How do I keep playing music while on a call?

One common frustration for smartphone users is when the music or audio they are listening to suddenly stops when a phone call comes in. This interruption can be jarring and disruptive, especially if you are in the middle of enjoying a song, podcast, or audiobook. In an age when multitasking is common, users want the ability to continue listening to audio while still being able to receive and make calls on their smartphones.
There are a few reasons why a phone call interrupts music playback on smartphones. Incoming calls are usually given the highest priority to ring through, which overrides any other audio apps running in the background. Most smartphones also have limitations in mixing together audio streams from different sources.
Thankfully, with the right settings and tools, there are ways to keep music or other audio playing smoothly even while taking calls on a smartphone.
Understanding Call Behavior
When an incoming call occurs on a mobile device, most phones will automatically pause any media that is currently playing. This is a default setting found in the software of major mobile operating systems, including iOS and Android. As explained on reddit, “If you’re using a high end phone for music, it will sound like trash when you get a phone call” (source).
The reason for this behavior is that the phone prioritizes the phone call audio over any other media audio. As Quora user Anupam Chugh explains, “Music coming FROM the phone would be difficult to hear, since most phone software mutes or subdues the music during a call.” This automatic muting or ducking of other audio sources allows both parties on the call to hear each other clearly.
So in summary, when a call comes in, the phone operating system will typically pause any music, videos, or other media playing on the device. The phone call takes audio priority in order to enable clear communication between both parties.
Using Do Not Disturb
One of the easiest and most effective ways to continue playing music during a phone call on an iPhone is to use the Do Not Disturb mode (1). Enabling Do Not Disturb allows all incoming calls and notifications to be silenced so they don’t interrupt what you are currently doing, like listening to music.
When Do Not Disturb is turned on, the music player will continue playing audio uninterrupted even while on a call. The key benefit is that the music audio does not get redirected to the phone earpiece or speakerphone so you can keep using your headphones or external speakers. This makes it convenient to have a call and listen to music at the same time.
Using Airplane Mode
One simple but effective way to continue listening to music while on an active call is to switch your phone to airplane mode. According to Sibme Help Center, airplane mode isolates cellular, WiFi, and other wireless radio functions like Bluetooth in order to prevent incoming calls and notifications from interfering with what you’re doing on your phone.
By enabling airplane mode from the notification panel or phone settings on your Android or iPhone device, all incoming calls and alerts will be muted temporarily without disconnecting from your existing phone call. This will allow you to keep playing music uninterrupted, ensuring you can continue your call and listen to music at the same time.
The key benefit of using airplane mode is that no new external communications can access your phone, giving you complete control over your experience. Just remember to disable airplane mode after your call ends to resume normal phone functionality.
Get a Dual SIM Phone
One way to avoid having calls interrupt your music is by getting a phone that has dual SIM card slots. With two separate SIMs, you can dedicate one SIM strictly for calls and the other for any media like music streaming. According to Victra, dual SIM phones provide “greater control over one’s communication channels while also improving privacy.” Using two distinct SIM cards keeps your phone uses separate so calls on one don’t disrupt media playback on another. Since the call SIM won’t be used for media, calls on that line won’t cause your music to pause or stop. This gives you seamless playback without pesky pauses, letting you easily continue enjoying your music while talking to friends or family.
Use a Secondary Device
A straightforward workaround is to play music on a second device like a tablet to avoid interrupting your call audio. For example, stream music on your iPad while talking on your iPhone, or play songs on a tablet while using your Android phone for a call.
This method lets you enjoy music uninterrupted since the secondary device output doesn’t get stopped when a call is placed or answered. A tablet or other secondary mobile device essentially serves as a dedicated music streaming device while your primary smartphone is used for calls.
While possible, these kind of workarounds can get cumbersome to manage during a call. But they do save any music apps from getting disrupted.
Many users will connect wireless Bluetooth headphones or a speaker to their secondary device to output the music, letting them set that device aside during a call. Streaming services like Amazon Music Unlimited include family sharing options to help sync playback across devices.
Use Bluetooth Headphones
An easy solution to continue listening to music during phone calls is to use wireless Bluetooth headphones. Many popular headphones like the Nia Bluetooth Headphones allow you to pair to your smartphone via Bluetooth while taking calls normally through your phone’s native calling function.
The key is that Bluetooth allows your phone to send call audio over Bluetooth while also allowing media apps on your phone to stream music over Bluetooth simultaneously. So with Bluetooth headphones connected, you can listen to music uninterrupted while taking a call with the call audio playing through the headphones as well. This allows you to hear both the music and call audio at the same time.
Just make sure to choose Bluetooth headphones that specifically advertise support for simultaneous music streaming and call functionality for full compatibility. Top options like the Kinivo BTH220 Headphones are designed to enable continuous playback during calls without having to pause your music.
Try a Music Player App
Many popular music apps like Spotify have settings that allow you to prevent music from pausing when you receive a phone call. In Spotify, you can go to the app’s settings and disable the “Pause audio on incoming calls” option. This will allow your music to continue playing uninterrupted if you get a call.
Other music apps may have similar settings to control pausing behavior during calls. Check your preferred music app’s settings to see if there is an option to disable pausing on calls. If you rely on music apps for listening to tunes, adjusting these settings can ensure your music plays smoothly even if you need to take a call.
Adjust OS Settings
Some devices have operating system settings that allow you to disable call pausing for media playback. For example, on Android you can go to Settings > Accessibility and enable the “Don’t pause media on incoming calls” option. This will allow media like music or videos to continue playing even when you receive an incoming call.
On iOS, there is no direct setting to disable call pausing. However, some users have reported that toggling on the “Background App Refresh” setting for music and media apps can sometimes prevent those apps from pausing during calls. You can find this under Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
Additionally, adjusting Do Not Disturb settings may impact call pausing behavior. Both iOS and Android allow you to specify exceptions for Do Not Disturb that will still allow calls to ring through. Configuring your phone to silence calls instead could potentially stop media from pausing.
If adjusting OS settings does not resolve call pausing on your device, you may need to explore options within specific media apps instead. But for some devices, the built-in accessibility or background settings provide a way to disable pausing.
Conclusion
There are several methods to allow you to keep listening to music while on a phone call. The best options are:
- Get Bluetooth headphones – These allow you to listen to music and take calls simultaneously without interference.
- Use a music player app with background play – Apps like Spotify allow you to play music in the background while on a call.
- Enable Do Not Disturb while on calls – This silences notifications allowing music to continue playing.
Of these, Bluetooth headphones provide the most seamless experience, allowing you to easily transition between music and calls. Music player apps work well too but may pause briefly when transitioning. Do Not Disturb requires manually enabling/disabling when starting/ending calls.
In summary, with the right gear and app setup, you can comfortably continue listening to music during phone calls without disruption.