iOS 14.5 and macOS: Removing/Breaking Useful Functionality One Small Piece at a Times

I often (daily) listen to a web podcast of sorts. Not a formal podcast as such*, just playing audio on a web page.

In all previous iOS versions, I could start listening, then switch to another web page. I like letting the podcast play while I read the news so I can use my time efficiently.

But in iOS 14.5, as soon as I switch to another web page, the audio is instantly cut off.

Is this just one more arbitrary design change by intention? Sloppy work? A bug?

No matter the cause, it has a major impact on the #1 time use of my phone. It’s so frustrating and disappointing that Apple keep destroying useful features on macOS, and now iOS.

* Apple’s formal podcast support sucks: downloading stuff I might not listen to, notifications irritating me, etc.