Audio isues with Android Auto Google Maps

App version

Production

Issue description

I’ve recently been having issues where Symfoniun seemingly “steals” the audio channel meant for Google maps. In manifests as the audio sounding super tinny and compressed, and then map directions are silenced. I can get the sound to temporarily sound normal by pausing Symfonium and resuming, but Google maps will stay silenced and the next time it’s supposed to narrate directions. Symfonium turns back to tinny voice.

It doesn’t occur all the time; not sure what is the trigger. Sometimes it’s like that the moment I start the car and other times it turns into that halfway in the drive. It’s incredibly annoying and honestly dangerous because it silences the map and now I’m distracted trying to figure out directions in the middle of the highway.

Device type

Phone

Media provider

Navidrome

Steps to reproduce

Connect phone to car via Android Auto. Play music in symfonium and start Google Maps navigation.

I searched existing issues first

on

I understand that logs are mandatory

on

Log upload name / description

runehl-android-auto

Thanks for the logs. They do not show Symfonium stealing the Maps audio channel. Symfonium is using normal MUSIC/MEDIA audio attributes and the default Duck policy. Whenever Android sends an explicit transient focus loss, Symfonium pauses within milliseconds and resumes only after Android returns focus.

With the Duck policy, Android handles navigation ducking itself and does not notify Symfonium. The quieter/tinny music therefore fits Maps/Android Auto requesting navigation focus, while the missing voice appears to be on the Maps/Android Auto/head-unit guidance path.

While parked, please use Maps → Settings → Navigation → Play test sound, verify guidance is unmuted and set to Louder, and adjust the car’s navigation/voice volume while the sound plays. Please also test with another music app.

If it happens only with Symfonium, change Settings → Playback → Audio focus → Short audio focus action to Pause, restart the app, and test again. Tell me whether Maps becomes audible. If not, the next test will be forcing the output to 48 kHz/16-bit.