diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.test.ts
index 8423788bdc0..90ffdd4f8dc 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.test.ts
@@ -3957,6 +3957,16 @@ describe("initSandboxRuntimeModular", () => {
     expect(startedAt[0]).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(1 - 0.02);
   });
 
+  it("primes a clip that starts later inside the tap on iOS, so a late start is not refused", () => {
+    vi.spyOn(navigator, "userAgent", "get").mockReturnValue(
+      "Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 26_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 Mobile/15E148",
+    );
+    const { sfx } = mountLateSfx();
+    window.__player?.play();
+    expect(sfx.play).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(sfx.pause).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   const setRate = (playbackRate: number) =>
     window.dispatchEvent(
       new MessageEvent("message", {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
index a93258938a4..b94380d3ad2 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ import {
   MEDIA_SYNC_TOLERANCE_SECONDS,
   isUnplayable,
   mediaSourceTimeAt,
+  primeMediaForLaterStarts,
   readElementPlaybackRate,
   readElementPlaybackStart,
   readElementRateSpec,
@@ -4720,6 +4721,7 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
       }
       runAdapters("play");
       syncMediaForCurrentState();
+      primeMediaForLaterStarts(resolveMediaClipIndex().clips.map((clip) => clip.el));
       colorGrading.redraw();
       postState(true);
     },
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/media.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/media.test.ts
index cc9b9e14630..145f1d12244 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/media.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/media.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { mediaElementTime } from "./mediaClock";
 import {
   evictMediaSyncState,
   hasMediaSyncStateForTest,
+  primeMediaForLaterStarts,
   readElementPlaybackRate,
   readElementPlaybackStart,
   refreshRuntimeMediaCache,
@@ -1822,6 +1823,34 @@ describe("syncRuntimeMedia", () => {
     expect(clip.el.muted).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  describe("priming for iOS", () => {
+    const iPhone =
+      "Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 26_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 Mobile/15E148";
+    afterEach(() => vi.restoreAllMocks());
+
+    it("plays then pauses every idle unmuted take so iOS lets it start after the tap", () => {
+      vi.spyOn(navigator, "userAgent", "get").mockReturnValue(iPhone);
+      const idle = createMockClip({ start: 20, end: 30 }).el;
+      const muted = createMockClip({ start: 20, end: 30 }).el;
+      const sounding = createMockClip({ start: 0, end: 10 }).el;
+      const order: string[] = [];
+      idle.play = vi.fn(() => (order.push("play"), Promise.resolve()));
+      idle.pause = vi.fn(() => void order.push("pause"));
+      muted.setAttribute("muted", "");
+      Object.defineProperty(sounding, "paused", { value: false });
+      primeMediaForLaterStarts([idle, muted, sounding]);
+      expect(order).toEqual(["play", "pause"]);
+      expect(muted.play).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(sounding.pause).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("leaves every take parked where no tap is needed", () => {
+      const idle = createMockClip({ start: 20, end: 30 }).el;
+      primeMediaForLaterStarts([idle]);
+      expect(idle.play).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
   it("fires onAutoplayBlocked when play() rejects with NotAllowedError", async () => {
     const clip = createMockClip({ start: 0, end: 10 });
     Object.defineProperty(clip.el, "readyState", { value: 4, writable: true });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/media.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/media.ts
index 101bdf883b3..bc9b33be1fb 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/media.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/media.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { swallow } from "./diagnostics";
 import { isClipVisibleAt, isInClipWindow } from "./clipWindow";
-import { mediaElementTime } from "./mediaClock";
+import { mediaElementTime, startsSoundOnlyInsideATap } from "./mediaClock";
 import { sameInstant } from "../clipFacts";
 import { interpolateVolumeGain } from "./mediaVolumeEnvelope.js";
 import { elementVolumeLaneGain } from "./audioAutomationVolume.js";
@@ -203,6 +203,17 @@ function markPlayRequested(el: HTMLMediaElement): void {
   el.addEventListener("error", clear, { once: true });
 }
 
