Conundrum of the unpolished media control
As an Android enthusiast, September has been the most exciting month, because it’s the time when the tech giant in Mountain View releases the latest version of the operating system every year.
One of the features introduced in Android 11 this year is Media Controls, but I feel like it is still half-baked, even after months of beta testing.
I’ve been using Android 11 since Beta 1 was released in June. When writing this blog article, I’m running RP1A.200720.009 on a Pixel 3.
What Exactly is Media Controls?
For years, control buttons such as play/pause, previous track and next track are tucked nicely under notification shade. Users can also see the faded album art in the opposite side.
The core design has remained largely the same, with the exception of visual overhaul Material Design brings when Google launches Android 5.0 Lollipop.
But, every has changed with the introduction of Android 11. Google surprises everyone on June when Media Controls was added in a new style.
The panel now allows users to see the application name which plays music in addition to existing toggles, as well as to switch the output method to different connected devices. That includes phone speakers, smart TV and wireless headset.
It doesn’t make sense to users
If Media Controls were implemented smoothly, I would love to enjoy it. But as of now, it’s still somewhat mediocre and controversial.
First of all, the new changes simply kill muscle memory I’ve built since I flashed CyanogenMod 12.1 on my first Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3.
I’m so used to the 3x3 grid in Quick Settings, to the point that I can toggle on or off icons in the panel without looking at my screen.
In Android 11, Google decides to eliminate the third row of tiles even when no audio file is being played. It also means everything since the third row is shifted to the second page of the Quick Settings menu, creating annoyance that I, as a user, need to get used to.
Isn’t a feature designed to help the users, instead of being an inconvenience?
Not all apps are supported without issues
I’ve tried quite a few third-party music players on Google Play Store, Shuttle, Retro Music, AIMP, foobar2000 and Phonograph, you name it. Unfortunately, none of them really satisfy me as I encounter bugs and hiccups that I didn’t experience in earlier Android versions.
The most absurd example is definitely Radsone. I install it because it is one of the few music players that support high-res audio output. But for some reason the controls are just gone, vanished without a trace.
There are also apps like Onkyo HF Player and MX Player that don’t respect Media Control, insisting on the old method of displaying media buttons and having their own design on user interface. I honestly don’t know if it’ll support the feature, ever.
At the same time, some apps just don’t like to work on Android 11.
A bug that apparently doesn’t allow Retro Music to load album art is reported on GitHub while a Reddit user claims PowerAmp doesn’t detect offline music stored in their device.
Some testers also say music causes stuttering when they use bluetooth earbuds and lock phone screen on Google Issue Tracker, just to name but a few.
Solution…?
Media Controls, at current state, is not stable enough to be included in stable version of Android 11. I’ve yet to see any workaround to disable Media Controls, which is on by default. Worse still, the toggle to disable the feature in Developer Options has long been removed.
There is basically nothing users can do to solve the problem, unfortunately.
