iPad is 18 now, but it can't even do simultaneous audio playback and its window management still suck

[Ludatyk]

Almost every decision Apple makes for the iPhone and iPad is geared towards battery life because that's primarily what people ask for on a phone and tablet. Out of a thousand users probably 999 are asking for battery life and 1 is asking to play multiple media files at the same time. Music faces out during phone calls and video conferencing for the same reason.

If Android devices aren't optimizing like that it's not something they can boast about.

Android in general is not doing it, but Samsung has implemented the feature for their devices.

And it's not necessary about having Spotify and Apple Music playing songs together, that's silly. But some video playing in the background while audio comes from a different source. I think eventually with the introduction of Stage Manager we will see this kind of feature... I'm guessing Apple is trying to do their due diligence when it comes to adding it.

Because I like the new Control Center that's added... giving developers the ability to add actions to it. I suspect we could see a YT, Spotify dedicated volume switcher.

 

[Etienooo]

If you are watching the video in Safari browser that works in iPadOS 17 but using YouTube app let me know if it pauses music when you play Youtube video.

I don’t have the app installed and I can’t download any app since I’ve updated to iPadOS18

 

[NEPOBABY]

Android in general is not doing it, but Samsung has implemented the feature for their devices.

And it's not necessary about having Spotify and Apple Music playing songs together, that's silly. But some video playing in the background while audio comes from a different source.

Apps can be coded to allow audio to keep playing from another app. This isn't a system limitation. It's Apple's own apps that prefer to behave the way people describe here.

 

[Ludatyk]

Apps can be coded to allow audio to keep playing from another app. This isn't a system limitation. It's Apple's own apps that prefer to behave the way people describe here.

Umm.. I don't know, I think it has to do with a system limitation... because Apple haven't put in a method designed for it.

For instance, with my Galaxy Fold... when playing YT or some video source there is a dedicated volume switcher for this (outside of the app) and when I decide to use PocketCast, there's a dedicated volume switcher for this. The way Apple has designed iOS/iPadOS... there's no controls to monitor the volume levels for apps in the background.

And to be fair, there's nothing like this for the Mac... but at least it's possible with apps like SoundSource and Background Music.

 

[NEPOBABY]

Umm.. I don't know, I think it has to do with a system limitation... because Apple haven't put in a method designed for it.

For instance, with my Galaxy Fold... when playing YT or some video source there is a dedicated volume switcher for this (outside of the app) and when I decide to use PocketCast, there's a dedicated volume switcher for this. The way Apple has designed iOS/iPadOS... there's no controls to monitor the volume levels for apps in the background.

And to be fair, there's nothing like this for the Mac... but at least it's possible with apps like SoundSource and Background Music.

It has been enabled temporarily in the past and aside from that there are apps that have work arounds to play sound from two sources. There also members of this forum who have been told by Apple Feedback that developers can bypass system default (pause background audio).

Sources and information in conversations below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/f4bynj
https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/nutph8

 

[Ludatyk]

It has been enabled temporarily in the past and aside from that there are apps that have work arounds to play sound from two sources. There also members of this forum who have been told by Apple Feedback that developers can do bypass system default (pause background audio).

Sources and information in conversations below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/f4bynj
https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/nutph8

I understand your point of view, because in essence this behavior does exist given that we can play games (while audio is playing) and listen to music.

But what I find complicated is why it's not universally accepted by non-gaming apps. I'm of the belief if there's a system in place to monitor volume levels per app basis... then it would be accepted by all devs.

 

[symphony]

Almost every decision Apple makes for the iPhone and iPad is geared towards battery life because that's primarily what people ask for on a phone and tablet. Out of a thousand users probably 999 are asking for battery life and 1 is asking to play multiple media files at the same time. Music faces out during phone calls and video conferencing for the same reason.

If Android devices aren't optimizing like that it's not something they can boast about.

You can stream multiple videos at the same time, just not audio. Which is more taxing than playing two audio sources. This is a limitation on a OS level. You can’t see all audio sources playing in Now Playing like you can on Mac. Speaking of Mac, it doesn't even struggle but that’s whole other beast. iPhone and iPad without a doubt can play multiple audio sources without tanking battery life. And multiple audio sources already exists on iPhone and iPad but not in the way that it is useful.

 

[symphony]

Furthermore, it’s ****** limitations like these that have led to YouTube blocking background play and profiting off it to. Apps stop playing audio when you expect media to keep playing, which is much more annoying on platforms that take advantage of multitasking like iPad and Vision Pro.

 

[symphony]

Glad to see this YouTuber pointed this same issue out and provided an example

 

[Natya Sadella]

Dude calm down I have iPadOS 18 on my m4 iPad Pro and I can have music and Watch something Else with Sound.

 

[Macintosh101]

Just to confirm, I can watch a youtube video and play Apple Music at the same time, as long as I have the sound muted on the youtube video. As soon as I unmute the sound on the video, the music of Apple Music stops playing.

 

[0-0]

Apple needs to allow for simutanious audio on ios and ipados . Cannot believe its still not possible

 

[msackey]

I've explained this every year at some point regarding this issue, I would listen to music and want to watch a tutorial video that may not require any listening, just observing. I wanna view my HomeKit videos without needing my YouTube video to pause just to *see* something. I still encounter bugs, such as reddit, where my music would just pause because a video would auto play. I also don't want my audio or video to stop just cause a pop up video started to overtake the screen in safari. If I wanted to glimpse at what someone sent me, I don't want to wait for my currently playing audio to fade in and out, especially when the video may not have any noteworthy audio to listen to. there is so many scenarios and reasons. it's about being less restrictive.

