iOS 17 Background Sounds cutting in and out

Yes I've been getting this too. It must be a bug with iOS 17. The behavior is I'm listening to audio through the Calm app, at night while in Sleep Focus. I activate Background Sounds. The sounds come on, but after something like 60 seconds they abruptly cut out for one second. Approximately every 60 seconds they cut out again for one second. It doesn't seem to go on forever though. Extremely annoying and disturbs my attempts to get to sleep (one of the key points of this feature!). This is a thing I have done most nights for the last year without a problem, the key difference is upgrading to iOS 17 a few days ago from iOS 16. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE fix this bug so I can sleep. The link provided in the first reply with things to try does not seem to apply to this situation. I shouldn't have to and don't want to change focus or take my phone off silent mode - those are correct states while I'm trying to sleep!

This is not a general sound problem for the iPhone. This is specific only to the iOS background sounds app. And the problem is brand new, with sound cutting out intermittently since iOS 17. Bluetooth or out of speakerphone: same problem for me.

Hi,

I have a similar issue, and I use Bluetooth earphones. I tried these options, but the Background Sounds still tend to cut out and in, seemingly on every few clicks or so. However, other audio such as that of videos and notifications (while in Focus Mode, of course) still works just fine. I don't know exactly what's causing the issue. Please advise. Currently on iOS 17.1.

Welcome ASquareMeter,

This is something we can definitely assist you with, thanks for posting here.

For this issue, we want to recommend starting here: If you hear no sound or distorted sound from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch speaker - Apple Support. That article goes into some detail on what you can do when you're hearing no sounds on your iPhone as well as when you're hearing choppy or distorted sounds like you described.

We hope that this information gets everything working again.

Many thanks!

21jun24 - I’m sorry but this is not the answer for me and the issue still persists on my iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (3rd generation) running iPad OS 17.5.1

This, as Ginsu Cutlery pointed out back in November last year, negates the key point of this feature! Relaxation, particularly towards sleep. White noise is essential in noisy, transient-heavy, environments to even out the background noise and make relaxation and/sleep easier.

If this function keeps cutting instantly in and out from the required level to zero and then back again it is providing transients of its own it renders the entire concept pointless! It becomes like ‘Chinese Water Torture’. You never know when it’s coming next.

Apple, please fix this. How hard can it be?