NOTE: Apple has approved the latest release of Pocket Tunes which adds support for OS4, please update to the latest version available now at the app store.

How you play stations in the background will depend on what device and operating system you are using.

Please see this chart from an Apple support document on what features of iOS4 can be supported on each device:

** The iPad does not currently support iOS4 but Apple has stated it will be released for the iPad towards the fall 2010.

If you are using an iPhone 3GS or iPod touch 3rd generation with iOS4 installed or iPhone 4, you can play any station Pocket Tunes plays, in the background. Just start the station playing and tap the home button. Pocket Tunes will keep playing in the background. You MUST be using Pocket Tunes 5.5.4 or higher to do this. See this Knowledge Base article on how to determine your version number. You can control Pocket Tunes in the background by double tapping the Home button, then swiping left to right to access the media control area. You can then pause/play Pocket Tunes from there.

If you are using a 3G or a 1st generation or 2nd generation touch, then you need to follow the steps below to play stations in the background.

If you are using an iPad or have OS 3 on your device,  then you have to follow the steps below to use Pocket Tunes in the background.

The following only applies to devices that do not support the new iOS4 multitasking:

You must have Pocket Tunes version  5.3.0 installed at least. You can play some stations in the background on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. To use the background play feature, make sure that you have Apple OS 3.0 or higher on your iPhone or touch device.

As long as your station plays in either AAC or MP3 formats, then Pocket Tunes can play the station in the background.

Note that there is a bug in Pocket Tunes Radio 5.3.0 that could have Pocket Tunes Radio indicate that Ogg stations can play in the background even though they cannot. We are fixing that for the next update.

To play a station in the background:

1. Select a station to play and start it playing in Pocket Tunes Radio
2. If the station is playable in the background, Pocket Tunes will say "Play station in Background" just below the station name once the station is playing.
   
   
   
3. Tap "Play station in Background" to have Pocket Tunes load the station to Quicktime so that you can play it in the background
4. Pocket Tunes will close and go to Safari where it will briefly load a web page like this:
   
   
   
5. After a few seconds it will load the Quicktime player and start the station playing. (If you are using OS4 and a version of Pocket Tunes that is older than 5.5.4, you may need top tap "Open Station" to play the station, see this Knowledge Base article to determine what version you are using))
   
   
   - Do not press "Done" unless you want to stop playing the station. Pressing "Done" closes Quicktime and it will stop playing the station it was playing.
   
   - You cannot use Safari while Quicktime is playing. You can however use an alternate browser like the browser in Pocket Tunes or one of the many third party browsers available in the App Store.
   
6. the station should start playing automatically. If it does not, tap the "Play" button in Quicktime and it should load. We have seen a few stations that do not play automatically but pressing play will have then start up.
7. If you have any stations that do not load or give an error message, let us know in support http://www.pocket-tunes.com/scripts/support.php .

 To Stop the station playing in the background:

1. Go back to Safari
2. Tap "Done" on Quicktime and the station will stop playing

Alternatively you can open Pocket Tunes Radio and load a different station in Pocket Tunes. Once the station loads in Pocket Tunes, the other station will stop playing.