Can backgrounded apps record audio?

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Created Dec ’24

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I'd like to find out: Can backgrounded apps record audio? In the past as I recall, I found that backgrounded apps were pretty restricted and couldn't do much of anything. However I'm not familiar with the current state of affairs. With iOS 15.8 and above, can backgrounded apps record audio if they've been given permission by the user to access the microphone? Thanks.

Answered by DTS Engineer in 817539022

An app must be in the foreground to start recording. If the app has specified the "audio" background mode in its info.plist configuration, it can then continue recording when it moves into the background.

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/AVFoundation/configuring-your-app-for-media-playback

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Answer 1

DTS Engineer OP

Apple

Dec ’24

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An app must be in the foreground to start recording. If the app has specified the "audio" background mode in its info.plist configuration, it can then continue recording when it moves into the background.

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/AVFoundation/configuring-your-app-for-media-playback

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Answer 2

TALand OP

Jan ’25

Thank you for the question OP, I am researching the same.

I'm not finding in the documentation provided that RECORDING can continue in background. It only suggest that PLAYBACK can continue when an app moves to the background (inactive, paused, hidden lifecycle state). Although please let me know if I am missing it in this resource! (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/AVFoundation/configuring-your-app-for-media-playback)

Based on the specific activities that the documentation says 3rd party iOS apps CAN do in the background, it excludes audio recording. This concurs with all the stackoverflow, reddit, etc. questions & experiences for iOS 14-ish and later that I've found... But I haven't found any actual Apple documentation that says "no, this is not possible for 3rd party apps". https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/preparing-your-ui-to-run-in-the-background

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