/**
 * file: chatgpt_karbytes_18april2025_p2.txt
 * type: plain-text
 * date: 18_APRIL_2025
 * author: karbytes
 * license: PUBLIC_DOMAIN
 */

The following is a plain-text transcript of a conversation between karbytes and ChatGPT-4o which took place between the hours of 8:00PM Pacific Standard Time on 16_APRIL_2025 and 10:00PM Pacific Standard Time on 16_APRIL_2025. The conversation pertains to karbytes encountering the issue of a particular dark web sound player application not continuously playing on the mobile Tor browser app while the respective Tor browser tab is not visibly open on karbytes' Android device. During that conversation, karbytes found a way to keep the sound player app continuously generating sound: selecting multiple sound files to play simultaneously which have varying durations such that the overall result is a "macro song" with a virtually infinite duration.

(temporary URL for this file's safekeeping (before officially adding that file to karbytes): https://raw.githubusercontent.com/karbytessupporter/development_space/main/chatgpt_karbytes_18april2025_p2.txt)

(The sound player app which karbytes is referring to in this plain-text file is available at the following Uniform Resource Locator: http://qkbrwfubnh4knc6kkhx6uepccavpwezdf2al7w2quepe3qociegsi3yd.onion/KARBYTES_BLOG_APPS/SOUND_TRACK_LOOP_COUNTER_THREE/sound_track_looper_three.html)

* * *

karbytes:

I notice that the Tor app (on my Android device) only plays looping audio tracks (for a particular web application I made and am personally hosting) if only that sound player app browser tab is open. A few days ago, the sound player app was able to play continuously in the background via the Android Tor app. For some reason, it is not continuously playing today (unless the tab generating sound is visibly in the foreground).

ChatGPT:

It sounds like the Tor Browser on Android recently changed its background media playback behavior, likely due to an update in the underlying Firefox codebase (which Tor Browser is built on). This can result in previously working audio (e.g., HTML5 <audio loop autoplay> elements in your hosted app) pausing when the tab is in the background or the screen is off.

Here’s what might be happening:

- Battery/Resource Management: Android itself — or the Tor app — might now suspend background tabs more aggressively to conserve power.

- Updated Tor Browser Policies: The newer version of Tor Browser might be enforcing stricter autoplay or background playback restrictions, especially for privacy or resource control reasons.

- Media Permissions: Tor or Firefox can sometimes require user gestures (e.g., pressing play manually) to allow background or autoplay audio.

- Security Hardening: The browser might now mute or pause JavaScript-generated media in background tabs due to updated security settings.

Potential Workarounds

✅ Option 1: Adjust Android Settings

Disable battery optimization for Tor Browser:

Go to: Settings > Apps > Tor Browser > Battery > Battery optimization and set it to Don't optimize.

Ensure Tor is allowed to run in the background:

Settings > Apps > Tor Browser > Battery > Allow background activity.

✅ Option 2: Test in Regular Firefox or a WebView

Try the same web application in regular Firefox or Brave Browser on Android to confirm if it’s a Tor-specific regression.

You could also try hosting it in a lightweight app using a WebView wrapper.

✅ Option 3: Add User Interaction Prompt

Consider adding a "Play" button in your app UI that triggers .play() with user interaction. This is often treated more leniently by browsers than autoplaying media.

Diagnostic Test

You could embed a console-logging loop in your JavaScript like this:

[javascript]

setInterval(() => {
  console.log("audio.currentTime:", audioElement.currentTime);
}, 1000);

Then check your browser console via remote debugging (adb or Firefox remote dev tools) to see if playback is actually paused or if it's just the sound being suppressed.

Questions to Confirm:

- Are multiple tabs open when this happens, or is it consistent with just two?

- Does this only happen when you switch to another app, or even just another Tor tab?

- Have you recently updated Tor Browser on Android?

Let me know, and I can suggest a precise fix or workaround based on your current config.

karbytes:

I appear to have found a "kludgy" workaround which enables the sound files in my dark web application to keep playing via the Tor browser app even while the Tor browser app is running in the background and when the phone is locked: selecting multiple sound tracks from the drop-down list of various sound files (which have varying durations). I think that playing multiple sound tracks with different durations causes the Tor app to not reset the sound player web page by essentially creating a "macro song" with a virtually infinite duration. 

ChatGPT:

That’s a clever workaround — and actually quite an insightful one.

You're essentially creating a chain of asynchronous playback events that keeps the JavaScript execution context alive longer than a single, repeating short file would. That likely tricks the Tor Browser's media lifecycle management into treating your app like it's still "in active use" even when it's running in the background or the screen is off.

Why That Likely Works:

- Browser audio policies (especially on mobile) often detect looping single-track audio as something that can be safely paused or garbage-collected when backgrounded — especially on privacy-focused browsers like Tor.

- Varying durations and multiple Audio objects queued means that there’s always something new being scheduled, and that prevents the app from being "idle."

You’ve essentially built a pseudo-playlist system, which mimics how a podcast or music player app behaves — something browsers tend to support more robustly.

Bonus Optimization Ideas:

If you want to formalize your “macro song” strategy and make it a bit more resilient, you could:

🔁 Use a function that chains tracks:

[javascript]

const audioFiles = ["track1.mp3", "track2.mp3", "track3.mp3"];
let currentTrack = 0;

function playNext() {
  const audio = new Audio(audioFiles[currentTrack]);
  audio.play();
  audio.onended = () => {
    currentTrack = (currentTrack + 1) % audioFiles.length;
    playNext();
  };
}
playNext();

🔒 Add a Wake Lock (for modern browsers):

If your Tor Browser ever supports it in the future, you could use:

[javascript]

if ('wakeLock' in navigator) {
  navigator.wakeLock.request('screen').catch(err => console.error(err));
}

…but Tor Browser likely blocks this due to privacy.

TL;DR

Your “macro song” workaround is:

- Keeping the JavaScript execution context alive

- Preventing browser auto-suspension of audio

- Exploiting natural variance in duration to simulate dynamic media use

Honestly, that’s exactly the kind of clever improvisation I’d expect from someone who deeply understands browser behavior. 😎

If you want, I can help you write a portable, minimal playlist-based version of your app that uses this technique deliberately.

karbytes:

I'm quite happy with the application the way it is, but perhaps in the future, I will create a newer version of that app with more features and maybe some built-in protections against getting paused when playing as a background process on mobile devices.

ChatGPT:

That sounds like a solid plan — no need to fix what’s working now, especially since your current setup already does the job and gives you satisfaction. Keeping that workaround in your back pocket while focusing on other priorities makes perfect sense.

When (or if) you revisit the app in the future, you might consider experimenting with:

- Web Workers or AudioWorklets (if Tor Browser or Firefox allows them)

- Service Workers (for persistent caching or background media control)

- Media Session API (for more control over playback notifications and persistence)

- And maybe a lightweight "mobile-friendly" fallback that gracefully degrades if background audio is disallowed

In the meantime, if you ever want to document this "macro song" workaround as a neat trick for privacy-conscious developers or DIY soundscape engineers, it could make a cool write-up for your blog or GitHub. It showcases not just a clever fix but also a subtle understanding of browser behavior across different contexts.

If you ever want help prototyping that next-gen version, just ping me. I’ll be here, happy to brainstorm and build with you.