+// iOS refuses an unmuted start ~5 s after the tap unless that element played inside a tap: play-then-pause
+// each idle unmuted one from the tap's own call stack. Authored-muted clips start freely and stay deferred.
+export function primeMediaForLaterStarts(els: Iterable<HTMLMediaElement>): void {
+  if (!startsSoundOnlyInsideATap()) return;
+  for (const el of els) {
+    if (el.defaultMuted || !el.paused || playRequested.has(el) || isUnplayable(el)) continue;
+    el.play().catch(() => {});
+    el.pause();
+  }
+}
+
 // HTMLMediaElement.NETWORK_NO_SOURCE — no usable source (404 / unsupported).
 const MEDIA_NETWORK_NO_SOURCE = 3;
 // An element that errored or has no source can't play; re-issuing play() every
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/mediaClock.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/mediaClock.ts
index e57970e9f6f..14ce5766d6b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/mediaClock.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/mediaClock.ts
@@ -3,3 +3,8 @@ export const MEDIA_ELEMENT_LEAD_SECONDS = 1e-5;
 export function mediaElementTime(sourceSeconds: number): number {
   return sourceSeconds + MEDIA_ELEMENT_LEAD_SECONDS;
 }
+
+export function startsSoundOnlyInsideATap(): boolean {
+  const { userAgent, maxTouchPoints } = navigator;
+  return /iP(hone|ad|od)/.test(userAgent) || (/Macintosh/.test(userAgent) && maxTouchPoints > 1);
+}
diff --git a/packages/player/src/hyperframes-player.ts b/packages/player/src/hyperframes-player.ts
index b6da0c9aabc..f78aace8b89 100644
--- a/packages/player/src/hyperframes-player.ts
+++ b/packages/player/src/hyperframes-player.ts
@@ -450,6 +450,7 @@ class HyperframesPlayer extends HTMLElement {
       }
     }
     if (this._media.audioOwner === "parent") this._media.playAll();
+    else this._media.primeAll();
     this.controlsApi?.updatePlaying(true);
     if (!queuedForReady && announce) this._emit(new Event("play"));
     if (directTimelineStarted && this._directTimelineAdapter) {
diff --git a/packages/player/src/parent-media.test.ts b/packages/player/src/parent-media.test.ts
index 3a34d5329b9..c6c91139cac 100644
--- a/packages/player/src/parent-media.test.ts
+++ b/packages/player/src/parent-media.test.ts
@@ -167,6 +167,34 @@ describe("ParentMediaManager audio-src proxy lifecycle", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("ParentMediaManager priming", () => {
+  const iPhone =
+    "Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 26_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 Mobile/15E148";
+  afterEach(() => vi.restoreAllMocks());
+
+  function primed() {
+    const mgr = makeManager();
+    mgr.setupFromUrl("https://example.test/a.mp3");
+    const el = mgr.entries[0].el;
+    const calls: string[] = [];
+    const play = el.play.bind(el);
+    el.play = () => (calls.push("play"), play());
+    const pause = el.pause.bind(el);
+    el.pause = () => (calls.push("pause"), pause());
+    mgr.primeAll();
+    return calls;
+  }
+
+  it("plays then pauses every idle copy so iOS lets it start after the tap", () => {
+    vi.spyOn(navigator, "userAgent", "get").mockReturnValue(iPhone);
+    expect(primed()).toEqual(["play", "pause"]);
+  });
+
+  it("leaves the copies alone where no tap is needed", () => {
+    expect(primed()).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("ParentMediaManager across documents", () => {
   afterEach(() => document.body.replaceChildren());
 
diff --git a/packages/player/src/parent-media.ts b/packages/player/src/parent-media.ts
index 3c73bcb4784..496bb779318 100644
--- a/packages/player/src/parent-media.ts
+++ b/packages/player/src/parent-media.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { isRealmElement, isRealmHtmlMediaElement } from "./media-element-guards.
 import { isInClipWindow } from "@hyperframes/core/runtime/clip-window";
 import { readClipTiming } from "@hyperframes/core/composition-contract";
 import { readLinkTiming } from "@hyperframes/core/media-link";
-import { mediaElementTime } from "@hyperframes/core/runtime/media-clock";
+import { mediaElementTime, startsSoundOnlyInsideATap } from "@hyperframes/core/runtime/media-clock";
 import {
   MEDIA_SYNC_TOLERANCE_SECONDS,
   forgetSteering,
@@ -219,6 +219,16 @@ export class ParentMediaManager {
     for (const m of this._entries) this._playEntryIfActive(m);
   }
 
+  /** iOS lets an element start with sound later only if it was played inside a tap; do it for every copy. */
+  primeAll(): void {
+    if (!startsSoundOnlyInsideATap()) return;
+    for (const m of this._entries) {
+      if (!m.el.paused) continue;
+      m.el.play().catch(() => {});
+      m.el.pause();
+    }
+  }
+
   pauseAll(): void {
     for (const m of this._entries) m.el.pause();
   }