How to fix music playback issues on iPhone running iOS 18

This is for your information, and I am seeking your advice. I encountered an issue with my Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18. The problem occurred when playing music or videos: whenever the phone was locked or unlocked, either automatically or manually, the music would stop for a second before resuming. This issue also affected my AirPods, significantly disrupting my listening experience, including with the Apple Music app.

I restarted my iPhone, but the issue persisted. I contacted Apple Support via chat, but they were unable to resolve the problem. The support agent also ran a hardware and software diagnostic, and according to the report, there were no issues with my iPhone. I then requested a callback, during which the agent guided me to reset all settings. After the reset and restart, the issue was temporarily resolved. However, after restoring my settings to their previous state, the problem returned, and I could no longer listen to music without interruptions.

After a thorough review of my settings, I discovered that turning off the 'Voice Shortcuts' feature, which I had previously enabled, resolved the issue. Since deactivating this option, I can now play music without any interruptions when locking or unlocking the phone

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