bug(YouTube/Minimized playback): buffer symbol showing up instead of play button

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

Type

Error at runtime

Tools used

ReVanced Manager

Application

YouTube v18.33.40

Bug description

When pausing the video and letting YouTube run in the background and later coming back instead of showing the play button the user is welcomed by a buffering symbol. If the user taps on the buffer icon, the video will start playing and if it user doesn't do that they can stare at the buffer symbol.

Steps to reproduce

1. Play any video and pause it.
2. Leave the app and let it run in the background.
3. Open YT again and see how a buffer symbol appears.
4. If tapped on, the video will play normally.

Relevant log output

Nil

Screenshots or videos

https://www.veed.io/view/34de0dad-60fc-45ec-9a46-07730c8e75da?sharingWidget=true&panel=

Solution

No response

Additional context

No response

Device Environment

No response

Acknowledgements

• I have searched the existing issues and this is a new and no duplicate or related to another open issue.
• I have written a short but informative title.
• I filled out all of the requested information in this issue properly.
• I have written the title and contents in English.
• This issue does not reproduce on unpatched YouTube or YT Music.

[inotia00]

I've tested it in various cases, but it doesn't reproduce on my side

This could be a bug in YouTube, or the cause of the issue may lie elsewhere
Since nothing is clear, I will keep the issue open for two weeks

In the meantime, if anyone visits this page with the same issue, please leave an emoji in the OP's contents

Comments such as I also have the same issue will send unnecessary email notifications to the OP and the repo's collaborators, so please refrain from leaving such comments if possible
(just leave emoji)

Please only leave comments related to the issue, such as estimating the cause of the issue or introducing steps that can reproduce the issue

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

Strange. I tried doing a clean install as well but that didn't change anything. I haven't tried an older version to see if it's a version issue or not. These are the patches that I use:

[inotia00]

It seems to be reproduced very rarely on my side
Most likely, the Spoof player parameter patch is the cause

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

I am able to reproduce this bug all the time. I tried turning off Spoof parameter in settings and tried the above steps and still the buffer icon was showing up. Can't try without the spoof parameter patch as it's integrated with MicroG, but like I said I did try by turning it off and still got the same results.

[inotia00]

Would you try excluding the Minimized playback patch?

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

Yes. Patching without Minimized Playback and repeating the above steps didn't reproduce the issue.

[inotia00]

In revanced-patches-v2.190.24, the implementation method of Minimized playback patch has been slightly changed

I can't confirm if this issue has been resolved, as it only reproduces very rarely in my side

Please re-patch with revanced-patches-v2.190.24 and check if the issue reproduces

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

Nope. It's still the same.

[inotia00]

Can you pinpoint which version this issue starts occurring?

I have not been notified of this issue in the minimum version supported by the patch (v18.22.37)

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

Okay somehow it's gone now and I don't know whether it'll be back or not. Here's what I did. I patched without minimized playback patch, when into incognito, tried to see if the issue is there or not. It's not. Went back and patched again but this time with minimized playback. Opened the app and I was still in incognito mode, left incognito and played the last video from history. And all of a sudden the issue is gone. Not sure if it's similar to your situation and I'll now start seeing it rarely or if it's actually fixed.

[sleepingiv]

Can you pinpoint which version this issue starts occurring?

I have not been notified of this issue in the minimum version supported by the patch (v18.22.37)

This issue persists for my case . Ig spoof player parameter isn't causing the issue as I'm on root.

I'm using 18.35.36 for a long time as all the patches used by me patch fine (Be it REX or RVX).

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

Welp, It's back.

[inotia00]

I don't think it's a patch issue

Maybe it's Google's new A/B test

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

But if that's the case then someone using spoofed app version or in incognito the issue shouldn't occur right?

[inotia00]

Here are the characteristics of A/B testing:

1. It does not occur when the app is first installed, but occurs over time.
2. The issue does not appear on lower versions of YouTube.
3. The higher the version of YouTube, the easier it is to reproduce the issue.
   (More likely to be targeted for A/B testing)
4. The issue does not occur normally, but it may occur in incognito mode or on other accounts.

[inotia00]

Since most A/B tests rely on the server side, a spoofed app version can handle most of them.

Sometimes, A/B tests are affected by the absolute version of the app.

Please check as the issue persists in YouTube v18.27.36.

As Google updated YouTube v18.27.36 to v18.29.38, there was a lot of code added on the client side.

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

Looks like there's a chance that it could be an A/B testing as when I spoofed the app version to whatever the default one was, the issue seems to have stopped happening.

[ILoveOpenSourceApplications]

Just a follow up, v18.20. & below seems to remove the buffer symbol and everything afterwards brings it back.

[inotia00]

fixed in revanced-patches-v2.199.1