How to Pause Videos on Your iPhone?

Have you ever been in a situation where you were enjoying a video on your iPhone and had to pause it due to an interruption? Or maybe you needed to take a quick break from the movie you were streaming? Well, you’ll be happy to know that pausing a video on your iPhone is simple, regardless of the app you’re using. This feature can be handy in various situations and allows you to easily resume watching your video from where you left off. In this article, we’ll explain how to pause video on iPhone.

Overview of Pausing Videos on iPhone

The process of pausing a video on your iPhone is relatively straightforward. When you press the pause button, the video freezes on the current frame, and the audio stops instantly as well. Then, when you’re ready to resume playback, tap the play button, and the video picks up right where you left off.

Pausing is an essential feature you’ll find in any video app on iPhone. This includes the built-in TV app for watching purchased movies and shows and third-party streaming apps like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc. The controls work the same way in every app.

Below, we’ll review the steps for pausing in the most popular video apps. But first, here are some general tips for breaking videos on your iPhone:

• The pause button is typically located in the bottom center of the video screen. It looks like two vertical lines.
• You can often pause by tapping the video screen instead of the button.
• If you connect headphones, the middle button on the headphones cord will function as play/pause when a video is running.
• You can ask Siri to “pause this video” using voice commands on newer iPhones without a Home button.
• Double-tap the Home button on older iPhones to bring up on-screen playback controls.
• Swipe up from the bottom of any screen to open the Control Center media controls.

Now, let’s look at the step-by-step instructions for pausing videos in the primary video apps on iPhone.

How to Pause Videos in the TV App

The TV app comes pre-installed on every iPhone. It’s the portal for watching movies and TV shows purchased from the iTunes Store. It also includes content from streaming services integrated with the TV app, like HBO Max and Disney+. Here’s how to pause videos when watching content in the TV app:

1. Open the TV app on your iPhone. Locate the video you want to watch and tap to begin playback.
2. As the video is playing, tap the pause button in the bottom center of the screen. It looks like two vertical lines.
3. The video pauses instantly. The play button appears now instead of pause.
4. To resume playback from where you paused, tap the play button again.

That’s all there is to it! The TV app makes it super simple to pause your movies and shows.

If you ever lose the on-screen controls while watching in the TV app, tap the screen to make them reappear. You can then tap pause to freeze the frame.

Pausing YouTube Videos

YouTube is the internet’s top destination for free video content. Billions of videos are watched daily on the platform. Here’s how to pause when streaming YouTube videos on your iPhone:

1. Launch the YouTube app on your iPhone. Find the video you want to watch and tap on it.
2. As your chosen video plays, tap the pause button in the bottom center of the screen. Like the TV app, it has two vertical lines.
3. The video pauses immediately. The play arrow replaces the pause icon.
4. To resume playback from the paused point, tap the play button.
5. You can also tap anywhere on the video screen itself to pause and play.

If you need to pause quickly, double-tap the Home button to bring up the on-screen controls. The pause button will also be there for easy access.

One tip for YouTube is that videos continue to play audio-only when you lock your screen. So be sure to tap pause before closing to avoid draining your battery in the background.

How to Pause Netflix Movies and Shows

Netflix is one of the most popular subscription streaming services. If you have an account, here’s how to pause Netflix videos on your iPhone:

1. Open the Netflix app and begin playing a title from your list or recommendations.
2. Once the video starts streaming, tap the pause button at the screen’s center bottom.
3. This immediately freezes the frame. The icon changes to the play triangle.
4. Tap play when ready to resume watching from your paused spot.
5. Like YouTube, you can pause Netflix by double-tapping the Home button for on-screen controls.
6. Remember to pause before locking your screen, or Netflix will continue to stream and drain the battery.

Bonus Tip: You can download Netflix titles for offline viewing. Downloads give you complete pause/play control and won’t use data without a connection.

Pausing Video in Other Apps

The steps for pausing video on your iPhone work similarly in most other streaming and media apps. Here’s a quick rundown:

Hulu – Tap the pause icon in the bottom center to freeze shows and movies. Tap play to resume.

Amazon Prime Video – Find the pause button while watching Prime content and tap it to pause playback.

