If playback works with Symfonium open but skips, stutters, or stops after you turn off the screen, your phone may be restricting background activity.
Why background playback can fail
Section titled “Why background playback can fail”Some phone manufacturers add battery saving and app cleanup features to Android. These can limit or stop background apps, even when you expect them to keep working. The controls vary by manufacturer and Android version, so there is no single setting that covers every phone.
Find the guide for your phone
Section titled “Find the guide for your phone”Don’t kill my app! collects background activity problems and solutions by manufacturer. Start with your phone’s guide and follow the instructions that match your Android version. Apply the app-specific changes to Symfonium.
For example:
- Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO: The Xiaomi guide covers Autostart, Background autostart, and locking an app in the recent apps screen. Set Symfonium’s battery saver policy to No restrictions as well.
- Samsung: The Samsung guide covers Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps. Remove Symfonium from those lists and add it to Never sleeping apps if available. Check that its app battery policy is Unrestricted too.
- Other manufacturers: Select your brand on Don’t kill my app! and look for protected apps, background activity permissions, and automatic cleanup settings.
Check Android’s background usage settings
Section titled “Check Android’s background usage settings”The manufacturer’s controls may be separate from Android’s own battery restrictions. In your phone’s Settings, open Apps > Symfonium and find Battery, App battery usage, or the equivalent background activity section.
Allow background usage and select Unrestricted, No restrictions, or Don’t optimize, depending on the options your phone offers.
Check cleanup apps and test again
Section titled “Check cleanup apps and test again”Also check any battery saver, cleaner, or optimizer app you installed. Exclude Symfonium from automatic cleanup. If you stream through a VPN, check the VPN app’s background restrictions too.
Turn off battery saver temporarily and test playback again with the screen off. Recheck these settings after a system update if the problem returns.
If playback still skips or stutters
Section titled “If playback still skips or stutters”Battery restrictions are one possible cause. Change one thing at a time and replay the same track to narrow down the problem.
- Streaming only: Try the same track from the offline cache. If the offline copy plays correctly, check your Wi-Fi or mobile connection, VPN, and server. A slow or interrupted connection can leave playback waiting for audio.
- Bluetooth only: Try the phone speaker or wired headphones. If they play correctly, reconnect your Bluetooth device. If needed, forget it in Android’s Bluetooth settings and pair it again.
- One track or the same position every time: Test the same file in another player. A damaged file or a storage problem may be involved. If it is on an SD card, try a copy on the phone’s internal storage.
- While using audio effects: Temporarily disable the equalizer and other audio processing, including effects from other apps. If you increased Equalizer block size, reduce it in Settings > Playback settings > Advanced settings. Higher values can increase CPU use. See the advanced playback settings.
- When another app makes a sound: Calls, navigation prompts, and other apps can interrupt music by requesting audio focus. Check Symfonium’s audio focus settings if the interruption follows those events.
- While casting: Check the Chromecast and UPnP troubleshooting guide. The playback device’s network connection can also cause interruptions.
Still having problems?
Section titled “Still having problems?”Gather fresh logs and open a support issue. Include your phone model, Android version, playback output, and media provider. Mention whether the screen was off, whether an offline copy also failed, and which checks above you tried.