clearNowPlayingMetadata clears metadata, but never comes back

[DennisdeWitNL]

Describe the Bug
After clearing the now playing metadata by clearNowPlayingMetadata, every new track added, will not show the metadata anymore, unless you fully restart the app after forcing the app to stop. This is an Android issue.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Download my example here: https://github.com/DennisdeWitNL/example-clearmetadata
2. Play the song. Check the metadata in the notification control center. It is there.
3. Now pause the song and check the metadata. It is still there.
4. Now click Clear Metadata. The metadata has been cleared.
5. Now click Queue and then click Play. There is still no metadata, unless you fully restart the app and stop the service.

Code To Reproduce
Please download my edited example here: https://github.com/DennisdeWitNL/example-clearmetadata

Environment Info:
Paste the results of npx react-native info

info Fetching system and libraries information...
System:
    OS: macOS 13.0
    CPU: (10) arm64 Apple M1 Max
    Memory: 3.93 GB / 32.00 GB
    Shell: 5.8.1 - /bin/zsh
  Binaries:
    Node: 18.7.0 - /opt/homebrew/bin/node
    Yarn: 1.22.19 - ~/Documents/Apps/node_modules/.bin/yarn
    npm: 8.15.0 - /opt/homebrew/bin/npm
    Watchman: Not Found
  Managers:
    CocoaPods: 1.11.3 - /opt/homebrew/bin/pod
  SDKs:
    iOS SDK:
      Platforms: DriverKit 22.0, iOS 16.0, macOS 13.0, tvOS 16.0, watchOS 9.0
    Android SDK: Not Found
  IDEs:
    Android Studio: 2021.2 AI-212.5712.43.2112.8609683
    Xcode: 14.0/14A5270f - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
  Languages:
    Java: 17.0.3.1 - /usr/bin/javac
  npmPackages:
    @react-native-community/cli: Not Found
    react: 17.0.2 => 17.0.2 
    react-native: 0.68.1 => 0.68.1 
    react-native-macos: Not Found
  npmGlobalPackages:
    *react-native*: Not Found

Paste the exact react-native-track-player version you are using

react-native-track-player@3.0.0
Real device? Or simulator?
Both

What OS are you running?
macOS Ventura with Android Studio, the latest SDK. Also fails on a Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra

How I can Help
What can you do to help resolve this?
Have you investigated the underlying JS or Swift/Android code causing this bug?
Can you create a Pull Request with a fix?

There is no log in Logcat, therefore I don't know where to start. Willing to test a PR of course!

[jspizziri]

Possibly related to #1719?

[gavrichards]

5. Now click Queue and then click Play. There is still no metadata, unless you fully restart the app and stop the service.

The code for the Queue button in the example app is:

          <Button
            title="Queue"
            onPress={() => console.log('TODO: implement queue interface')}
            type="primary"
          />

So I don't think we can expect this to do anything 😉

[jspizziri]

@gavrichards ahh... Nice catch!

@DennisdeWitNL , @gavrichards is correct, that button in the example app currently doesn't do anything. Can you update your reproduction steps to outline how to repro?

[DennisdeWitNL]

@jspizziri It's over here.

https://github.com/DennisdeWitNL/example-clearmetadata

[gavrichards]

@jspizziri I can confirm the described behaviour is correct - no matter what you do, the metadata doesn't come back once it has been cleared. Even calling TrackPlayer.updateMetadataForTrack with the proposed fix for KotlinAudio doesn't bring it back.

[puckey]

I can fix this, but I am wondering what TrackPlayer.clearNowPlayingMetadata() is expected to do exactly. I don't see the method in the docs.. @jspizziri perhaps you know?

@DennisdeWitNL what do you expect from this functionality and why do you need it?

Is it supposed to set all the metadata fields to empty string?

Should it remove the notification? (in which case, why would you want to?)

[DennisdeWitNL]

To be fair, I don’t need this function anymore. I have replaced it with the StoppedPlaybackAndRemoveNotification updateOption.

[puckey]

Does anyone have a use for this functionality? Otherwise I would probably just nominate it for removal...