1483397 - Add media control API so apps can control when media is paused (e.g. when the app is backgrounded)

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(GeckoView :: Media, defect, P3)

Description

[Emily Kager [:ekager]]

I think this previously worked; possibly a regression? 

In GeckoViewActivity you do this in onPause/onResume:
https://dxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/mobile/android/geckoview_example/src/main/java/org/mozilla/geckoview_example/GeckoViewActivity.java#198

I put it in Focus also to solve a bug where videos continued to play when the app was backgrounded and I could have sworn the bug was fixed, but now it doesn't seem to work anymore.

Comment 1

[(inactive) Jim Chen [:jchen] [:darchons]]

Patches in bug 1330257 are making the onPause/onResume calls unnecessary, so maybe this bug will be fixed as well.

Comment 2

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Hi Emily, is pausing the video a Focus blocker?

This is working as designed in Fennec. Users wanted videos to keep playing in the background.

setActive(boolean) is a bad API because the app can't control what to pause. Randall suggests we add a media control API.

Comment 3

[Emily Kager [:ekager]]

Hm okay. Let's close this then and I'll call it working as intended for Focus for now but open for further discussion

Comment 4

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

I'll reopen this bug to track Randall's suggestion to add a media control API. Emily's comment 0 provides a good user story for what a GV-powered app might want to do differently than Fennec.

FWIW, Fennec users like video to continue playing so they could listen to YouTube from a backgrounded Fennec. YouTube's native app only allows background playback if you pay for YouTube Red.

Comment 5

[Kestrel]

Fennec users can install an extension like Video Background Play Fix but Focus users have no such luxury.

YouTube Red requires the user to log in which is inconvenient in a memoryless browser like Focus and compromises privacy.

Comment 6

[Imanol Fernandez]

Attachment: Bug 1483397 - Add media control API so apps can control when media is paused

Add a GeckoSession property too specify if media should be suspended when the session is inactive.

Comment 7

[Randall Barker [:rbarker]]

Comment on attachment 9004645 [details]
Bug 1483397 - Add media control API so apps can control when media is paused

Randall Barker [:rbarker] has approved the revision.

Comment 8

[(inactive) Jim Chen [:jchen] [:darchons]]

Comment on attachment 9004645 [details]
Bug 1483397 - Add media control API so apps can control when media is paused

Jim Chen [:jchen] [:darchons] has approved the revision.

Comment 9

[James Willcox (:snorp) ([e-mail]) (he/him)]

Comment on attachment 9004645 [details]
Bug 1483397 - Add media control API so apps can control when media is paused

James Willcox (:snorp) ([e-mail]) has approved the revision.

Comment 10

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/33c06c934068
Add media control API so apps can control when media is paused r=snorp,rbarker,jchen

Comment 11

[Eliza Balazs [:ebalazs_]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/33c06c934068

Comment 12

[Emily Kager [:ekager]]

Could we also uplift this to the new 62 branch?

Comment 13

[David Bolter [:davidb] (NeedInfo me for attention)]

Sounds good. We're not yet using the tracking flag.

Comment 14

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Comment on attachment 9004645 [details]
Bug 1483397 - Add media control API so apps can control when media is paused

[Approval Request Comment]

If this is not a sec:{high,crit} bug, please state case for consideration:

User impact if declined: User annoyance because media will play in background tabs, e.g. bug 1486523.

Fix Landed on Version: GV 63 Nightly

Risk to taking this patch (and alternatives if risky): Low risk. This is a pretty simple patch and landing it on the GECKOVIEW_62_RELBRANCH release branch will not risk destabilizing Firefox or Fennec 62.

String or UUID changes made by this patch: None

See https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Uplift_rules for more info.

Comment 15

[Ritu Kothari (:ritu) (Inactive, please n-i to RyanVM, jcristau, or pascal)]

Comment on attachment 9004645 [details]
Bug 1483397 - Add media control API so apps can control when media is paused

blocking media when app is in the background, GV62+

Comment 16

[(inactive) Jim Chen [:jchen] [:darchons]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-release/rev/f5d1ec5536b259e66f014cdf2de71ab8e0dbb06f

Comment 17

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Moving some media bugs to the new GeckoView::Media component.