iOS 27 HDMI Bug Stops Video When You Lock Your iPhone, and No Fix Is in Sight

iPhone users report that external video playback over HDMI stops as soon as the device is locked on iOS 27, and the latest iOS 27.2 update does not seem to address the problem.

As with most new software releases, the iOS 27 rollout has not gone smoothly, and developers are working overtime on fixes. One problem that gained a lot of traction is the Apple Intelligence storage issue, which occupies about 15GB in some cases, even if the user does not use AI or AI is not available at all in their country. A workaround for that issue seems to work until Apple addresses it — but the same cannot be said of the HDMI output bug.

Numerous users on Reddit report that their iPhones stop external video playback over HDMI once the device is locked. Previously, you could connect an iPhone to an external display, turn off the phone's screen, and the video stream would continue; this is no longer the case.

Not every app is affected

Not all apps are affected: VLC works perfectly fine with HDMI output on a locked screen, according to tests in the office. The issue could be replicated in YouTube and Netflix, and iPhone owners say other apps are affected as well.

Digging into the cause, it was found that Apple introduced a new rule with iOS 27 requiring apps to explicitly register certain external display video sessions. Before iOS 27, iOS provided that permission automatically.

The only workaround for now

The temporary solution — hardly a solution at all — is to keep the screen unlocked at all times and possibly reduce the brightness to preserve the battery. But then the user must be careful not to touch the display, which is a challenge when using AR glasses such as the XREAL Air 2, for example.

The issue was first reported in September, along with the iOS 27 release, but the latest iOS 27.2 version does not seem to address it. One could argue this is not a "bug" in the usual sense, since Apple simply changed how permissions work when playing videos on an external display — which may explain why VLC works fine on a locked screen. Developers will therefore have to step in and update their apps in line with the new iOS 27 rules.

Sources

• GSMArena — iOS 27 users report HDMI output issues and there's no fix in sight
• Innopark IT — Apple Releases First iOS 27.3 Developer Beta With Redesigned Health App and Apple Intelligence in China