ExoPlayer UI Controller Not Hiding with DPAD_DOWN in Media3 1.3.1

[shoval6]

I am developing an Android TV application using ExoPlayer. In ExoPlayer 2.11.8, I used KEYCODE_DPAD_UP to show the player controls and KEYCODE_DPAD_DOWN to hide them. This functionality worked perfectly.

However, after migrating to Media3 1.3.1, the KEYCODE_DPAD_DOWN event does not hide the controls anymore. Instead, the UI remains visible, and the expected behavior does not occur.
Expected Behavior (as in ExoPlayer 2.11.8):

Pressing DPAD_UP → Shows the ExoPlayer controls.
Pressing DPAD_DOWN → Hides the ExoPlayer controls.

Observed Behavior in Media3 1.3.1:

Pressing DPAD_UP → Works correctly, the controls appear.
Pressing DPAD_DOWN → Controls do not hide, UI remains visible.

Code Implementation:

This is the code I used in ExoPlayer 2.11.8, which worked as expected:

@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_UP) {
        binding.stPlayerView.showController();
    }
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_DOWN) {
        binding.stPlayerView.hideController();
    }
    return false;
}

After upgrading to Media3 1.3.1, the same code no longer hides the controller when pressing KEYCODE_DPAD_DOWN.

Current Dependencies:

// Old (Worked in ExoPlayer 2.11.8)
// implementation 'com.google.android.exoplayer:exoplayer:2.11.8'
// implementation 'com.google.android.exoplayer:exoplayer-ui:2.11.8'

// New (Issue in Media3 1.3.1)
implementation 'androidx.media3:media3-exoplayer:1.3.1'
implementation 'androidx.media3:media3-ui:1.3.1'

Questions :
Is there a new method or approach required in Media3 1.3.1 to hide the player controls with KEYCODE_DPAD_DOWN?
Has the behavior of hideController() changed in this version?
Are there any recommended workarounds to achieve the same functionality?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[icbaker]

At ExoPlayer 2.11.8, com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.StyledPlayerView didn't exist - only com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.PlayerView. So I assume this is the class you were using.

com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.StyledPlayerView was renamed to androidx.media3.ui.PlayerView in the exoplayer2 -> media3 migration. com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.PlayerView was not migrated. So in media3 you must be using androidx.media3.ui.PlayerView aka com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.StyledPlayerView.

So it's likely you are observing a difference in behaviour between com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.PlayerView and com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.StyledPlayerView (rather than an exoplayer2 vs media3 difference).

---

This is the code I used in ExoPlayer 2.11.8, which worked as expected:

@OverRide
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_UP) {
binding.stPlayerView.showController();
}
if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_DOWN) {
binding.stPlayerView.hideController();
}
return false;
}

Are either of these logic branches hit when you're using media3? I wonder if KEYCODE_DPAD_UP is being handled here (where any dpad key is interpreted to show the controller) rather than being passed to your app:

media/libraries/ui/src/main/java/androidx/media3/ui/PlayerView.java

Lines 933 to 947 in 76088cd

	boolean isDpadKey = isDpadKey(event.getKeyCode());
	boolean handled = false;
	if (isDpadKey && useController() && !controller.isFullyVisible()) {
	// Handle the key event by showing the controller.
	maybeShowController(true);
	handled = true;
	} else if (dispatchMediaKeyEvent(event) || super.dispatchKeyEvent(event)) {
	// The key event was handled as a media key or by the super class. We should also show the
	// controller, or extend its show timeout if already visible.
	maybeShowController(true);
	handled = true;
	} else if (isDpadKey && useController()) {
	// The key event wasn't handled, but we should extend the controller's show timeout.
	maybeShowController(true);
	}

This would suggest it's not a problem with the implementation/functionality of the hideController method, but instead related to how the dpad events are routed/handled before they get to your app.