iOS notifications keep pausing my music/videos. Make it not do this.
April 17, 2022 4:06 PM Subscribe
When I'm listening to music or watching things on YouTube on my iPhone or iPad (or via the device paired to the TV), whatever I'm listening to or watching gets paused when a notification from various apps comes in. I hate this. Is there a way to make this not happen?
It's bad enough when it's a notification from one of the Discord servers I'm on where things are sometimes (but not usually) time-sensitive. But when the music I was listening to got paused because the flipping Photos app thought I needed to be reminded of pet memories from six years ago... no. Please tell me there's a way to make notifications not do this.
It's bad enough when it's a notification from one of the Discord servers I'm on where things are sometimes (but not usually) time-sensitive. But when the music I was listening to got paused because the flipping Photos app thought I needed to be reminded of pet memories from six years ago... no. Please tell me there's a way to make notifications not do this.
Turn off notifications for apps you don't care about, like Photos. There is no reason to allow those apps to send you notifications.
You can also tune how notifications are presented on an app-by-app basis. The least intrusive is just having the app icon show a badge with a number on it. You have control of this.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:04 PM on April 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
You can also tune how notifications are presented on an app-by-app basis. The least intrusive is just having the app icon show a badge with a number on it. You have control of this.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:04 PM on April 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
You could also use Focus mode to silence notifications when you're wanting to settle back for some content-consuming no-interruption time. Highly recommended.
More here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212608
posted by BlackPebble at 5:39 PM on April 17, 2022
More here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212608
posted by BlackPebble at 5:39 PM on April 17, 2022
As far as I know, this is not normal behavior. (I don't have YouTube app on my iPhone though.) When I am watching on Netflix or Apple TV+ apps, incoming notifications don't pause the video. Does other video-playing apps on your iPhone exhibit the same behavior?
Focus mode to silence notifications is definitely one workaround. You can also automate your iPhone to turn on the Focus mode whenever you launch the YouTube app. You can set this under the "Turn On Automatically" section of individual Focus modes. (You'll have to remember to turn off the Focus mode though when you are done and want notifications.)
posted by applesurf at 6:06 PM on April 17, 2022
Focus mode to silence notifications is definitely one workaround. You can also automate your iPhone to turn on the Focus mode whenever you launch the YouTube app. You can set this under the "Turn On Automatically" section of individual Focus modes. (You'll have to remember to turn off the Focus mode though when you are done and want notifications.)
posted by applesurf at 6:06 PM on April 17, 2022
Another chime in to say this isn't normal behavior with apps I use, and if the YouTube app does that by default, I'm glad I don't use it. In your Notifications preferences, you may be able to control the settings of the YouTube app so that it won't do that anymore.
In my experience, iOS notifications will briefly lower the volume on the Music and Podcasts apps. In my car, using Car Play, turn-by-turn directions in the Maps app will similarly duck the audio in the Music app, but will briefly pause the Podcasts app (which I think is helpful in that case.)
posted by emelenjr at 8:18 PM on April 17, 2022
In my experience, iOS notifications will briefly lower the volume on the Music and Podcasts apps. In my car, using Car Play, turn-by-turn directions in the Maps app will similarly duck the audio in the Music app, but will briefly pause the Podcasts app (which I think is helpful in that case.)
posted by emelenjr at 8:18 PM on April 17, 2022
Not to readers: YouTube tries to sell its subscription service in its app heavily on the 'play in the background' feature. It's possible that it has a very expansive idea of what is 'background'.
I would probably set up a focus for this, specifically for use when I want a bit of watching time. You can choose which apps' notifications do and do not get let through in a given focus.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:14 PM on April 17, 2022
I would probably set up a focus for this, specifically for use when I want a bit of watching time. You can choose which apps' notifications do and do not get let through in a given focus.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:14 PM on April 17, 2022
If you mean the annoying thing where iOS mutes the audio for a moment to play your notification sound, you can stop this by flipping on silent mode (with the switch).
It shouldn't actually pause your music either way though. That might just be the YT app handling the focus loss badly or something.
turn-by-turn directions in the Maps app will similarly duck the audio in the Music app
In previous iOS versions, at least, you could "fix" this by setting the navigation voice volume to Low, where it doesn't duck. This isn't loud enough to hear clearly over music, but you at least know the turn is coming.
posted by neckro23 at 11:07 PM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
It shouldn't actually pause your music either way though. That might just be the YT app handling the focus loss badly or something.
turn-by-turn directions in the Maps app will similarly duck the audio in the Music app
In previous iOS versions, at least, you could "fix" this by setting the navigation voice volume to Low, where it doesn't duck. This isn't loud enough to hear clearly over music, but you at least know the turn is coming.
posted by neckro23 at 11:07 PM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by Thorzdad at 4:57 PM on April 17, 2022