diff --git a/ui/component/viewers/videoViewer/internal/plugins/videojs-mobile-ui/plugin.js b/ui/component/viewers/videoViewer/internal/plugins/videojs-mobile-ui/plugin.js
index 8bb9e0d23..9fa1ed760 100644
--- a/ui/component/viewers/videoViewer/internal/plugins/videojs-mobile-ui/plugin.js
+++ b/ui/component/viewers/videoViewer/internal/plugins/videojs-mobile-ui/plugin.js
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ const onPlayerReady = (player, options) => {
  *           Never shows if the endscreen plugin is present
  */
 const mobileUi = function(options) {
-  // if (videojs.browser.IS_ANDROID || videojs.browser.IS_IOS) {
-  if (videojs.browser.IS_ANDROID) {
+  // target both iOS and Android
+  if (videojs.browser.IS_ANDROID || videojs.browser.IS_IOS) {
     this.ready(() => {
       onPlayerReady(this, videojs.mergeOptions(defaults, options));
     });
diff --git a/ui/component/viewers/videoViewer/view.jsx b/ui/component/viewers/videoViewer/view.jsx
index 905187ded..6f2226c80 100644
--- a/ui/component/viewers/videoViewer/view.jsx
+++ b/ui/component/viewers/videoViewer/view.jsx
@@ -110,6 +110,12 @@ function VideoViewer(props: Props) {
     previousListUri,
     videoTheaterMode,
   } = props;
+
+  const IS_IOS =
+    (/iPad|iPhone|iPod/.test(navigator.platform) ||
+      (navigator.platform === 'MacIntel' && navigator.maxTouchPoints > 1)) &&
+    !window.MSStream;
+
   const permanentUrl = claim && claim.permanent_url;
   const adApprovedChannelIds = homepageData ? getAllIds(homepageData) : [];
   const claimId = claim && claim.claim_id;
@@ -335,6 +341,13 @@ function VideoViewer(props: Props) {
             // player.muted(true);
             // another version had player.play()
           }
+        } else {
+          const isPaused = player.paused();
+          if (IS_IOS && isPaused) {
+            document.getElementsByClassName('video-js--tap-to-unmute')[0].style.visibility = 'visible';
+            player.muted(true);
+            const iosResponse = player.play();
+          }
         }
         setIsLoading(false);
         setIsPlaying(false);