iOS 11 setPreferredInput to HFP not working while Podcast playing - ios

Question

My App allows use of HFP (Hands Free Protocol) for it's "Spoken" prompts (like a Navigation App).
The function below to Setup Audio before TextToSpeech or AVAudioPlayer has worked fairly well since iOS 9.x.
I didn't test it against running a PodCast very often so I'm not sure when things broke. The Function below works perfect if Music is Streaming from the Phone to the Bluetooth A2DP or Music is Playing on the FM Radio in the Car (i.e. it will interrupt Radio, Prompt and the resume Radio). But it will NOT work if I'm streaming a PodCast. PodCast pauses and silence comes out for the prompt, then resumes the PodCast.
I recently checked Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps (all which also offer this HFP option).
Waze is broken (but again I don't test against PodCast often).
Google Maps still works perfectly.
Apple Maps is just weird. The option for HFP is greyed out when Streaming. But when it tries to Pause and Play it also fails.
But again, Google Maps works, so it can be done.
When I call setPreferredInput with the HFP route, my route change handler (also shown below) is NOT called if a PodCast is streaming. If music is Streaming my route change handler is called and Audio from my app comes over HFP correctly.
Background or Foreground doesn't matter.
Any suggestions to solve would be greatly appreciated.
func setupSound(_ activate: Bool)
{
if !Settings.sharedInstance.soundOn && !Settings.sharedInstance.voiceOn
{
return
}
var avopts:AVAudioSessionCategoryOptions = [
.mixWithOthers,
.duckOthers,
.interruptSpokenAudioAndMixWithOthers,
.allowBluetooth
]
if #available(iOS 10.0, *)
{
avopts.insert(AVAudioSessionCategoryOptions.allowBluetoothA2DP)
avopts.insert(AVAudioSessionCategoryOptions.allowAirPlay)
}
var HFP = false
if Settings.sharedInstance.HFPOn && callCenter.currentCalls == nil
{
do
{
if #available(iOS 10.0, *)
{
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord, mode: AVAudioSessionModeSpokenAudio, options: avopts)
}
else
{
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord, with: avopts)
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setMode(AVAudioSessionModeSpokenAudio)
}
}
catch
{
Settings.vprint("Failed Setup HFP Bluetooth Audio, ", error.localizedDescription)
}
if let inputs = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().availableInputs
{
for route in inputs
{
if route.portType == AVAudioSessionPortBluetoothHFP
{
HFP = true
do
{
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setPreferredInput(route)
HFP = true
break
}
catch
{
Settings.vprint("Failed Set Route HFP Bluetooth Audio, ", error.localizedDescription)
}
}
}
}
}
lastHFPStatus = HFP
if !HFP
{
var avopts:AVAudioSessionCategoryOptions = [
.mixWithOthers
]
if Settings.sharedInstance.duckingSoundOn
{
avopts.insert(.duckOthers)
avopts.insert(.interruptSpokenAudioAndMixWithOthers)
}
if Settings.sharedInstance.speakerOnlyOn
{
avopts.insert(.defaultToSpeaker)
do
{
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord, with: avopts)
}
catch
{
Settings.vprint("Failed setCategory, ", error.localizedDescription)
}
}
else
{
do
{
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback, with: avopts)
}
catch
{
Settings.vprint("Failed setCategory, ", error.localizedDescription)
}
}
}
do
{
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(activate, with: .notifyOthersOnDeactivation)
if ((Settings.sharedInstance.debugMask & 2) != 0)
{
Settings.vprint(activate)
}
}
catch
{
Settings.vprint("Could not setActive, ", error.localizedDescription)
}
}
#objc func handleRouteChange(notification: Notification)
{
Settings.vprint(notification)
let currentRoute = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().currentRoute
for route in currentRoute.outputs
{
Settings.vprint("Change Output: ", route.portName)
}
for route in currentRoute.inputs
{
Settings.vprint("Change Input: ", route.portName)
}
}