Why is my full screen webview constantly closing immediately after opening?

Question

My fullscreen video webview almost always closes immediately after opening, sometimes it works. You can see the screen flashing to full screen and back to original almost everytime i click the fullscreen button on a youtube video. What could be the reason for this?

The webview is displayed in a tablayout/viewpager setup with some other fragments.

I have used this code to display the video: https://github.com/cprcrack/VideoEnabledWebView

And now I am using this one https://github.com/GoogleChrome/chromium-webview-samples/blob/master/fullscreen-video-sample/app/src/main/java/fullscreenvideosample/android/chrome/google/com/fullscreenvideosample/MainActivity.java

They produce exactly the same behavior.

Logs when full screen fails and goes back to normal right after opening:

07-14 17:41:06.694 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: ViewPostImeInputStage processPointer 0
07-14 17:41:06.786 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: ViewPostImeInputStage processPointer 1
07-14 17:41:06.803 D/InputMethodManager: HSI from window - flag : 0 Pid : 6392
07-14 17:41:07.512 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: ViewPostImeInputStage processPointer 0
07-14 17:41:07.592 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: ViewPostImeInputStage processPointer 1
07-14 17:41:07.615 D/InputMethodManager: HSI from window - flag : 0 Pid : 6392
07-14 17:41:07.709 V/InputMethodManager: Starting input: tba=android.view.inputmethod.EditorInfo@3e22579 nm : com.linkhubapp ic=null
07-14 17:41:07.709 I/InputMethodManager: [IMM] startInputInner - mService.startInputOrWindowGainedFocus
07-14 17:41:07.713 D/InputTransport: Input channel constructed: fd=152
07-14 17:41:07.714 D/InputTransport: Input channel destroyed: fd=159
07-14 17:41:07.714 D/InputMethodManager: HSI from window - flag : 0 Pid : 6392
07-14 17:41:07.751 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] newFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] result=0x1 surface={isValid=true -1176543232} surfaceGenerationChanged=false
07-14 17:41:07.911 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] newFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] result=0x7 surface={isValid=true -1273339904} surfaceGenerationChanged=true
07-14 17:41:07.921 D/mali_winsys: EGLint new_window_surface(egl_winsys_display*, void*, EGLSurface, EGLConfig, egl_winsys_surface**, egl_color_buffer_format*, EGLBoolean) returns 0x3000,  [1440x2560]-format:1
07-14 17:41:07.922 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: mHardwareRenderer.updateSurface() mSurface={isValid=true -1273339904}
07-14 17:41:07.974 D/SurfaceView: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,0][0,0] newFrame=[0,875][1440,1685] result=0x7 surface={Surface(name=null)/@0xb9ffb70 isValid=true -1178691584}
07-14 17:41:08.047 D/SurfaceView: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,875][1440,1685] newFrame=[0,875][1440,1685] result=0x5 surface={Surface(name=null)/@0xb9ffb70 isValid=false 0}
07-14 17:41:08.095 D/InputMethodManager: HSI from window - flag : 0 Pid : 6392
07-14 17:41:08.163 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] newFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] result=0x1 surface={isValid=true -1273339904} surfaceGenerationChanged=false
07-14 17:41:08.232 V/InputMethodManager: Starting input: tba=android.view.inputmethod.EditorInfo@1772e0f nm : com.linkhubapp ic=null
07-14 17:41:08.232 I/InputMethodManager: [IMM] startInputInner - mService.startInputOrWindowGainedFocus
07-14 17:41:08.233 D/InputTransport: Input channel constructed: fd=173
07-14 17:41:08.233 D/InputTransport: Input channel destroyed: fd=152

Logs when full screen succeeds:

07-14 17:41:27.987 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: ViewPostImeInputStage processPointer 0
07-14 17:41:28.023 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: ViewPostImeInputStage processPointer 1
07-14 17:41:28.048 D/InputMethodManager: HSI from window - flag : 0 Pid : 6392
07-14 17:41:28.496 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: ViewPostImeInputStage processPointer 0
07-14 17:41:28.571 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: ViewPostImeInputStage processPointer 1
07-14 17:41:28.616 D/InputMethodManager: HSI from window - flag : 0 Pid : 6392
07-14 17:41:28.719 V/InputMethodManager: Starting input: tba=android.view.inputmethod.EditorInfo@80b2646 nm : com.linkhubapp ic=null
07-14 17:41:28.719 I/InputMethodManager: [IMM] startInputInner - mService.startInputOrWindowGainedFocus
07-14 17:41:28.725 D/InputTransport: Input channel constructed: fd=155
07-14 17:41:28.725 D/InputTransport: Input channel destroyed: fd=173
07-14 17:41:28.725 D/InputMethodManager: HSI from window - flag : 0 Pid : 6392
07-14 17:41:28.766 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] newFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] result=0x1 surface={isValid=true -1273339904} surfaceGenerationChanged=false
07-14 17:41:28.956 D/ViewRootImpl@33432e1[GroupActivity]: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] newFrame=[0,0][1440,2560] result=0x1 surface={isValid=true -1273339904} surfaceGenerationChanged=false
07-14 17:41:29.036 D/SurfaceView: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,0][0,0] newFrame=[0,875][1440,1685] result=0x7 surface={Surface(name=null)/@0xc360d2 isValid=true -1273337856}
07-14 17:41:29.089 D/SurfaceView: Relayout returned: oldFrame=[0,875][1440,1685] newFrame=[0,875][1440,1685] result=0x1 surface={Surface(name=null)/@0xc360d2 isValid=true -1311279104}

