If you're a fan of Pandora, you know how frustrating it is when your music suddenly stops. You've got your favorite station playing, you switch to a different app to send a text or check social media, and suddenly, silence. Or worse, you lock your phone and the music cuts out completely. This common issue is usually caused by your device's built-in settings, which are designed to save battery by stopping apps from running in the background.
But what if you want to keep the music playing? You're in the right place. This article will walk you through a simple, step-by-step guide to keeping Pandora playing in the background, no matter what you're doing. Whether you're on an Android, an iPhone, using the web player, or connected to a third-party speaker or your car's audio system, we've got the solutions you need to enjoy uninterrupted music and multitask without limits.
Part 1. Can Pandora Music Be Played in the Background?
As so many people are overwhelmed by the sudden stop in the middle of music playing, you may ask can Pandora Music be played in the background? Of course, though sometimes you need to make some adjustments.
Usually, Pandora will continue playing songs if you switch to another application or your phone is in standby mode. For example, when you open Pandora and start playing music on iOS devices, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or press the Home button or use the multitasking view) to put Pandora in the background. Typically, as long as Pandora isn't forcibly closed or cleared from the background, it will continue playing music. Then, what to do if an exception occurs? Let's keep reading.
Part 2. How to Allow Pandora to Play in the Background on Different Devices
While Pandora supports background playback, your device's settings can stop it from continuous playing. Here's how to make Pandora playing in the background on Android, iPhone, and your web browser.
General Settings for Pandora
Before we dive deep into the steps that work for different devices, make sure that you've enabled the AutoPlay feature in Pandora music, because it can also cause Pandora stops playing in the background if a playlist or album finishes.
Considering the AutoPlay feature is only available for Pandora Premium users, we also provide you with a 100% working solution for all Pandora users to get a seamless, continuous playback on all devices, please skip to Part 3 for the tutorial.
How to Enable AutoPlay in Pandora App/Web Player:
Pandora allows you to manage AutoPlay settings in two ways: for a specific playlist or for all of your stations at once.
For a Single Playlist:
- Open the Pandora app and navigate to the playlist you want to listen to.
- Scroll down past the last song on the playlist.
- You will see a section with the "AutoPlay" option. Make sure the toggle switch is turned on.
For All Stations (Global Setting):
- Go to your Profile in the Pandora app.
- Tap the Settings "gear" icon in the top right corner.
- Select "Advanced."
- Under the "Autoplay" section, ensure the switch is toggled on.
Note: The AutoPlay station is not a random selection of songs. It is a curated radio station that Pandora creates on the fly, based on your recent listening habits. This means it may include some new or unfamiliar songs that are similar to what you were just listening to.
On Android
How to Keep Pandora Playing in the Background on Android:
- Long-press on the Pandora app icon either on your home screen or in the app drawer.
- From the options that appear, tap on the "i" icon to access its App info page.
- Scroll down or navigate to the "Battery" bar, and click it to view battery usage settings.
- Verify that the setting for "Allow background activity" is on to allow Pandora to use battery in the background. This ensures that Pandora can continue playing music even when the app is not in the foreground.
Troubleshooting When Pandora Stops:
If Pandora cannot play in the background, try the following fixes:
1. Clear cache and data:
- Go to the "Settings" app on your device.
- Tap "Apps > Pandora > Storage."
- Tap "Clear cache," then tap "Clear data."
Note: After clearing the cache and data stored in the Pandora app, you will need to log in again when you reopen the Pandora app.
2. Disable conflicting apps:
Please note that other audio-centric apps, such as navigation apps, games, or voice assistants, may take up the audio focus and pause Pandora.
3. Check "Data Saver" mode:
If this mode is enabled, it may restrict Pandora's ability to stream data in the background. You can follow these steps to disable this mode for the Pandora Music app.
- Open the "Settings" app.
- Tap "Network & Internet."
- Tap "Data Saver."
- Tap "Unrestricted Data," find Pandora in the list, and disable it.
On iPhone
On iOS, the primary setting that controls background app activity is "Background App Refresh." While less aggressive than Android's battery optimization, it can still be the culprit for playback issues.
How to Allow Pandora to Play in the Background on iPhone:
- In the Settings, scroll down and tap "General".
- Then scroll down and tap "Background App Refresh".
- Navigate to Pandora, and check if the toggle next to it is on. This will allow Pandora to refresh the content and keep playing in the background.
Troubleshooting Tips for iPhone:
1. Disable "Low Power Mode"
When your phone's battery is low, this mode can automatically limit background activity.
- Go to "Settings > Battery."
- Make sure "Low Power Mode" is turned off.
2. Check your lock screen
When the screen is locked, you should be able to see and control music playback. If Pandora pauses, simply press the play button on the lock screen or control center.
3. Reinstall the app
If the issue persists, deleting and reinstalling the app from the app store usually resolves recurring issues.
On Web Browser
How to Keep Pandora Playing in the Background on Web Browser:
1. Prevent your computer from going into sleep mode:
Go to your computer's power management settings and adjust the corresponding settings to "Never" to prevent your computer from automatically going into sleep mode after a period of inactivity. This is the most common reason for playback to stop.
2. Allow the browser to play automatically:
Many modern browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, block media from playing automatically on new websites to save resources and prevent unnecessary noise. To resolve this issue:
- In Chrome: Go to chrome://settings/. Click "Performance" in the left-hand menu list. Scroll down to the "Memory Saver" section. Turn this option off completely.