Apple's answer: buy multiple iPads.

LOL

🤣🤣🤣

 

[richpjr]

Apple's answer: buy multiple iPads.

LOL

🤣🤣🤣

This made me literally LOL.

 

[Runaway Train]

Many websites feature video. If I have Spotify playing as soon as I visit one of these sites, Spotify audio is killed. Annoying. I’m on 17, has 18 corrected this?

 

[Macintosh101]

Many websites feature video. If I have Spotify playing as soon as I visit one of these sites, Spotify audio is killed. Annoying. I’m on 17, has 18 corrected this?

No, unfortunately not.

 

[symphony]

Dude calm down I have iPadOS 18 on my m4 iPad Pro and I can have music and Watch something Else with Sound.

You’re a liar

 

[JD2015]

You’re a liar

When you have stage manager in use You can have two video streams at once, as long as you switch the audio off in one fo the sources. For example, I watched Twitch (via their app) with sound off and at the same time was able to watch a YouTube video in the Brave browser.

Note when you then leave that stage both videos will stop. If you have one as Picture in Picture this will continue playing.

 

[0-0]

When you have stage manager in use You can have two video streams at once, as long as you switch the audio off in one fo the sources. For example, I watched Twitch (via their app) with sound off and at the same time was able to watch a YouTube video in the Brave browser.

Note when you then leave that stage both videos will stop. If you have one as Picture in Picture this will continue playing.

That isnt simutaneous audio playback. We want to play as many videos/audio sources at once like the mac without having to mute one video etc.

 

[JD2015]

That isnt simutaneous audio playback. We want to play as many videos/audio sources at once like the mac without having to mute one video etc.

Submit feedback to Apple.

 

[symphony]

When you have stage manager in use You can have two video streams at once, as long as you switch the audio off in one fo the sources. For example, I watched Twitch (via their app) with sound off and at the same time was able to watch a YouTube video in the Brave browser.

Note when you then leave that stage both videos will stop. If you have one as Picture in Picture this will continue playing.

you missed the entire point

 

[achappy]

When you have stage manager in use You can have two video streams at once, as long as you switch the audio off in one fo the sources. For example, I watched Twitch (via their app) with sound off and at the same time was able to watch a YouTube video in the Brave browser.

Note when you then leave that stage both videos will stop. If you have one as Picture in Picture this will continue playing.

Wow thanks for this!! I never knew this was possible.

Although there seems to be some limitation based on the type of video player the app/site uses. I can't watch both ESPN app and Xfinity (local cable company app) at the same time, even if I mute one. It seems like both are using the same underlying audio/video system. However, I can play a YouTube Video in Safari and watch the Xfinity app. But if I open the Xfinity site in Safari, it then blocks the Xfinity app so it must be using the same "output" as the Xfinity app. This is obvious because when I change the volume in the Xfinity app, it changes the actual iPad volume whereby YouTube in Safari only changes the video volume independent of the iPad volume.

Still good to know that it's possible in some cases. I would like to figure out the Xfinity case as that's the main way I often want to watch two broadcasts at the same time (usually sports) and don't care about audio. I always jump over to my iMac when I want to do that but if it's possible on the iPad

 

[LogicalApex]

The lengths people will go to in their quest to defend whatever Apple has delivered as the only right way will never cease to amaze me.

This is an absolute basic computing feature that Apple should add. The argument for why they skipped it to date that would make sense to me is limited to having no clear way to show what’s playing and from where.

The problem is easily solved by the Dynamic Island though. It could house an icon and UI for when multiple streams are started to allow things like volume adjustments per stream, muting, or stopping.

I absolutely hate having my music vibe interrupted when I am in it. As a result I always play my music via some other device than what I am using. As Apple has decided on a user hostile design choice. Even asking me if I wanted to switch would be better than the current design.

 

[Ludatyk]

The lengths people will go to in their quest to defend whatever Apple has delivered as the only right way will never cease to amaze me.

This is an absolute basic computing feature that Apple should add. The argument for why they skipped it to date that would make sense to me is limited to having no clear way to show what’s playing and from where.

The problem is easily solved by the Dynamic Island though. It could house an icon and UI for when multiple streams are started to allow things like volume adjustments per stream, muting, or stopping.

I absolutely hate having my music vibe interrupted when I am in it. As a result I always play my music via some other device than what I am using. As Apple has decided on a user hostile design choice. Even asking me if I wanted to switch would be better than the current design.

I’m not defending Apple here… I want this feature too. But it’s not as if Apple is alone in lacking this "basic" computing feature. Stock Android does this too (and I believe Chrome OS as well).

 

[LogicalApex]

I’m not defending Apple here… I want this feature too. But it’s not as if Apple is alone in lacking this "basic" computing feature. Stock Android does this too (and I believe Chrome OS as well).

It made sense for the phone space which is sadly where the iPad branched from. I remember in my Windows CE days you could play multiple audio streams, but the OS was a lot more complex for a phone as it was on Windows Mobile. So I get why Apple and Android pulled it on a phone.

The iPhone simplified the user workflow to center around a singular app. In that simplified mode you really don’t have a lot of need for background audio in theory. In practice, you have system wide background audio (for instance music) now. So the foreground app ruling everything leads to friction. As noted in this thread.

On the iPhone I feel this can be solved now with the Dynamic Island. But setting that aside, the iPad really doesn’t have the same problem in my view. There is sufficient screen real estate to offer some control for multiple audio streams. I am sure the iPad limitation is simply a left over of the iOS base for that reason.

If the iPad were released today for the first time. I am convinced Apple would have went with macOS as the base.