Treat KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY as play-only to stop repeated Android Auto pauses

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 *   New Features
     *   Add option to switch to the HLS video stream when playing a downloaded episode
         ([#5620](https://github.com/Automattic/pocket-casts-android/pull/5620))
+*   Bug Fixes
+    *   Fix playback repeatedly pausing on wireless Android Auto
+        ([#5535](https://github.com/Automattic/pocket-casts-android/pull/5535))
 
 8.17
 -----

modules/services/repositories/src/main/java/au/com/shiftyjelly/pocketcasts/repositories/playback/Media3SessionCallback.kt

@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ internal class Media3SessionCallback(
                 try {
                     val outputEvent = mediaEventQueue.consumeEvent(inputEvent)
                     when (outputEvent) {
-                        MediaEvent.SingleTap -> handleMediaButtonSingleTap()
+                        MediaEvent.SingleTap -> handleMediaButtonSingleTap(playOnly = keyEvent.keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY)
                         MediaEvent.DoubleTap -> handleMediaButtonDoubleTap()
                         MediaEvent.TripleTap -> handleMediaButtonTripleTap()
                         null -> Unit
@@ -277,8 +277,12 @@ internal class Media3SessionCallback(
         return false
     }
 
-    private fun handleMediaButtonSingleTap() {
-        playbackManager.playPause(sourceView = source)
+    private fun handleMediaButtonSingleTap(playOnly: Boolean = false) {
+        if (playOnly) {
+            playbackManager.playIfNotPlaying(sourceView = source)
+        } else {
+            playbackManager.playPause(sourceView = source)
+        }
     }
 
     private fun handleMediaButtonDoubleTap() {

modules/services/repositories/src/main/java/au/com/shiftyjelly/pocketcasts/repositories/playback/MediaSessionManager.kt

@@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ class MediaSessionManager(
                             val outputEvent = mediaEventQueue.consumeEvent(inputEvent)
                             LogBuffer.i(LogBuffer.TAG_PLAYBACK, "Media button output event: ${keyEvent.action}")
                             when (outputEvent) {
-                                MediaEvent.SingleTap -> handleMediaButtonSingleTap()
+                                MediaEvent.SingleTap -> handleMediaButtonSingleTap(playOnly = keyEvent.keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY)
                                 MediaEvent.DoubleTap -> handleMediaButtonDoubleTap()
                                 MediaEvent.TripleTap -> handleMediaButtonTripleTap()
                                 null -> Unit
@@ -1281,8 +1281,12 @@ class MediaSessionManager(
             LogBuffer.i(LogBuffer.TAG_PLAYBACK, "Event from Media Session to $action. ${userInfo.orEmpty()}")
         }
 
-        private fun handleMediaButtonSingleTap() {
-            playbackManager.playPause(sourceView = source)
+        private fun handleMediaButtonSingleTap(playOnly: Boolean = false) {
+            if (playOnly) {
+                playbackManager.playIfNotPlaying(sourceView = source)
+            } else {
+                playbackManager.playPause(sourceView = source)
+            }
         }
 
         private fun handleMediaButtonDoubleTap() {

modules/services/repositories/src/main/java/au/com/shiftyjelly/pocketcasts/repositories/playback/PlaybackManager.kt

@@ -621,6 +621,20 @@ open class PlaybackManager @Inject constructor(
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Plays the queue only if playback isn't already running, unlike the [playPause] toggle.
+     * Used for KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY, which has explicit play semantics: some head units
+     * (wireless Android Auto in particular) send it redundantly while playback is already
+     * running, and toggling would pause playback.
+     */
+    fun playIfNotPlaying(sourceView: SourceView = SourceView.UNKNOWN) {
+        if (isPlaying()) {
+            LogBuffer.i(LogBuffer.TAG_PLAYBACK, "Ignoring play request because playback is already playing")
+        } else {
+            playQueue(sourceView)
+        }
+    }
+
     fun playQueue(
         sourceView: SourceView = SourceView.UNKNOWN,
         showedStreamWarning: Boolean = false,

modules/services/repositories/src/test/java/au/com/shiftyjelly/pocketcasts/repositories/playback/Media3SessionCallbackTest.kt

@@ -340,11 +340,22 @@ class Media3SessionCallbackTest {
     // --- Headphone action handler tests ---
 
     @Test
-    fun `KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY routes through multi-tap as single tap`() = runTest {
+    fun `KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY routes through multi-tap as play-only single tap`() = runTest {
         sendMediaButtonEvent(KeyEvent.KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY)
         testScope.advanceUntilIdle()
 
-        // Routed through MediaEventQueue — single tap resolves as play/pause
+        // A dedicated play key must never toggle playback into a pause
+        verify(playbackManager).playIfNotPlaying(sourceView = any())
+        verify(playbackManager, never()).playPause(sourceView = any())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY_PAUSE still toggles while playing`() = runTest {
+        whenever(playbackManager.isPlaying()).thenReturn(true)
+
+        sendMediaButtonEvent(KeyEvent.KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY_PAUSE)
+        testScope.advanceUntilIdle()
+
         verify(playbackManager).playPause(sourceView = any())
     }
 

modules/services/repositories/src/test/java/au/com/shiftyjelly/pocketcasts/repositories/playback/PlaybackManagerPlayIfNotPlayingTest.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package au.com.shiftyjelly.pocketcasts.repositories.playback
+
+import au.com.shiftyjelly.pocketcasts.analytics.SourceView
+import org.junit.Test
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith
+import org.mockito.kotlin.any
+import org.mockito.kotlin.eq
+import org.mockito.kotlin.mock
+import org.mockito.kotlin.never
+import org.mockito.kotlin.verify
+import org.mockito.kotlin.whenever
+import org.robolectric.RobolectricTestRunner
+
+@RunWith(RobolectricTestRunner::class)
+class PlaybackManagerPlayIfNotPlayingTest {
+
+    private val playbackManager = mock<PlaybackManager>().also {
+        whenever(it.playIfNotPlaying(any())).thenCallRealMethod()
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `does nothing while already playing`() {
+        whenever(playbackManager.isPlaying()).thenReturn(true)
+
+        playbackManager.playIfNotPlaying(sourceView = SourceView.MEDIA_BUTTON_BROADCAST_ACTION)
+
+        verify(playbackManager, never()).playQueue(any(), any())
+        verify(playbackManager, never()).pause(any(), any())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `plays the queue while not playing`() {
+        whenever(playbackManager.isPlaying()).thenReturn(false)
+
+        playbackManager.playIfNotPlaying(sourceView = SourceView.MEDIA_BUTTON_BROADCAST_ACTION)
+
+        verify(playbackManager).playQueue(eq(SourceView.MEDIA_BUTTON_BROADCAST_ACTION), any())
+    }
+}