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Improvements to emby in Android Auto


sjkiss
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1. Search by letter function (A, B C) Currently when selecting "Music" users get their whole library. This is very difficult to navigate, especially while driving!  Bizarrely, this function already exists for playlists. When you pull one up in Android Auto that has a lot of tracks, you do get a "Search by letter" function at the top. Why does this not exist for the library as a whole?

2. The option to restrict the library to only those artists that have tracks downloaded  This would solve streaming problems and make it easier to navigate the library because it would be a smaller selection of artists. 

Currently using Embly Server 4.5 and Android Auto 6.0.6153334 and Emby for Android 3.1.73. 

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1. Search by letter function (A, B C) Currently when selecting "Music" users get their whole library. This is very difficult to navigate, especially while driving!  Bizarrely, this function already exists for playlists. When you pull one up in Android Auto that has a lot of tracks, you do get a "Search by letter" function at the top. Why does this not exist for the library as a whole?

2. The option to restrict the library to only those artists that have tracks downloaded  This would solve streaming problems and make it easier to navigate the library because it would be a smaller selection of artists. 

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I was just looking at Emby through Android Auto this morning. I see that there is a "Search by Letter" Function at the album level! So, when you search through the artist list, select an album the you can search through the tracks by letter, but that's basically useless. What is really needed is a search by letter function at the *artist* level. Otherwise it's *extremely* difficult to use Emby for Android via Android. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
sjkiss

Can I change this to something like a bug report? It looks like the search by letter function is there in a way.

The first image is what I get when I pull up my library . There are only the first alphanumeric artists ( 10000 maniacs) and a "play all" function.

But if I want to play ZZ Top for example or get a compilation album under Various Artists I'd be in trouble.

In the second image there is a page break which I only just found out about.

If you go to the second page though, there is a Search by Letter function right at the top. And it works perfect. so this is in there, but it's not working properly.

Is there a way to turn this into a bug report?

Thanks.

 

 

Screenshot_20210323-090847.png

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Screenshot_20210323-090955.png

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That's the android auto UI, it's not our presentation. We are only supplying the data and Android handles the user interface. We'll look into what we can do but I'm not sure there is anything.

Can you update to a newer version of android?

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sjkiss

I don't think so. I'm running Android 11. I think that's the latest. I would be grateful if you could look into it at least. 
The other way address the problem would be to add a "My Downloads" link at the first menu option. That would make scrolling through the library a lot quicker because of fewer artists. I kinda mentinoed that in the first post of this thread, but I'm worried that might get lost. Should I just leave it there?

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sjkiss
On 3/24/2021 at 12:52 PM, Luke said:

That's the android auto UI, it's not our presentation. We are only supplying the data and Android handles the user interface. We'll look into what we can do but I'm not sure there is anything.

Can you update to a newer version of android?

I updated but no improvement.

On 3/24/2021 at 12:52 PM, Luke said:

That's the android auto UI, it's not our presentation. We are only supplying the data and Android handles the user interface. We'll look into what we can do but I'm not sure there is anything.

Can you update to a newer version of android?

 

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neodago

I also use Emby with android auto and would like to have a more usable interface. Others apps have a far better interface, for example in Poweramp you can select the music by album, artist, genere, folders, latest added, playlist, and so on. In every screen you have the ability to fast select by the first letter. This system is very usefull.

My smartphone is an old Galaxy S7 with android 8 and all works like a charm. Is there the possibility to add a similar user interface in Emby too? This will be fantastic.

Thank you for your incredible work.

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We will continue to look at providing more data to android auto so that it can display more features for sorting, filtering, etc. Just keep in mind, that's not our user interface.

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sjkiss

I'm not sure what has happened but just this morning I checked my Emby app via Android Auto and found theses totally new screen options. Via Music you get to a menu to select things like frequently played, recently played and most importantly favourites. The favourites thing will work phenomenally as a way to just quickly access stuff that is on a person's phone. Oddly the other three options on that screen do allow search by letter, while the favourites doesn't. So that is weird but basically between the menu items there, this issue is solved.

@Luke can you shed light on where this came from? To my knowledge I have not updated Android or Android Auto between yesterday and today. 

However it happened the UI for Emby via Android Auto just got useable. Thank you.

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sjkiss

Actually this feature is a little less useful than I thought. The favourites menu option only lists favourite songs, not favourite artists. So it's pretty cumbersome to select a bunch of individual songs for listening remotely. It would still be really helpful to have a search by letter function for artists or an option to choose from downloaded music. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, sjkiss said:

@Lukecan you shed light on how these menus popped up? They weren't available until recently.

They are pseudo folders that we're adding that android auto can display.

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  • 2 weeks later...
sjkiss
On 3/28/2021 at 12:17 PM, Luke said:

We will continue to look at providing more data to android auto so that it can display more features for sorting, filtering, etc. Just keep in mind, that's not our user interface.

Can you point me to a place where people can point out these problems to Google? I don't know if they have any kind of place for user feedback. I'm obviously not hopeful, but who knows.

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4 minutes ago, sjkiss said:

Can you point me to a place where people can point out these problems to Google? I don't know if they have any kind of place for user feedback. I'm obviously not hopeful, but who knows.

Hi, what problem are you having?

