Do you find it annoying when you’re listening to Apple Music and it pauses every time you open another app on your iPhone? You’re not alone – this is a common frustration for many iOS users. Thankfully, there are a few different things you can try to stop Apple Music from pausing when using other apps.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the top solutions to fix this issue, so you can enjoy uninterrupted music playback while multi-tasking on your iPhone.
What Causes Apple Music to Pause?
There are a couple reasons why Apple Music may automatically pause when you open another app on your iPhone:
- Background App Refresh – To save battery life, iOS temporarily suspends background apps that aren’t actively in use. When you switch to another app, Apple Music gets put on pause.
- Auto-Pause Setting – There’s an option in iOS settings that enables auto-pause for media playback. This causes music to pause when opening another app.
- App Conflicts – Sometimes there are conflicts between Apple Music and other apps on your iPhone. This can inadvertently trigger pausing when switching between apps.
- Bugs – As with any app, there may also be software bugs causing Apple Music to misbehave and pause unexpectedly.
Thankfully, the solutions below should help resolve any type of issue that’s interrupting your music playback.
Quick Fix: Use Control Center
The fastest way to stop Apple Music from pausing is to use the media playback controls in Control Center.
Here’s how:
- Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right of your iPhone screen (for newer iPhones with Face ID) or swiping up from the bottom (for older iPhones with Home button).
- Long press on the music playback controls.
- Tap on the “Play Next in Background” icon – it looks like a music note inside an app icon.
This will allow Apple Music to play uninterrupted in the background when opening other apps.
The downside to this method is that you have to re-enable it each time you want continuous playback. But it’s a handy quick fix if you just want Apple Music running in the background temporarily.
Turn Off Auto-Pause in Settings
For a more permanent solution, you can turn off the auto-pause feature in your iPhone settings:
- Go to Settings > Music.
- Under the Playback heading, turn off the “Auto-Pause” option.
This will stop iOS from automatically pausing Apple Music when you open another app.
However, keep in mind that background playback may still be interrupted in order to manage system resources. But disabling auto-pause should prevent most unwanted pausing while using other apps.
Force Close Apps Before Opening Apple Music
Another trick that may help is to force quit any apps you have open before launching Apple Music. This releases any system resources those apps may be using, reducing potential conflicts.
Here’s how to force quit iOS apps:
- Double click the Home button to open the app switcher.
- Swipe up on any app cards to fully close those apps.
- Once all other apps are closed, open the Apple Music app.
By force quitting other apps first, you ensure Apple Music has the maximum amount of system resources available for uninterrupted playback.
Check for App Updates
Make sure that both Apple Music and any other problematic apps are fully updated. App updates often contain bug fixes and performance improvements that could resolve this kind of playback issue.
To check for updates:
- Go to the App Store.
- Tap your profile icon at the top right.
- Scroll down to see any available app updates.
If updates are available for Apple Music or other apps, install them and then test if music still pauses. Keep apps updated routinely to prevent bugs.
Reset All Settings
Resetting all settings on your iPhone essentially refreshes iOS without deleting any data. It clears any corrupted settings that could be causing conflicts with Apple Music.
To reset settings:
- Go to Settings > General > Reset.
- Tap “Reset All Settings”
This will restart your iPhone and restore defaults. Check if Apple Music still pauses afterward. If so, the issue is likely not related to system settings.
Uninstall/Reinstall Apple Music
If all else fails, uninstalling and reinstalling the Apple Music app may resolve persistent playback issues:
- Delete the Apple Music app from your Home screen.
- Go to the App Store and re-download Apple Music.
- Log into Apple Music again.
Reinstalling the app gives you a clean slate, clearing any corrupt files that may be interrupting music playback. Test playing music with other apps open after reinstalling.
Use a Third-Party Music App
As a workaround, consider using a third-party music app like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, etc. There are many excellent options for streaming music on iPhone that may provide a better background playback experience.
The advantage to third-party apps is they don’t rely on the native iOS music functions, so are less prone to system-related interruptions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Here are answers to some common questions about fixing Apple Music playback issues:
Does Apple Music pause when iPhone is locked?
No, Apple Music will keep playing when your iPhone is locked as long as you have an active internet connection. The pausing only occurs when other apps are opened.
Should I force close all apps before opening Apple Music?
It’s not mandatory, but force quitting other apps can help minimize playback interruptions in Apple Music. It frees up system resources and reduces potential conflicts.
What iPhone models have this auto-pause problem?
It’s not limited to any specific models – this can occur on any iPhone running iOS 14 or later. Older iPhone models tend to have more frequent auto-pausing though.
Will this fix work on iPad devices too?
Yes, the settings and troubleshooting steps outlined above also apply to any iPad model running iPadOS 14 or newer.
Does Low Power Mode cause Apple Music to pause?
It shouldn’t directly cause pauses, but can exacerbate the problem. Low Power Mode limits background activity, so music may be more prone to stopping. Exit Low Power Mode for the best Apple Music experience.
In Conclusion
The automatic pausing of Apple Music can certainly be annoying and disruptive. Hopefully the solutions in this guide help resolve the issue for you. The most effective fixes are usually turning off auto-pause in settings, force closing other apps first, or doing a clean reinstall of Apple Music.
Of course, switching to a third-party music app is also an option if you want to move away from Apple’s default player. There are many great alternatives for streaming music.
Let us know in the comments if you found a solution that stopped the constant interruptions to your Apple Music playback. Thanks for reading!