Airpods pausing audio on their own

[MrXiro]

This has only happened while I use my Airpods but I've been having slight issues of my airpods pausing my music/podcast/audio on it's own. I have the default settings on so double tap is for Siri, so I know I'm not accidentally tapping it to pause. Recently I noticed that when my alarm on my Apple watch goes off it pauses my music but this happens when my alarm isn't going off either.

Anyone else having "ghost" pauses to their audio?

 

[asuandy]

Same here, on occasion. Mostly just with the Apple podcast app. It's certainly annoying.

 

[MrXiro]

Same here, on occasion. Mostly just with the Apple podcast app. It's certainly annoying.

I feel like I'm did something to my phone every time it happens. Do you have an Apple Watch? Could the Apple Watch be interfering?

 

[asuandy]

I have an Apple Watch, but I don't know that it's interfering. It could be my car Bluetooth causing an issue too. At certain points my phone is connected to my watch, car, and Airpods all at once lol

 

[colmaclean]

I've experienced the same thing while playing podcasts, it just pauses for no apparent reason.

I usually notice it when out walking with the Workout app running on my watch, however this could be a red herring as I usually only listen to podcasts while exercising!

I should note that I had the same issue with conventional earphones too, so maybe not an AirPods issue.

 

[MrXiro]

I've experienced the same thing while playing podcasts, it just pauses for no apparent reason.

I usually notice it when out walking with the Workout app running on my watch, however this could be a red herring as I usually only listen to podcasts while exercising!

I should note that I had the same issue with conventional earphones too, so maybe not an AirPods issue.

Hmm so far it's only been the Airpods for me.

 

[Arran]

Could it be that an AirPod is losing contact with your ear?

That would pause audio, by design. It's what the IR sensors do.

 

[MrXiro]

Could it be that an AirPod is losing contact with your ear?

That would pause audio, by design. It's what the IR sensors do.

Hard to say.

 

[protobiont]

I've had this issue as well. It seems to happen after I've been listening for at least 30 minutes or more. Was listening to podcasts in the overcast app and the audio would suddenly just stop. This would typically then happen repeatedly.

 

[MrXiro]

I've had this issue as well. It seems to happen after I've been listening for at least 30 minutes or more. Was listening to podcasts in the overcast app and the audio would suddenly just stop. This would typically then happen repeatedly.

I also use Overcast. Maybe Overcast is the issue?

 

[richard371]

Have mine set to pause double tap and it happened to me once while doing sit-ups at he gym and it just paused. Maybe the accelerometer. If it keeps happening try turning double tap to off.

 

[protobiont]

I also use Overcast. Maybe Overcast is the issue?

I had it happen this morning using the music app.

 

[AaronE]

Same here, on occasion. Mostly just with the Apple podcast app. It's certainly annoying.

Glad I'm not the only one. I use the Podcast app a lot and notice this issue almost everyday.

 

[jhfenton]

I have not had this issue with mine. I use iCatcher for podcasts. I use the iPhone Music app. I use an Apple Watch Series 2. I use them with my iPad Air 2 and my Mac mini (later 2012).

I occasionally have Music not pause when I take one out or not resume when I put it back, but I haven't had any random pauses.

 

[TurboPGT!]

Hard to say.

No its not hard to say, disable the automatic ear detection and test.

 

[MrXiro]

No its not hard to say, disable the automatic ear detection and test.

I haven't had the issue as frequently lately. That's why it's hard to say.

 

[Jaime E]

I have noticed my AirPods pause/disconnect very often when my Apple Watch is charging in my bedroom and I'm using the AirPods in the home office, but not when the iPhone, Watch, and AirPods are closer to each other. I also don't believe I've seen it when completely out of range of the Watch (like when the Watch is home and I'm out). I've even seen iOS tell me the AirPods are in use on the Watch when it happens. It seems like the problem is Bluetooth/range, and auto-connectivity to the Watch. I was thinking I would just bring the watch into the office with me to see if it still happens.
[doublepost=1489431470][/doublepost]It hasn't occurred yet since putting on my watch. Before I was lucky to make it through a song. I'm now about a few songs in, and no issue. I guess the key is to either keep the devices close enough to maintain a solid BT connection, or far away enough so they don't keep auto-connecting.

