Bluetooth issue?

Support
1

App version: 3.9.0 - from Beta Google Play
Android version: 14 One UI 6.1
Device model: Samsung A52s 5G

This may be an app bug but I suspect it is a phone or Android issue. So I am posting this under Support - and if you decide will change to being a Bug report.

Over the past week I have had 3 instances of my Bluetooth Ear Buds suddenly not working, just hearing a second of distortion then nothing. On the phone the app notification showed the earbud name and “phone” switching, about half a second at a time - as did the volume bar’s icon from Bluetooth to speaker. I re-paired the earbuds, reset them and when that didn’t help I tried a newer pair from a different manufacturer, which also had the problem. Thus knowing it was not an earbud problem I rebooted the phone and all was well. My last phone boot had been 3 days prior. It has now happened twice more.

Complexing the issue I had a week and a half previously stopped manually clearing my phones tabs (via the 3 vertical bars on the bottom) and memory via the Samsung Device Care Widget. I had asked ChatGPT and it said that Android and ONE UI did a sufficiently good memory management and by stopping my practice I’d save battery. I am not saying that there is a connection, but it is the only change I could think of and I suspect it - perhaps by doing the clean-up frequently (about 4 times a day - after any protracted use of the phone) I was hiding an existing problem.

Using ChatGPT, it suggested that the Bluetooth stack was corrupted. That would explain why re-booting worked. However, with the problem repeating without any discernable pattern (ie I cannot recreate it) and the fact that I used to re-boot once a week and now every day or two, it then suggested it may be AntennaPod, after me highlighting I was a Beta tester (I have since noted that the app is not in Beta test at the moment).

I provide the following ChatGPT comment for your info - I do not vouch for its veracity - it said in part (and edited):

AntennaPod can definitely cause this kind of “phantom Bluetooth flip-flopping,” especially if it’s holding the media session hostage.

Improper handling of Bluetooth audio focus events and/or repeatedly asserting control over the media session can cause Bluetooth handshake retries, even with no audio playing.

This would explain:
The player notification flickering
BT toggling between earbuds and phone, even while idle

Check AntennaPod settings for:
“Resume playback on Bluetooth connect” → disable
“Persistent notification” → disable
Anything about “Media session control” → disable if available

Me again - please advise - your problem or as I suspect, the phone’s that will be solved if I return to my past practice.

BESTEST
David

2

I’ve never experienced or even heard of such a thing, which implies that ChatGPT is hallucinating. I’m using 3.9.0 too and haven’t encountered anything like that with this or any prior version of AntennaPod. FYI: I use a Google Pixel 9 Pro and only reboot it when there’s an update, typically less than once a month.

3

To be fair, any app can have a bug that causes memory leakage or overwriting which can lead to all sorts of mysterious manifestations especially if it has been gradually happening over a period of time and which goes away when the phone is rebooted and the memory situation starts off in pristine condition again.

I tend to reboot my phone once a week. Perhaps the OP could tell us when they last rebooted their phone?

4

Thanks for your answers.

Yes - I am rebooting every second day. I am now 95% sure that the problem I am having has nothing to do with AntennaPod but with Android in combination with my app environment and ageing phone, having memory leakage affecting BlueTooth. I thought there was a possibility of AntennaPod as, other than good old phone calls, it is the only app I use with BlueTooth.

After a few days I just had another “flip-flop” of my BlueTooth - without any discernable trigger. I have now turned off BlueTooth scanning under location to lessen its load. If, the flip-flop occurs again I will return to my previous practice of clearing background tabs and RAM after any serious use of the phone - it was stopping this practice that seemed to introduce this problem and greater battery drainage.

Sorry for bothering you - please consider this support question closed.

5

Dear AntennaPod Team,
unfortunately I experience the same problem sporadically, too. Right now, it happens reproducable as soon when when pushing ‘play’ with a specific(!) postcast (streaming or downloaded):

When hearing this podcast for the first time, I worked for half an hour without any problem. After the Bluetooth Buds disconnected by chance the first time, the whole podcast could not by played anymore. No matter whether I try to start again from the beginning or somewhere in between, the buds get disconnected (flip-flop) right away.
Starting the podcast on the same device with the link above directly in the browser worked. I also tried two other podcatchers, which worked without a flaw as well.

Devices:

  • Motorola moto 40 pro
  • Bose QC Earbuds II

I know, this sounds strange, but that’s what I experience. Maybe AntennaPod is some how ‘picky’ with the format of the podcast. On the other hands it is just an mp3, but maybe it is worth to mention that the podcast holds chapter markers.

As I now know that only some podcasts are affected, of course I will continue using AntennaPod. But may be you want to look at this.

Thank you for your fantastic work!

Regards, Obert

6

Interesting situation @Orbert99 - welcome to the community! I’m sorry though that you’re having this issue and I hope it will be resolved.

I believe it is different than what happened to me - however probably does still belong in this thread. My case seems to have been due to me not closing previous tabs and clearing my memory - once I started doing that the frequency of this happening has gone way down - probably only twice in the past 3 months, both times triggered by a phone call interrupting me listening to a podcast. I expect once I get a new phone my problem will disappear!

I therefore doubt if there is any connection between our problems even though the result is the same and Bluetooth is involved. But I leave that to the excellent support given by the wonderful individuals who voluntarily maintain and improve AntennaPod!

You may therefore choose to move this issue to “Bug Report” rather than Support.

BESTEST
David