EDIT: It seems to be happening only on youtube. Tested Vimeo vs youtube. Vimeo opens everytime.

Does it happens on a particular device or you have tried other devices? — A. Badakhshan, Jul 24 '17 at 19:50
Right now it has only been tested on a Samsung Galaxy S6. Ill try to do some testing tomorrow. — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 24 '17 at 20:14
related : https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15768837/playing-html5-video-on-fullscreen-in-android-webview — Bertrand Martel, Jul 24 '17 at 21:24
@BertrandMartel thanks for your reply but that question is about how to display video in full screen and I know how it works, I have done it before multiple times. But now, for some reason, the full screen randomly closes after opening... don't know what is going on. — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 24 '17 at 21:38
I'll have to check later if I can find the time :o I'm really busy right now — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 25 '17 at 10:57
@A.Badakhshan Do Emulators count? I only have another galaxy S3 — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 25 '17 at 10:58
Any other device, just check if it repeats on another devices. — A. Badakhshan, Jul 25 '17 at 11:05
@RonTLV Yes i have internet permissions. The problem is somewhere else — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 31 '17 at 09:12
@YuriiTsap any youtube link. It seems to be only happening on youtube. — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 31 '17 at 11:17
@CantThinkOfAnything so, the problem takes place only with youtube? — Yurii Tsap, Jul 31 '17 at 11:18
@CantThinkOfAnything please share your url example. And meanwhile try to set this in your webview settings. — Yurii Tsap, Jul 31 '17 at 11:32
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/150599/discussion-between-cantthinkofanything-and-yurii-tsap). — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 31 '17 at 11:34

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 26 '17 at 05:24

The best thing I can think of, is that your device is out of ram. So I have some suggestions for you.

First of all, test it on your device when all of its ram is free and check the result.
Second, you have mentioned that you have a Galaxy S6 and a Galaxy S3, run your app on both devices.
Also it is very very helpful if you can test your app on another Galaxy S6 and see if it repeats.

After gathering these information, you may be able to find a solution for your problem.

Another thing that you can test, is use android:hardwareAccelerated="true" and check if it helps.

The behaviour is the same on the S3, S6 and the S7. "android:hardwareAccelerated="true"" I have already set. — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 31 '17 at 09:11

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 26 '17 at 14:23

This not answers your question directly, but offers an alternative.

Depending on your use case, it may be acceptable to display the video on the YouTube App instead of inside WebView. Most Android devices (if not all) have the YouTube app installed.

public void playVideo(String key){

    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("vnd.youtube:" + key));

    // Check if the youtube app exists on the device
    if (intent.resolveActivity(getPackageManager()) == null) {
        // If the youtube app doesn't exist, then use the browser
        intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW,
                Uri.parse("http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=" + key));
    } else {
        startActivity(intent);
    }
}

It will require the user to hit "Back" to return to your app later. But it will probably give a better video experience to the user.

Yeah i know i can just open it via the youtube app but it doesnt meet the requirements of this project. Thnx anyway — CantThinkOfAnything, Jul 31 '17 at 09:10

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 31 '17 at 13:36

During our discussion with @CantThinkOfAnything we found the exact issue and had come out with a solution. Looks like that it is an internal problem of Samsung phones. They have their own WebView implementation which differs in some details and approaches from Chrome WebView. Before trying to overcome issues with webviews on Samsung devices(saying overcome - I mean use another approach, not webview) try to :

Update your web view
Check what WebView implementation you are using Developer Options->WebView implementation here you can switch it

In this case we had problems only with playing youtube videos. So before just using Youtube SDK you can try to build your own player :

<iframe width="300" height=".." src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M68lNfqmTNk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You will need to load this as a separate html into your webview. That's kind of dirty approach and has a lot of cons. Probably, you shouldn't use this. So we ended with the solution to use Youtube SDK, which is much better than iframe. @CantThinkOfAnything - please correct me if I missed something.

P.S. - in other cases Samsung webview works fine for us.

What do you mean with "update your web view"? I'm asking, because am currently experiencing the same issue on a particular Samsung device, with the only difference here being that my `WebView` doesn't always show a youtube player, it sometimes shows a page full of text, customized with html/css. — Noterezeck, Jul 02 '18 at 08:20

Why is my full screen webview constantly closing immediately after opening?

3 Answers3