 

[jhfenton]

I have noticed my AirPods pause/disconnect very often when my Apple Watch is charging in my bedroom and I'm using the AirPods in the home office, but not when the iPhone, Watch, and AirPods are closer to each other. I also don't believe I've seen it when completely out of range of the Watch (like when the Watch is home and I'm out). I've even seen iOS tell me the AirPods are in use on the Watch when it happens. It seems like the problem is Bluetooth/range, and auto-connectivity to the Watch. I was thinking I would just bring the watch into the office with me to see if it still happens.
[doublepost=1489431470][/doublepost]It hasn't occurred yet since putting on my watch. Before I was lucky to make it through a song. I'm now about a few songs in, and no issue. I guess the key is to either keep the devices close enough to maintain a solid BT connection, or far away enough so they don't keep auto-connecting.

I think you're right. I came to the same conclusion. The only time I've had it happen was at the gym a month ago with my phone in my locker and me on the elliptical. My music mysteriously paused a few times during my workout. It's a boutique downtown office gym, so I was probably right at the edge of iPhone-Apple Watch-AirPod BT range. Otherwise, I'm usually either with my phone or, when I go for a run, far away from my phone. Since that one time, I turn BT off on my phone at the gym before locking it in my locker, and I haven't had any issues.

 

[Mw0103]

I have had this issue with both AirPods and a Bluetooth speaker, both with the podcast app and Apple Music. I chalk it up to some unexplainable Bluetooth gremlin.

 

[WeatherMate]

There are many complains about air pod music pause. Even restoring the phone and changing the headset does not fix this issue. But unplugging and re-plugging the headset is fixing the pause issue for some users.

 

[colmaclean]

This will probably jinx me, but since installing iOS 10.3 and watchOS 3.2 last week, I haven't had a single dropout/pause issue with my AirPods.

Before then it happened very frequently (roughly once every 10 minutes when connected to cellular, not wifi), so the difference is remarkable.

 

[jhfenton]

There are many complains about air pod music pause. Even restoring the phone and changing the headset does not fix this issue. But unplugging and re-plugging the headset is fixing the pause issue for some users.

Unplugging and re-plugging what headset? AirPods don't have plugs.

 

[atlisd]

I thought 10.3 might have fixed it but then it suddenly paused my Overcast podcast. It paused several times during a short podcast and to fix it I powered down the Apple Watch. After that the podcast did not pause. This issue is driving me nuts!!! Apple really needs to fix this!!!

 

[jhfenton]

I thought 10.3 might have fixed it but then it suddenly paused my Overcast podcast. It paused several times during a short podcast and to fix it I powered down the Apple Watch. After that the podcast did not pause. This issue is driving me nuts!!! Apple really needs to fix this!!!

And I still don't ever experience mysterious pausing--except in the narrow edge-of-phone-range use case. (The process of the Watch disconnecting from and reconnecting to the phone as you walk out of and into range will occasionally cause brief pauses.)

 

[pacorob]

I have not had this issue with mine. I use iCatcher for podcasts. I use the iPhone Music app. I use an Apple Watch Series 2. I use them with my iPad Air 2 and my Mac mini (later 2012).

I occasionally have Music not pause when I take one out or not resume when I put it back, but I haven't had any random pauses.

I have this pausing issue now happen to me with offline podcasts since a few weeks at first with Downcast app (podcast app) and it's really annoying. Then I thought it might be the app because it hasn't been updated in ages. So I switched to Pocket Cast app but the same problem occured and now also with iCatcher! app as well.

I don't use an Airpods though but Mpow Magneto bluetooth headphones which have been working since ages (although this is my third pair).

I also couldn't find a setting in any of them that caused this. I just did a restart of my iPhone SE running the latest iOS10.3.2 official version and see if it helped or not.