Unified Playback State Across Entry Screens and Lock Screen
Refactored entry flow and remote control handling to ensure playback state remains consistent between in-app screens and system UI.
Audio continues playing after the app is closed or the screen is locked. When the information displayed on the lock screen and Control Center diverges from the actual playback state, it directly undermines the reliability of the listening experience. This inconsistency is not captured in feature specifications, but it affects the overall quality of audio playback. The objective was to ensure that in-app playback state and system UI reference a single source of truth.
Two areas were addressed. First, playback state was consolidated so that all screens reference the same source. Second, lock screen remote controls were reconnected directly to that source. This is particularly critical for long-running flows such as sleep routines, where the app screen is absent for extended periods — playback state and lock screen controls now operate from a unified state model.
Entry flow was also refined: both initial and re-entry paths were cleaned up, and residual state from login and logout transitions is now cleared consistently. This work does not introduce new features; it establishes consistent playback state behavior across screen boundaries. Transitions out of the visible screen are where playback reliability is most at risk, and maintaining consistency at those points is foundational to a trustworthy audio experience.