iOS 5 Programming Cookbook

9.2. Handling Interruptions While Playing Audio

Problem

You want your AVAudioPlayer instance to resume playing after an interruption on an iOS device, such as an incoming call.

Solution

Implement the audioPlayerBeginInterruption: and audioPlayerEndInterruption:withFlags: methods of the AVAudioPlayerDelegate protocol in the delegate object of your AVAudioPlayer instance:

- (void)audioPlayerBeginInterruption:(AVAudioPlayer *)player{
  
  /* Audio Session is interrupted. The player will be paused here */
  
}

- (void)audioPlayerEndInterruption:(AVAudioPlayer *)player 
                         withFlags:(NSUInteger)flags{
  
  if (flags == AVAudioSessionInterruptionFlags_ShouldResume &&
      player != nil){
    [player play];
  }
  
}

Discussion

On an iOS device, such as an iPhone, a phone call could interrupt the execution of the foreground application. In that case, the audio session(s) associated with the application will be deactivated, and audio files will not be played until the interruption has ended. At the beginning and the end of an interruption, we receive delegate messages from the AVAudioPlayer informing us of the different states the audio session is passing through. After the end of an interruption, we can simply resume the playback of audio.

Note

Incoming phone calls cannot be simulated with iPhone Simulator. You must always test your applications on a real device.

When an interruption occurs, the audioPlayerBeginInterruption: delegate method of an AVAudioPlayer instance will be called. Here, your audio session has been deactivated. ...