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[Bug]: Audio repeats briefly when automatically advancing to the next track during background playback #1421
Description
Before submitting
- I searched the open and closed issues for this problem.
- I can reproduce this on the latest available Flow release or a current development build.
Flow version
3.0.0
Android version
Android 16
Device
CMF By Nothing Phone 1
Installation source
GitHub release APK
Affected area
Music playback
Reproduction steps
Launch Flow on Android.
Open the YouTube Music feature and start playing a music track.
Put the app in the background while the music continues playing.
Allow the current track to finish and let playback automatically advance to the next track.
Listen to the beginning of the next track and check whether the audio repeats for a few seconds.
Expected behavior
When playback advances to the next track, the new track should begin normally without repeating audio segments or entering an unintended playback loop. Background playback should transition smoothly between tracks.
Actual behavior
When music is playing in the background, the transition to the next track sometimes causes the beginning of the new track to repeat for a few seconds. The audio appears to replay a short segment unnecessarily, producing a brief looping effect that is not present in the original track.
I have observed a similar repeated-audio issue in Flow Desktop when switching between videos. However, this Android report concerns the background music playback issue specifically.
The issue has been reproduced during background music playback. Video playback on Android has not yet been tested, so it is currently unknown whether it is affected as well.
The exact reproduction frequency and whether restarting the app changes the behavior have not yet been established.
Relevant media or URL
No response
Logs
Additional context
The issue appears during transitions between music tracks while Flow is running in the background. It may involve media playback transitions or playback initialization, but the root cause has not been determined.
I am open to contributing to a fix. I would be happy to investigate the relevant playback components, work on a solution, and submit a pull request for review. Guidance from the maintainers on a suitable starting point would be appreciated.
Activity
Captain-Vikram commentedon Oct 23, 2026
Additional observations after extended background playback
I wanted to add some further details based on my continued use of the app.
The issue does not seem to occur immediately after starting playback. In my experience, it appears after a longer background listening session, typically after around 5–6 songs have played, with the next track (approximately the seventh) sometimes experiencing the repeated-audio issue.
I have also noticed a related behavior during these longer sessions:
This makes me wonder whether the issue could be related to prolonged background playback, track transitions, buffering, or Android background/power-management behavior. However, I have not confirmed whether these symptoms share the same root cause.
I am sharing these observations in case they help narrow down the investigation. I would also be happy to help investigate the relevant playback or queue-management components and contribute a fix.
A-EDev commentedon Oct 26, 2026
Thanks for the detailed notes, they helped. Both parts are fixed on main for the next release: the repeat came from a seek back to the start after a gapless track change (#1359), and the mid-song stalls match a reload at every 512 KB piece of an uncached song (#1436). Closing this for now. If it still stalls on the next release, comment here with a Diagnostics export from Settings taken right after it happens and we'll reopen it.