There are a few ways to turn off music playing in the background on an iPhone. The easiest way is to open the Control Center and toggle off the music controls. You can also go into the Settings app and restrict background activity for music and media apps. Using Do Not Disturb mode is another option to silence background audio.
Use Control Center to Toggle Background Audio
The quickest way to stop music or audio playing in the background on your iPhone is to open Control Center and tap the music controls. This will pause any audio that is currently playing, whether it’s music, a podcast, audiobook, etc.
To access Control Center, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen on iPhone X or later models. On iPhone 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Look for the media player section and tap the pause icon to stop any background music or audio.
This is the most straightforward way to quickly mute background audio. It essentially pauses whatever is making sound in that moment. The audio source will stay open in the background, so you can resume playback at any time by opening Control Center again and hitting play.
Restrict Background Activity in Settings
For a more permanent solution, you can limit apps’ ability to run audio in the background. This will prevent music, podcasts, and other media from automatically resuming playback when you switch apps or lock your iPhone.
To restrict background activity:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap on General
- Tap on Background App Refresh
- Locate any music, podcast, audiobook, or other media app and toggle it to Off
With background app refresh disabled for those apps, they will no longer be able to run audio unattended. You will have to manually open the app and hit play for audio to resume.
A downside is that you may miss out on app updates or syncing until you launch the app again. But it ensures no unexpected background music. You can toggle the setting back on anytime to re-enable background activity.
Enable Do Not Disturb Mode
Do Not Disturb is an iPhone feature that silences notifications and calls. But it can also be used to mute background audio.
When enabling Do Not Disturb, you have the option to allow calls from your contacts and repeated calls to override the setting. This results in only muting non-essential sounds.
To use Do Not Disturb to turn off background music:
- Open Settings and tap on Do Not Disturb
- Toggle on Do Not Disturb
- Tap on Options to customize what can override it
- Ensure repeated calls and contacts’ calls are not enabled
This will block all calls, alerts and background audio until you disable Do Not Disturb. Just toggle it off when you want to resume getting notifications and allowing media playback.
The downside is you won’t receive any calls or alerts at all, including important ones. Make sure to occasionally turn off Do Not Disturb or set a time limit if expecting important contacts to call.
Force Close the Audio App
You can also fully force quit the app that is playing audio in the background. This will completely stop all activity from the app, including any background audio.
To force quit an app on iPhone X or later:
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause slightly in the middle
- Swipe up again and hold to show your open apps
- Locate the app you want to close and swipe up on its preview to force quit
On iPhone 8 or earlier:
- Double click the Home button to show open apps
- Swipe up on the app preview to force quit
This will completely shut down the app, stopping any music immediately. Just remember to reopen it later if you still want to access the app for other purposes.
Restart the iPhone
Restarting your iPhone will end all background activity from apps and should stop any music playback occurring without you actively choosing it.
To restart an iPhone 8 or earlier, hold down the Power button until the “Slide to power off” prompt appears. Slide it, then wait 30 seconds before pressing the Power button again to restart.
For iPhone X and later, hold either volume button and the side button until the slider appears. Slide to turn off, wait 30 seconds, then hold the side button down again until the Apple logo appears to restart.
This brute force method isn’t recommended as a regular solution, as it will force quit all apps and interrupt anything else running on your iPhone. But it ensures no media can sneak through and autoplay in the background after the reboot.
Conclusion
Unwanted background music on your iPhone can be annoying. But thankfully there are a few quick ways to take control:
- Use Control Center to pause or mute audio
- Restrict background activity in Settings for media apps
- Enable Do Not Disturb to block sounds
- Force quit the unwanted audio app
- Restart your iPhone as a last resort
The Control Center method is the fastest way to pause background audio. Limiting background app refresh provides a more permanent fix. Do Not Disturb blocks audio more selectively. And force quitting or restarting can get rid of particularly stubborn audio apps.
With the right tools, you can stay focused on tasks without the distraction of unexpected music apps running amok. Take back control of your iPhone’s background soundtrack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does music keep playing in the background on my iPhone?
There are a few reasons why music or other audio may continue playing in the background:
- The app has background audio enabled and is designed to keep playing
- You haven’t fully quit the app, leaving it running in the background
- Background app refresh is enabled, allowing the app to resume
- Your iPhone’s media volume is turned up
How do I disable background app refresh?
To disable background app refresh:
- Open Settings > General
- Tap Background App Refresh
- Toggle Background App Refresh to Off
You can also customize it app by app from this menu.
What happens if I force quit an app?
Force quitting an app completely shuts down all activity and processes running from that app. It will stop any background audio, refresh updates, notifications, etc. The app remains installed but will need to be fully restarted next time you open it.
How do I customize Do Not Disturb settings?
To customize Do Not Disturb on iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb
- Toggle Scheduled to set times to automatically enable it
- Tap Options to choose what can override DND while active
- Select Allow Calls From to permit calls from chosen contacts
You can schedule it for certain times and allow exceptions like repeated calls. This gives you more control over Disturb while silencing unwanted noises.
Should I restart my iPhone regularly?
Restarting the iPhone occasionally can help free up memory and allow apps and system processes to start fresh. But regularly restarting the iPhone is not necessary for most users. Only restart it if you are troubleshooting an issue or your iPhone is acting sluggish.
Turning Off iPhone Alarms
In addition to stopping background music playback, you may also want to know how to turn off alarm sounds on your iPhone.
To quickly silence an active alarm:
- Wake your iPhone’s screen if it is asleep
- Swipe left on the alarm to disable it
- Tap Stop to confirm stopping the alarm
This will immediately disable the ringing alarm clock. Alternatively, you can press the Side button to snooze an alarm for 9 minutes.
To delete an alarm:
- Open the Clock app and select the Alarm tab
- Swipe left on the alarm to reveal a Delete button
- Tap Delete to remove the alarm
This prevents the alarm from ringing again in the future. You can also toggle alarms on or off temporarily using the switch next to each alarm.
Managing Podcast Settings
Podcast apps often play episodes sequentially and continue autoplaying in the background. Here are podcast management tips for iPhone:
- Open the podcast app Settings menu
- Disable options like Auto Download and Auto Play
- Toggle off Background Audio to prevent unattended playback
This will give you more control over podcast behavior. You can also restrict app refresh and background activity for podcast apps in iPhone Settings for additional oversight.
Preventing Music Autoplay on Services Like Spotify
Streaming services may automatically queue up songs or related music without input. To prevent autoplay:
- Tap the gear icon to access Settings
- Toggle off Autoplay features
- Disable any Background Audio options
With autoplay disabled, music should only play when explicitly selected. YouTube is another service that may automatically play subsequent videos, so disable Autoplay in account Settings for more control.
Conclusion
Unexpected background music on iPhone can certainly be annoying. But thankfully there are a number of effective techniques to take charge of audio controls.
Solutions range from the simple Control Center mute to restricting app refresh in Settings. Enabling Do Not Disturb provides a blanket silence, while force quitting or restarting can end stubborn audio.
Consider customizing audio settings within specific problem apps as well. With a few adjustments, you can maintain focus without random apps interrupting your iPhone experience. Just be sure to toggle settings back on when you want to purposefully play music again.