Airplay from Sky Go on iOS needs device to stay awake?

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StoneChain

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#315968 3-Sep-2024 15:53

Hi there,

I use the Sky Go App to cast shows to an LG TV while I'm exercising. This has worked well until very recently and now, every time the device I'm using (an iPhone) turns off its screen to save power, the show pauses. So, I have to tap the screen at least once every 5 minutes to make sure it stays awake - which isn't ideal while I'm huffing and puffing along on a treadmill or bike!

Something has changed, as my usual habit was to set the show going and then switch the device screen off immediately. Now, that immediately pauses the show.

Hoping this isn't just me? Has anyone else noticed this?

Cheers!

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#3278589 3-Sep-2024 15:57

Probably related to this issue from a month or so ago. https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=106&topicid=315331

StoneChain

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#3278590 3-Sep-2024 16:01

Possibly, but this seems new. I was experiencing the previous issue and it was definitely fixed, but I don't recall having to keep the app awake on my device.

corksta

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#3278615 3-Sep-2024 18:58

I use an iPhone and iPad to cast to our TVs and haven’t noticed this issue. I don’t know what to suggest other than checking that background app refresh is on for the app, maybe that’s the problem?

ANglEAUT

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#3278655 3-Sep-2024 21:07

Also check when the Sky Go app was last updated & if there is any mention of Airplay

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JPNZ

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#3278856 4-Sep-2024 15:11

I'm going to have to try this tonight and see how I get on. Will cast from iPhone SkyGo app to TV using airplay.

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StoneChain

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#3278857 4-Sep-2024 15:14

corksta:

I use an iPhone and iPad to cast to our TVs and haven’t noticed this issue. I don’t know what to suggest other than checking that background app refresh is on for the app, maybe that’s the problem?

Thanks for that suggestion - I checked and Background App Refresh is already enabled.

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StoneChain

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#3278858 4-Sep-2024 15:15

ANglEAUT:

Also check when the Sky Go app was last updated & if there is any mention of Airplay

Yeah - that was my first thought, especially after the recent Airplay mess where it didn't work at all. At that time, I switched to an iPad where fortunately the App hadn't already been updated. Then, Sky seemed to have fixed it, so I was back to my iPhone.

StoneChain

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#3278864 4-Sep-2024 15:28

JPNZ:

I'm going to have to try this tonight and see how I get on. Will cast from iPhone SkyGo app to TV using airplay.

Cheers. I'll be interested to hear how you get on. I'm only using an iPhone SE from 2020, and as it's "so old" now, I recognise that it might be part of the problem. Then again, it's running the latest IOS 17.6.1 and the latest version of Sky Go that it can find 2.31.18 (1800049455), so it should be the same as anyone else.

I'll try a phone reboot before my next TV casting session, too, just in case it's got something stuck in the works!

JPNZ

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#3280046 8-Sep-2024 17:02

Okay. My case had some interesting results. I have an Apple TV so it won’t cast direct to the tv as such even though that is an option for YouTube and other apps.

When I airplay to the TV from skygo it does indeed pause when the screen closes on my iPhone. I tried to turn background app refresh on but no change.

What I did find though is after it pauses and my iPhone screen
Is off then I can just press play on the Apple TV remote and it plays fine.

Panasonic 65GZ1000, Onkyo RZ730, Atmos 5.1.2, AppleTV 4K, Nest Mini's, PS5, PS3, MacbookPro, iPad Pro, Apple watch SE2, iPhone 15+

StoneChain

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#3280073 8-Sep-2024 18:19

Interesting! On my LG TV, I found that I can hit the play button and it plays for a little while (maybe a couple of minutes) but then it freezes and becomes completely unresponsive. I have to open the phone, back out of the playing stream to the list of available shows, then go back in and resume. And then I have to keep the screen alive on the phone again.

Frustrating, but I'm glad I'm not the only one. Is there a straightforward way to report issues with the SkyGo App to Sky?

StoneChain

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#3281482 12-Sep-2024 15:14

OK. I haven't found a "fix" but there's a straightforward enough workaround. Changed my phone settings so the screen never turns off on its own. Bit of a battery-drainer, but it was anyway, and at least I don't need to try to remember to tap the screen to keep it alive every few minutes!!

Thanks to those that replied. I'll keep an eye out for future updates to the app and I'll update this post if I spot a permanent fix.

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Handsomedan

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#3281492 12-Sep-2024 15:33

I have found that it's only an issue on my iPhone and not on my iPad. iPad can be turned "off" and it still works - iPhone - same symptoms as you.

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Wheelbarrow01

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Chorus

#3282307 15-Sep-2024 13:37

I’m here to say I have started having the exact same issue as the OP - as soon as the screen of my iPhone 15 turns off, the SkyGo app pauses the Airplay playback. This is fricken annoying and is a new development.

What makes it worse is that chrome casting from the SkyGo app seems to no longer be an option to my 2022 Samsung tv (although weirdly I can still cast to my 2014 Samsung in the garage).

It seems that if I want to watch SkyGo on my TV now, my only option is to reinstall my SmartVU dongle which has built in Chrome cast. This is again very annoying and is counter intuitive to me spending to have the newest devices possible!

Something has definitely changed in either the SkyGo app or AirPlay, because it worked fine up to the last time I used it a few weeks ago.

StoneChain

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#3282381 15-Sep-2024 18:12

Wheelbarrow01: I’m here to say I have started having the exact same issue as the OP - as soon as the screen of my iPhone 15 turns off, the SkyGo app pauses the Airplay playback. This is fricken annoying and is a new development.

What makes it worse is that chrome casting from the SkyGo app seems to no longer be an option to my 2022 Samsung tv (although weirdly I can still cast to my 2014 Samsung in the garage).

It seems that if I want to watch SkyGo on my TV now, my only option is to reinstall my SmartVU dongle which has built in Chrome cast. This is again very annoying and is counter intuitive to me spending to have the newest devices possible!

Something has definitely changed in either the SkyGo app or AirPlay, because it worked fine up to the last time I used it a few weeks ago.

Not sure if it's an option for you, but as I mentioned previously, changing the setting on my phone so that the screen never turns off automatically works fine for me. You could even do this temporarily, just during the period you need to use AirPlay. Another reply suggests that the issue is only affecting iPhones and not iPads, so if you have one of those kicking around, you could give that a try, too?

Wheelbarrow01

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Chorus

#3282406 15-Sep-2024 20:51

StoneChain:

Not sure if it's an option for you, but as I mentioned previously, changing the setting on my phone so that the screen never turns off automatically works fine for me. You could even do this temporarily, just during the period you need to use AirPlay. Another reply suggests that the issue is only affecting iPhones and not iPads, so if you have one of those kicking around, you could give that a try, too?

In the case if today, I watched 4 hours of Supercars racing so I'd imagine it's not really practical to leave the phone screen on that long. In any case, using Airplay to send SkyGo to the TV means I can't use my phone for any other purpose for the duration - which is also dumb.

In the end I plugged my spare SmartVU device into the TV, which meant that chromecast works perfectly. What I don't understand is why the chromecast built into the SkyGo app just will not detect my lounge TV. As previously mentioned, it only detects the 10 year old TV in my garage (and my SmartVU device), but none of the other 3 TVs scattered throughout the house (which all have chromecast built in). I blame Sky because every other app that uses chromecast (eg YouTube) works perfectly fine on any TV in the house.

[EDIT: yes I've tried changing every setting under the sun on both my TV and the iPhone to no avail. The SkyGo app is the only one I have any casting issues with]

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