Player Backgrounding Reference (iOS)

By default, iOS pauses audio and video playback when an application transitions to the background. However, media playback applications often need to continue playing content even when in the background. iOS offers several options to adjust this functionality to align with the specific needs of an application.

This reference explains the methods for controlling player behaviors, such as ad playback, audio output, and media playback, while an application runs in the background on iOS. Correctly implementing these configurations ensures an uninterrupted media playback experience for users.

Backgrounding Configurations

Configure audio playback

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Enable background capabilities must be enabled to permit background audio playback.

The foundation for background audio playback on iOS is the AVAudioSession . All apps interact with audio through an AVAudioSession instance, which manages the app's audio behaviors and policies.

By default, the audio session pauses audio when the app is backgrounded, or the screen is locked. To override this behavior, you must set an appropriate

AVAudioSession category for your use case.

The following example shows how to configure an audio session.

When using the

.playback category, the app audio continues even when the device is silenced or locked. The mode helps iOS to optimize performance and is not required for background audio playback.

Swift Objective-C