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sjkiss
On 2/15/2021 at 11:40 PM, sjkiss said:

1. Search by letter function (A, B C) Currently when selecting "Music" users get their whole library. This is very difficult to navigate, especially while driving!  Bizarrely, this function already exists for playlists. When you pull one up in Android Auto that has a lot of tracks, you do get a "Search by letter" function at the top. Why does this not exist for the library as a whole?

2. The option to restrict the library to only those artists that have tracks downloaded  This would solve streaming problems and make it easier to navigate the library because it would be a smaller selection of artists. 

Currently using Embly Server 4.5 and Android Auto 6.0.6153334 and Emby for Android 3.1.73. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
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sjkiss
On 2/15/2021 at 11:40 PM, sjkiss said:

1. Search by letter function (A, B C) Currently when selecting "Music" users get their whole library. This is very difficult to navigate, especially while driving!  Bizarrely, this function already exists for playlists. When you pull one up in Android Auto that has a lot of tracks, you do get a "Search by letter" function at the top. Why does this not exist for the library as a whole?

2. The option to restrict the library to only those artists that have tracks downloaded  This would solve streaming problems and make it easier to navigate the library because it would be a smaller selection of artists. 

Currently using Embly Server 4.5 and Android Auto 6.0.6153334 and Emby for Android 3.1.73. 

 

On 4/3/2021 at 11:46 AM, sjkiss said:

Actually this feature is a little less useful than I thought. The favourites menu option only lists favourite songs, not favourite artists. So it's pretty cumbersome to select a bunch of individual songs for listening remotely. It would still be really helpful to have a search by letter function for artists or an option to choose from downloaded music. 

I think the problem I posted above has been solved by the addition of the "Favourites" menu item. When it was originally added, it only allowed users to favourite songs. I don't know what you did in the background, but there are more expansive and more user friendly features available right now that solve, I think, all my problems. 

Basically, now in the web client, users can favourite (and then also download) any artist, album or song.

Then in Android Auto, you can select Music

 

Screenshot_20210506-132430.thumb.png.76b4dd9afb14481ab5e127464b276ba8.png

 

Then Favourites: 

Screenshot_20210506-132436.thumb.png.2f7ab2d4182f2ecdcccedf4b43730625.png

Then from there you can select "albums" "Artists" or "Songs" 

Screenshot_20210506-132439.thumb.png.5358c84e6adcf9e126c98df16c41f2fc.pngThen 

For example, I just favourited this artist. 

Screenshot_20210506-132444.thumb.png.10ab75589c49e25396f11ead6ea6ec14.png

 

Nicely, all of that artist's albums are now immediately accessible *as albums*. 
Screenshot_20210506-132449.thumb.png.a5e738ae833a517375bc5013b513b7ed.png
 
So you can quickly choose an album. And the tracks are ordered by track number, there is a search by letter function or you can shuffle. It's all super slick! 
 
Screenshot_20210506-132503.thumb.png.5950c46348080a51907d2e26f9fec54f.png
 
So, @Luke I don't know what you guys did in the background, but this really solves the problem. In three or four presses, you can get right to whatever album a person wants. And I'm going to assume that if one has taken the steps to download the music to the phone before-hand, that it will draw from the phone, not from the remote server. But from my perspective, that is a real luxury, not a necessity. 

So to summarize, this is a way of using the "Favourites" feature as a shortcut to easier access to a subset of music a person might use on the phone, while driving, via Android Auto. It might not exactly be what was meant in thinking up the Favourites feature, but it works that way very well. 
 
I would be curious if others see this on their end as well. 
 
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pünktchen

What i miss in Android Auto is a pure offline support of downloaded media. If i open the Emby app normally while being offline, i'm presented with a selection screen for the Server and for Downloads. Within Android Auto -> Emby -> then Browse, only the server is listed. Downloads is missing here!

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8 minutes ago, pünktchen said:

What i miss in Android Auto is a pure offline support of downloaded media. If i open the Emby app normally while being offline, i'm presented with a selection screen for the Server and for Downloads. Within Android Auto -> Emby -> then Browse, only the server is listed. Downloads is missing here!

Yes it's on our list. We'll get there. Thanks for the feedback.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Mrbreil
there is so much on your list when it comes to music.
and nothing happens.
and nothing happens, i pay for it every month.
there are so many threads about the bad offline music library
I live in Germany and unfortunately there is not wifi everywhere here, not even cell phone connectivity.
More and more features are being added to emby, but the basic ones are being forgotten. "We're working on it".
android auto offline mode is so bad

 

there are so many things that the old software subsonic does better.
  • Switch to offline mode
  • pre cache playlist
  • cache whole song not only a part of it
  • differentiation between cache and permanent cache
  • emby android client gets way too slow and crashes, I downloaded 45 GB of songs

 

Why can't I completely delete my download list for a specific device?
but i don't want to run airsonic and emby. I like emby and I like having my media in one place. I don't want to maintain two databases.
when I start the download on the artist page, WHY can't I filter whether I have audio and / or video. I want my music with me on the go. 
My cell phone ran out of space when I still got the concert video from each artist.
 
PLEASE PLEASE don't always forget the audio library and not only improve the media library. I don't want to use spotify.

I hope you could understand my frustration, I speak very bad english.

 

 

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Hi there, we are continuing to work on android auto improvement with every new release. Thanks for the feedback.

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