iPadOS limitation: cannot share audio and keep camera + gallery view in Zoom

Hello everyone,

I’m a breathwork facilitator and I regularly offer live online breathwork sessions via Zoom.

For this type of work, seeing participants and being seen by them is essential, as visual presence and emotional containment are a core part of the practice.

When I work from a Mac, I use Zoom’s Advanced → Share computer audio option, which allows me to:

• keep my camera on,

• see all participants,

• and share music directly and cleanly during the session.

This setup works perfectly.

However, now that I travel, I want to work only with an iPad Air and an iPhone.

Here is the problem I’m facing on iOS:

• On iPad/iPhone, audio can only be shared by sharing the screen.

• When screen sharing is enabled:

• my camera feed disappears,

• participants no longer see me,

• the gallery view is lost,

• and an “exposed” screen (apps, controls) is shown, which is not appropriate or aesthetically suitable for a breathwork session.

• There is no option to share device audio only, without screen sharing.

• Using two iOS devices does not solve this, because any active screen share overrides the video feed.

This makes it impossible to:

• see participants,

• be seen by them,

• and share music at the same time

using Zoom on iOS, even though this is fully supported on desktop.

My questions are:

1. Is there a way on iPadOS / iOS to share system audio only, without sharing the screen?

2. Is this a known limitation of iOS, or a design decision?

3. Are there any recommended workflows for professionals (facilitators, therapists, musicians) who need camera + gallery + shared audio while working only from iPad/iPhone?

This is not a casual use case — it is a professional, embodied, real-time practice where audio and visual presence are equally important.

Thank you very much for any guidance or clarification.

Kind regards,

Cecilia