Various issues with Plex's basic playback controls (play, pause, next, previous)

Plex Players Mobile Devices
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Server Version#: 1.18.9.2571
Player Version#: 7.30.0.16390
Phone is Samsung Galaxy S10e running Android 10 on Verizon (stock, not rooted)

After being a very happy Plex user for years for TV and Movies, I recently started importing my music collection into plex and planned to start using the Android App as my daily driver for music. I have about 1,500 songs in my library so far but I immediately noticed issues with simply being able to play, pause, etc, which has brought this all to a halt.

Here are two specific examples that, frankly, have stopped me dead in my tracks with my mouth open when I noticed them.

Example 1: Playback to any bluetooth wireless headset. I have 4 headsets but I’ll focus on one, MPOW Flame. I can advance to the next and previous track and I can pause. But once I pause the music I cannot play it again. I unlock my phone, the Plex app is still there running but I have to tap play on the phone’s screen. I can reproduce this 100% of the time with Plex.

Example 2: Playback to 2014 Hyundai Sonata. This is NOT android auto. This is simple, legacy bluetooth connection. I cannot change tracks forward or backward. Additionally, when I press the power button on the stereo while music is playing it should pause but does not. When I turn my stereo back on, the music has continued to play in the background. The pause button does work, BUT… The same issue from Example 1 (not being able to resume after pausing) exists here. Finally, THE WORST is since the music does not automatically pause like every other player out there, when I get out of my car my music starts blaring out of my phone. I have to unlock it and press the pause button. This is completely unuseable.

Every single other media player I have used in the last 5+ years has ZERO issues. Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Music, Youtube, Poweramp, Shuttle+, VLC, etc., etc.

I really would like this to work which I why I’m taking the time to post here in hopes that It’s a simple setting or something that I’m missing. I went through the settings to see if there was something like “enable bluetooth controls” or “auto play/pause on connect/disconnect” but it’s either not there or I’m missing it. I also didn’t see any posts about these types of issues, so if this has already been addressed, I apologize and please point me in that direction.

I know that no software, including Plex, is perfect. But in my opinion, in 2020, this is media player 101 and should pretty much work without issue. Thanks for any help.

2 Likes
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I have the same issue with Plex for Android on my Samsung Note 9 with my B&O H9 headphones. Selecting pause on the headphones works, but play does not. I need to hit play on my phone instead. Hitting the back track on my B&O headset after pause will resume play at the beginning of the track…

Interestingly, after having fired up the plex client on my mobile and hitting pause, the play tap on my headset will also not work anymore on samsung music, until I kill the Plex app fully…

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I have had the same issue with bluetooth controls since 7.28. (started with 7.28, was not a problem at all with 7.27)
I have the same/similar problems as you, mainly with pause/resuming not functioning properly on bluetooth device connect or disconnect (my car, like yours).

Been trying to get support on this in this thread where it was reported in a 7.28 beta

As well as in a thread I started here:

I sent my logs to @marekszulik who is aware of the issue but has had trouble reproducing it. Maybe your logs would be helpful as well. (?)

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I am still having the same issue on 8.0.0.17276, coincidentally on the same phone as you (Samsung Galaxy S10e, but on T-Mobile).

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I would be happy to provide logs if someone from Plex engaged with me on this topic. Otherwise, frankly, I’m going to continue to use another player for my music needs.

This is based on the simple fact that every single other MP3/Music player I have used on Android, since the HTC Evo in 2010, had no issues with BASIC playback controls over Bluetooth. Everything from the manufacturer’s baked-in media player, to streaming services, to 3rd party music players. It just worked. Never once have I seen play or pause not work. Never once have I seen music not stop playing when the Bluetooth device was shut off.

I’m not an application developer but I’m in the IT industry and I know there is a standard for bluetooth playback controls (like A2DP). So I can only conclude that this is due to a coding design or decision on Plex’s side. Maybe they’re using AVRCP which as many variations and is more device specific? That could also explain why I see many, but slightly different, complaints about music playback and 3rd party devices (auto, speaker, headset, etc.)

Regardless, this is clearly not a priority for Plex’s support at this time. Maybe it will be, one day. At least I know that it’s not just a simple setting in the app that I’m missing. It’s an actual problem that needs enough squeaky wheels to get some grease.

I do love Plex from a home movie / tv collection standpoint and they clearly have made progress on that front in the last few years. Hopefully their music playback will get some attention soon.

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I am still having this issue on 8.0.1.17410 .
I never had the issue before 7.28, so could the use of AVRCP cause something to “break” with an update?

I also have never had this issue with any other music players on this device or any other.
It’s a bit frustrating that it was working just fine with 7.27, but now it isn’t working and is not really being addressed.
As I mentioned before, @marekszulik replied in a thread where this was addressed for a beta version, but has not followed up since that time.
I also never got a reply in the thread I started about this issue, which is one of the ones I linked above.

Edit: I took a look at marekszulik’s profile here and he hasn’t been “seen” online here since March 20, which is when he made his last post about this issue. It may be that some Plex staff are not able to be working from home during the current pandemic and could be why we are not seeing much attention on this.
(??) Just theorizing

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I have the same issue, can pause music (and skip to next track) using my Bluetooth headset (Jabra) but the music does not resume when pressing the button again.

The issue is the same both on the Plex app and Plexamp app.

Huawei P30 Pro Android 10
Jabra Elite 75t
Plexamp 3.1.0
Plex 8.2.0.smthing

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I have absolutely no Bluetooth controls whatsoever in my car or through my Pebble watch. Interestingly my Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT allow me to play/pause, but there’s no forward/back track buttons on them, so I can’t test that. I’ve tried in both Plex and Plexamp to no avail. I’m also doing this with a downloaded (synced) playlist, so it’s not a server issue.

Pixel 2XL
Pebble Time Round/UConnect
Plex App 8.1.2.18135
Plexamp: 3.1.0

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Can we get some sort of acknowledgement that these bugs exist? Even if we don’t get a firm time frame of when they are going to get fixed. I would really like to switch over from Google Music to Plex for listening to music in my car, but without these basic functions I just don’t see it being worth it.

There has been another App release with no patch notes saying anything about fixing this. Testing it out, my Pebble no longer changes over to Google Play music, but it now has absolutely no controls. As for my car, I can play/pause, but still have no Back/Forward control, and now, to make things worse, the Track info (Name, Artist, Album) don’t show up.

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I’ve noticed that Plexamp doesn’t appear to be fully interfacing with my car’s head unit either. Playback controls seem to work, but it doesn’t transmit the title/album/artist info to the head unit. If I open the Google Play Music app, all of the functions work normally with my car. Some sort of acknowledgement of this issue from Plex would be great. After supporting them with purchasing a Plex Pass, I really don’t understand this support structure.

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