HBO Max – Pause movies and originals by selecting the pause button on your iPhone screen.

Disney+ – Disney movies and shows can be paused with the on-screen pause button.

ESPN+ – Pause live and recorded sports by tapping the two-line pause icon.

Vimeo – Tap the video screen and then select pause or play for user-uploaded content.

Twitch – Pause live streams and video clips with the convenient pause button.

As you can see, every central video app uses the same pause button layout. So once you know how to pause videos in one iOS app, you can do it in all the rest!

Troubleshooting Pausing Problems

Generally, the pause feature works extremely reliably on iPhones. But in rare cases, you may encounter issues like videos not pausing properly. Here are some troubleshooting tips if you have problems getting a video to pause:

• Check for internet connection issues. Video won’t pause without an active internet connection for streaming apps.
• Ensure the app is updated to the latest version from the App Store. Outdated apps can be buggy.
• Double-tap the Home button to try the on-screen pause instead of the main button.
• Force quit and relaunch the app by swiping it up from the bottom of the screen and closing it out.
• Toggle airplane mode on and off to reset connectivity if the pause isn’t responding.
• Restart your iPhone if the pause stops working consistently across multiple apps.
• Check if the device storage is whole. Deleting unused apps and files can help.
• Contact the app developer for further support if issues persist after trying these steps.

Following this, troubleshooting guidance resolves most pausing problems. Reach out to Apple support if you still can’t get videos to break properly after trying these suggestions.

Quick Video Pausing Gestures and Shortcuts

Beyond just tapping the on-screen pause button, there are a few alternative ways to pause videos on your iPhone using gestures and shortcuts quickly:

• Headphones Middle Button – Hold the center button to pause and play if you have wired headphones connected.
• Volume Up Shortcut – Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls and add Volume Up. Then, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold the Volume Up icon to pause the video (requires iPhone 7 or later).
• Back Tap – Enable Back Tap in Settings > Accessibility. You can now pause by double-taping the back of your iPhone.
• AssistiveTouch – Turn on AssistiveTouch in Accessibility settings to get an on-screen home button. Tap the button to bring up options like pause.
• Ask Siri – Say, “Hey, Siri, pause this video,” to use voice commands for hands-free pausing.
• Guided Access – Use Guided Access to block controls and lock into a single app like Videos to avoid accidental pausing.

So, in summary, your iPhone offers many handy methods for quickly and easily pausing video playback. Try different options to find which gestures or shortcuts work best.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do YouTube videos continue playing when I lock my iPhone screen?

Yes, YouTube videos will continue streaming audio after locking your screen. Pause before closing to avoid unwanted data usage and battery drain in the background.

2. Can I pause videos if I don’t have internet access?

Unfortunately, it would be best if you had an internet connection to pause streaming video apps like Netflix, Hulu, etc. However, you can break downloaded offline videos from those apps without the internet.

3. Does pausing video use my iPhone data?

No, pausing a video does not use any mobile data. The footage stops streaming new data when broken. Data is only used when playing the video.

4. Can I pause videos if my iPhone is in airplane mode?

Yes, you can pause previously downloaded offline videos in airplane mode. However, videos that require internet streaming will not work in airplane mode.

5. What apps allow picture-in-picture video so I can multitask while paused?

Apps like YouTube, Safari, FaceTime, and third-party video players support picture-in-picture. This lets you continue watching a paused video in a small floating window.

Last Words

Pausing a video on your iPhone is a simple process that is handy in many situations. Whether you’re watching a movie, need to take a break, or were interrupted by a phone call, temporarily stopping playback is easy.

The fundamental steps are the same in every app – tap the pause button on your screen. This could be the dedicated icon in the app’s playback toolbar, an on-screen control via the Home button, or tapping the video itself. Most apps behave predictably when paused, saving your spot for resuming later let’s learn How to pick the best SIM when travelling.

Beyond basic tapping, there are also some clever gestures and shortcuts for pausing hands-free, like using headphones controls, Back Tap, or Siri voice commands. While problems are rare, you may need to troubleshoot if videos aren’t pausing properly by resetting the app or your device or contacting the developer.