Audio playback stuttering/skipping iOS11.4

just recently have started experiencing skipping most obviously on Spotify. It does seem motion related as it is apparent when I get up to leave the train. Tracks will play for a short while then skip to another random track in the playlist.

Some podcasts (using Podcasts app) seem to skip back to earlier point as well.

I have an iPhone XR running iOS 12.1.2

Spotify 8.4.91.903.

Podcasts 3.6 (1310.6)

I had this issue with my last 6s phone. Recently purchased iPhone 7. Have had this issue as well with the new phone. The Apple podcast app - podcast started speaking really fast, then just starting from the beginning, then mid podcast episode skipping to another episode. I deleted the Apple podcast app and downloaded overcast app for podcasts. Was working fine and then EXACT same problem happened. I started listening to Spotify which has been working fine and then boom. Songs skipping and starting over and jumping all over the place. FIX THIS ASAP!! Apparently it’s been going on since 2014 from many of the threads I’ve been reading! Over 3000 said they are having the same issue as the original poster here on this thread. When is Apple going to acknowledge this? My phone literally DOESNT. WORK.

I have experienced the VERY annoying skipping of podcasts and music for the past 12 months. I have been with Apple since my first IIe... I even bought a Newton back in the day, but if this skipping crap on the iPhone isn't fixed, I am walking and never coming back!

My iPhone 5s used to work perfectly with my 2012 Toyota Camry via. bluetooth. I upgraded to a XR and I wish I didn't. The stuttering and skipping is maddening and since this thread is almost a year old I guess there is no hope. :(

I have this issue too (though the music on the iPod is distorted as well). I took the iPod into the Apple store a couple of weeks ago and the guy basically looked at me like I had two heads when I told him about the issue and said it was the first time he'd ever heard of this being an issue. There is literally pages of similar complaints on Google and I don't understand why nothing has been done to resolve the issue. The guy said to phone Apple support but with the comments here and "support" through the homepage, doesn't look like they're doing anything to resolve the issue.

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).