Bluetooth "Steals" Audio Playback

[w3wilkes]

If I'm listening to music via plugged in headphones and my bluetooth car comes in range the car "steals" music playback. I do have resume on Bluetooth set, however this should not be honored if I'm currently listening via plugged in headphones. Resume on Bluetooth should only happen if Poweramp is not currently playing on a plugged in headset.

[MotleyG]

But what if that hand-off is the desired effect for others? How does PA interpret when to do this, and when not to?

[andrewilley]

I'm pretty sure and it's by general Android design that when a BT device connects for audio, any current playback gets automatically handed over to the newly connected device. It happens with other apps such as YouTube and other media players too.

Andre

[w3wilkes]

Wow! Sorry for barking up the wrong tree. I didn't realize it was "by design" at the Android OS level. I'd be curious for the case where you had headphones attached and you're listening to music and then a "known bluetooth" came into range that you'd want it to switch, right now even if the bluetooth connection (car) is listening to the radio. I can understand switching when the headphones are unplugged but just to yank it because it's in range just doesn't seem right.

[andrewilley]

The logic uses the same principle as headphones have always done: if you plug in a wired headset, speakers will be disabled and audio will come out of the headset instead. Which is expected behaviour that goes right back to old hi-fi equipment, televisions, etc.

So it's a general issue with the amount of Bluetooth-enabled devices that we have these days. It used to be the case that if you turned Bluetooth on, that was a specific activity because you planned to use it. Now of course there's a lot of BT kit that just runs anyway, and connects automatically to anything it's paired with.

Andre