Make media element headless on android

Author: justcoding121

libraries/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Handlers/MediaElementHandler.android.cs

@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
-using CommunityToolkit.Maui.Core.Views;
+using CommunityToolkit.Maui.Core.Views;
 using CommunityToolkit.Maui.Views;
+using Microsoft.Maui;
+using Microsoft.Maui.ApplicationModel;
 using Microsoft.Maui.Handlers;
+#if ANDROID
+using Android.App;
+using Android.Content;
+#endif
 
 namespace CommunityToolkit.Maui.Core.Handlers;
 
@@ -17,21 +23,65 @@ public static void ShouldLoopPlayback(MediaElementHandler handler, MediaElement
 		handler.MediaManager?.UpdateShouldLoopPlayback();
 	}
 
+	protected override MauiMediaElement? CreatePlatformView()
+	{
+		// Use the handler's MauiContext - guaranteed to be available when PrepareAndPlayAsync is called
+		// (bootstrap completes before PrepareAndPlayAsync is called)
+		if (MauiContext == null)
+			throw new InvalidOperationException("MauiContext is null - ensure bootstrap has completed before calling PrepareAndPlayAsync");
+
+		var dispatcher = GetDispatcher();
+		MediaManager ??= new MediaManager(MauiContext, VirtualView, dispatcher);
+		
+		// Always use None (headless mode) for audio-only playback
+		// This app plays Bible readings and music (audio-only), so no UI view is needed
+		// ExoPlayer works perfectly in headless mode for audio playback
+		var (_, playerView) = MediaManager.CreatePlatformView(AndroidViewType.None);
+		
+		// Return null view for headless, or wrap PlayerView if UI exists
+		if (playerView == null)
+		{
+			// Headless mode - perfectly valid
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		// UI mode - we have a real context and PlayerView
+		if (Context == null)
+			throw new InvalidOperationException("Context is null but PlayerView was created");
 
-	protected override MauiMediaElement CreatePlatformView()
+		return new MauiMediaElement(Context, playerView);
+	}
+
+	private IDispatcher GetDispatcher()
 	{
-		MediaManager ??= new(MauiContext ?? throw new InvalidOperationException($"{nameof(MauiContext)} cannot be null"),
-								VirtualView,
-								Dispatcher.GetForCurrentThread() ?? throw new InvalidOperationException($"{nameof(IDispatcher)} cannot be null"));
+		// Get dispatcher - try current thread first, then Application.Current dispatcher
+		// After bootstrap completes, Application.Current.Dispatcher should always be available
+		var dispatcher = Dispatcher.GetForCurrentThread();
+		if (dispatcher == null)
+		{
+			// Try to get dispatcher from Application.Current (works in background services after bootstrap)
+			dispatcher = Microsoft.Maui.Controls.Application.Current?.Dispatcher;
+		}
+		
+		if (dispatcher == null)
+		{
+			throw new InvalidOperationException("Dispatcher cannot be null - ensure bootstrap has completed before calling CreatePlatformView");
+		}
 
-		var (_, playerView) = MediaManager.CreatePlatformView(VirtualView.AndroidViewType);
-		return new(Context, playerView);
+		return dispatcher;
 	}
 
-	protected override void DisconnectHandler(MauiMediaElement platformView)
+	protected override void DisconnectHandler(MauiMediaElement? platformView)
 	{
-		platformView.Dispose();
+		// Handle headless mode where platformView may be null
+		if (platformView != null)
+		{
+			base.DisconnectHandler(platformView);
+			platformView.Dispose();
+		}
+
+		// Dispose() will handle MediaManager disposal (releases MediaSession and stops MediaControlsService)
+		// This works for both UI mode and headless mode
 		Dispose();
-		base.DisconnectHandler(platformView);
 	}
 }

libraries/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Primitives/AndroidViewType.shared.cs

@@ -15,5 +15,10 @@ public enum AndroidViewType
 	/// <summary>
 	/// Create MediaElement on Android using TextureView
 	/// </summary>
-	TextureView
+	TextureView,
+
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Headless mode - no view created (audio-only playback, e.g., Android Auto)
+	/// </summary>
+	None
 }

libraries/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MediaManager.android.cs

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
+using System.Linq;
 using Android.Content;
 using Android.Views;
 using Android.Widget;
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ public partial class MediaManager : Java.Lang.Object, IPlayerListener
 
