With iOS 17 and previous iOS iterations, you can initiate video recording but it will subsequently stop any music track or podcast currently playing, which has been a shortcoming since the iPhone’s inception. Now with the latest iOS 18 beta, Apple has finally addressed this long-requested function.

Play audio while recording video simultaneously on the iPhone

A toggle known as “Allow Audio Playback” was discovered in the camera settings under the camera sound section that is enabled by default. Under the toggle, it described the feature this way: “Audio playback will not pause automatically when recording video.” It further stated that mono sound will be recorded when playing audio through the iPhone’s speaker.

Further testing confirmed the feature also allows you to record video even when you’re playing music and connected to AirPods headphones or an external speaker simultaneously. This setup also uses stereo sound recording rather than mono.

iOS 18 to get a toggle to allow video playback when video recording
The “Allow Audio Playback” toggle is added on the camera sound section in the settings. / © nextpit Image source: nextpit

As usual, if audio is played through the iPhone’s speaker, video recording should also pick up the ambient sound. This is pretty much useful when you want to mix some background sound with your videos.

It’s not the first time iPhones can record a video while playing music simultaneously. This feature first debuted on iOS 13, where you can use QuickTake via the photo mode to begin video recording, but the video quality you get is suboptimal and far from usable in terms of its resolution. Hence, this addition is a major upgrade for those wishing for an improved version of that feature.

Apple should ship iOS 18 to the public sometime in September during the iPhone 16’s launch. Besides this tool, the update, which is one of the biggest in years, includes heavy customization features for the home screen and control center. The first batch of Apple Intelligence features will also arrive for supported iPhone models.

What are your thoughts on this new video capability in iPhones? Have you been waiting for this feature for long? Let us know in the comments.

We mark partner links with this symbol. If you click on one of these links or buttons–or make a purchase through them–we may receive a small commission from the retailer. This doesn’t affect the price you pay, but it helps us keep nextpit free for everyone. Thanks for your support!