- In Firefox: Visit pandora.com, click the lock icon in the address bar, click "Connection secure," then click "More information." Click the "Permissions" tab in the window. Uncheck the box under "Autoplay" and change the autoplay settings to "Allow Audio and Video."
- In Safari: Go to "Safari > Preferences > Websites," select "Autoplay" from the sidebar, and set the option for pandora.com to "Allow All Auto-Play."
- In Microsoft Edge: When you first visit Pandora, you may need to manually click the play button to start playing music. As you continue using Pandora, Edge will learn your habits and may begin playing music automatically when you open the website.
Troubleshooting Tips for Web Browsers:
1. Close other tabs
Opening too many tabs can slow down your browser and cause background processes to stall.
2. Check extensions
Ad blockers and other browser extensions can sometimes interfere with playback. Try temporarily disabling them to see if that solves the issue.
3. Update your browser
Make sure your browser is updated to the latest version to avoid known bugs.
Part 3. How to Keep Pandora Playing in the Background Without Ads [Works on All Devices]
Option 1. Upgrade to Pandora Plus or Premium
Pandora provides two tiers of service to its users: a free version and a paid subscription. Free users are able to access a restricted selection of music and radio content online, accompanied by advertisements. In contrast, paid subscribers gain access to the full catalog of tracks without any interruptions from ads. The paid tiers include Premium and Plus subscription, and some comparisons are as follows:
| Pandora Plus | Pandora Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-free Listening | √ | √ |
| On-Demand Listening | × | √ |
| Offline Listening | Limited | Full |
| Personalized Playlists | Limited | Enhanced |
| Pricing | $4.99 per month | $10.99 per month |
Read More : How to Download Music from Pandora without Premium
Option 2. Using the ViWizard Pandora Music Converter
A more cost-effective and foolproof method is to use a reliable Pandora music converter tool. Here, we highly recommend ViWizard Pandora Music Converter, a professional tool that helps you download Pandora songs ad-free and seamlessly to your computer as MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B files, whether you are a premium user or a free user. This way, you can listen to Pandora offline on any device, including those without internet access or that do not support the Pandora app. Most importantly, you can ensure that these songs play in the background.
Why choose ViWizard over others? Because ViWizard can download all your favorite Pandora tracks, stations, playlists, albums, and more with a single click, converting them to various DRM-free formats at the highest audio quality, while preserving all metadata tags such as song covers, titles, and artists. In addition to Pandora, ViWizard grants you access to download from eight other major music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, Qobuz, and more.
Download Pandora playlists, songs, radio stations, and your collection as MP3, FLAC, WAV, etc. with original audio quality and full metadata information.
How to Download Pandora Music and Play It in the Background
Step 1 Adjust Your Output Settings
First, launch the ViWizard Pandora Music Converter on your computer. Click the menu icon and avigate select "Preferences" to customize your output options. You can select your desired format, such as MP3, FLAC, or WAV. To ensure high-quality playback, you can also adjust settings like bitrate and sample rate. Click "OK" to confirm your selections.
Step 2 Access Pandora's Web Player
On the main screen of the ViWizard software, locate and click the Pandora icon. This will open Pandora's built-in web player within the downloader. Log in to your Pandora account and find the stations, albums, or playlists you want to download.
Step 3 Select and Add Music
When you have found the music you want, click the Plus (+) icon in the bottom-right corner. The downloader will automatically detect and list all the tracks from the current page. A window will pop up, allowing you to select the specific songs you want to download. Choose your tracks and click "Add to List" to prepare them for the download process.
Step 4 Download the Pandora Music
Click the "Convert" button. ViWizard will begin downloading the files at a fast speed while preserving the original audio quality. After the download is complete, you can find all the finished files in the "History" tab.
Step 5 Transfer and Background Play Pandora Music on Your Device
Since the converted Pandora music files are now local audio files, you can background play them with any music player without worrying about app restrictions or an internet connection.
For Android Devices
- Connect your Android phone to your computer using a USB cable.
- Open your phone's storage on your computer. It will appear as a new drive or device.
- Navigate to your phone's internal storage and create a new folder, possibly named "Pandora Downloads" or "Offline Music," to keep your files organized.
- Copy the downloaded Pandora music files from your computer and paste them into this new folder on your phone.
- Disconnect your phone. Now, you can use any music player app, such as VLC, Google Play Music, or even the built-in music player, to listen to your tracks. They will play seamlessly in the background like any other local audio file.
For iOS Devices
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer.
- If you are using a Mac, open Finder. If you are using a PC, open iTunes. Drag the downloaded Pandora music files into the music library.
- In iTunes or Finder, select your iPhone or iPad and go to the "Music" tab. Then, click "Sync" to transfer the files to your device.
- Once syncing is complete, you can find the downloaded Pandora songs in the Apple Music app on your iPhone. They are now part of your local music library and will play in the background even in airplane mode without any interruptions.
Conclusion
How do you get Pandora to play in the background? This guide provides methods and troubleshooting steps for Android, iPhone, web browsers, and other devices that cannot access Pandora Music. After following these steps, you may be able to make Pandora play over other apps, but, for a permanent fix that guarantees uninterrupted background playback is to download your Pandora music via ViWizard Pandora Music Converter. This way, you can freely play Pandora music while multitasking without a moment of silence.
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Matt Smith, a digital entertainment industry enthusiast at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing insightful commentary and solutions for music and media-related topics, including industry trends, analysis, and recommendations.
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