 	/// <summary>
 	/// The platform native counterpart of <see cref="MediaElement"/>.
+	/// Null in headless mode (audio-only, no view required).
 	/// </summary>
 	protected PlayerView? PlayerView { get; set; }
 
@@ -126,58 +128,47 @@ or PlaybackState.StateSkippingToQueueItem
 
 	/// <summary>
 	/// Creates the corresponding platform view of <see cref="MediaElement"/> on Android.
+	/// Modified for headless (audio-only) playback - no TextureView/Surface required.
 	/// </summary>
 	/// <returns>The platform native counterpart of <see cref="MediaElement"/>.</returns>
 	/// <exception cref="NullReferenceException">Thrown when <see cref="Context"/> is <see langword="null"/> or when the platform view could not be created.</exception>
-	[MemberNotNull(nameof(Player), nameof(PlayerView), nameof(session))]
-	public (PlatformMediaElement platformView, PlayerView PlayerView) CreatePlatformView(AndroidViewType androidViewType)
+	[MemberNotNull(nameof(Player), nameof(session))]
+	public (PlatformMediaElement platformView, PlayerView? PlayerView) CreatePlatformView(AndroidViewType androidViewType)
 	{
-		Player = new ExoPlayerBuilder(MauiContext.Context).Build() ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Player cannot be null");
-		Player.AddListener(this);
-
-		if (androidViewType is AndroidViewType.SurfaceView)
+		// Use MauiContext.Context - guaranteed to be available when PrepareAndPlayAsync is called
+		// (bootstrap completes before PrepareAndPlayAsync is called)
+		var context = MauiContext.Context;
+		if (context == null)
 		{
-			PlayerView = new PlayerView(MauiContext.Context)
-			{
-				Player = Player,
-				UseController = false,
-				ControllerAutoShow = false,
-				LayoutParameters = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MatchParent, ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MatchParent)
-			};
+			throw new InvalidOperationException("Cannot create ExoPlayer - MauiContext.Context is null. Ensure bootstrap has completed before calling PrepareAndPlayAsync.");
 		}
-		else if (androidViewType is AndroidViewType.TextureView)
-		{
-			if (MauiContext.Context?.Resources is null)
-			{
-				throw new InvalidOperationException("Unable to retrieve Android Resources");
-			}
 
-			var resources = MauiContext.Context.Resources;
-			var xmlResource = resources.GetXml(Microsoft.Maui.Resource.Layout.textureview);
-			xmlResource.Read();
+		Log.I("MediaManager", $"MediaManager: Creating ExoPlayer directly via ExoPlayerBuilder. Context: {context.GetType().FullName}");
 
-			var attributes = Android.Util.Xml.AsAttributeSet(xmlResource)!;
+		// Direct creation - no reflection needed
+		// Xamarin.AndroidX.Media3 bindings expose ExoPlayer.Builder as ExoPlayerBuilder
+		var exoPlayer = new ExoPlayerBuilder(context).Build();
 
-			PlayerView = new PlayerView(MauiContext.Context, attributes)
-			{
-				Player = Player,
-				UseController = false,
-				ControllerAutoShow = false,
-				LayoutParameters = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MatchParent, ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MatchParent)
-			};
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			throw new NotSupportedException($"{androidViewType} is not yet supported");
-		}
+		Player = exoPlayer;
+		Player.AddListener(this);
+
+		// Headless audio-only config (critical for no surface/view)
+		Player.SetVideoSurfaceView(null);  // No surface ever
+		// Optionally force disable video tracks if sources might have video
+		// (ExoPlayer auto-skips video when no surface, but this ensures it)
+
+		Log.I("MediaManager", $"MediaManager: ExoPlayer created headlessly. Type: {Player.GetType().FullName}");
+
+		// Always headless mode - no PlayerView needed for audio-only playback
+		PlayerView? playerView = null;
 
 		var mediaSession = new MediaSession.Builder(Platform.AppContext, Player);
 		mediaSession.SetId(Convert.ToBase64String(Guid.NewGuid().ToByteArray())[..8]);
 
 		session ??= mediaSession.Build() ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Session cannot be null");
 		ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(session.Id);
 
-		return (Player, PlayerView);
+		return (Player, playerView);
 	}
 
 	/// <summary>
@@ -770,4 +761,4 @@ static class PlaybackState
 	}
 
 
-}
+}