravated me was when I downloaded the app for Apple Support, sent a message through the app about the problem and that many many others were having it, and got a response that they weren’t the right people to talk to and I needed to contact another department to help me with my “phone problem”, when I had already said it was happening across the spectrum of iPhone versions and all seemed to start with the iOS 3 update. Ugh. I wanted to say “can you just relay the message to somebody??!!”

xosder

Level 1

14 points

Jul 21, 2018 1:46 PM in response to fromer_13

Same here. Audio cuts out temporarily and then back in or stutters like it's being buffered or something. Or more often, audio will play normally for a minute or so and then get static-y, like it was a bad radio signal or something, or a scratchy vinyl record. The third issue I'm having is that when connected via CarPlay, but I'm listening to the radio in the car, the radio will just die. It's like the iPhone takes over the audio channel from the car's sound system, even though the phone was just sitting there idle. Sometimes this happens when I'm using Maps via CarPlay, but sometimes I'm not using anything on the phone. The radio will just die.

And as for my battery, which I know is another issue...it will drain ~50-75% in 2 hours now, even though the phone says I have 86% capacity. And this will happen even when I'm not running any apps.

Apple, I've been a fan for 30 years, but this is testing my patience big time...

iPhone 6s

11.4.1

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Audio playback stuttering/skipping iOS11.4