[GH-ISSUE #870] [BUG] Video playback is broken in multitasking mode for many apps.

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:15 +03:00

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Originally created by @cruc1d on GitHub (Sep 29, 2025).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/LiveContainer/LiveContainer/issues/870

Describe the bug

After/on the build that introduced the multitasking window controls (and sidebar for quick app switching), many apps are unable to play video while in multitasking mode.

Tested a few browsers (Brave, Chrome, Opera) in multitasking on youtube.com (and a few other streaming sites), and typically the video either refuses to move past the first/current frame and shows no progression on the timeline, or the timeline will show progress but the displayed frame remains static regardless.

I tried an older build from before the multitasking controls were implemented, and video playback worked as intended on that version.

iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 18.2

Instructions to reproduce

Launch any browser (since none that I’ve tried have been any different) in multitasking mode (app settings also don’t seem to change anything), attempt to play a video in the browser.

What version of LiveContainer and iOS are you using?

3.6.1, release build.

Other info

No response

Originally created by @cruc1d on GitHub (Sep 29, 2025). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/LiveContainer/LiveContainer/issues/870 ### Describe the bug After/on the build that introduced the multitasking window controls (and sidebar for quick app switching), many apps are unable to play video while in multitasking mode. Tested a few browsers (Brave, Chrome, Opera) in multitasking on youtube.com (and a few other streaming sites), and typically the video either refuses to move past the first/current frame and shows no progression on the timeline, or the timeline will show progress but the displayed frame remains static regardless. I tried an older build from before the multitasking controls were implemented, and video playback worked as intended on that version. iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 18.2 ### Instructions to reproduce Launch any browser (since none that I’ve tried have been any different) in multitasking mode (app settings also don’t seem to change anything), attempt to play a video in the browser. ### What version of LiveContainer and iOS are you using? 3.6.1, release build. ### Other info _No response_

kerem added the

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2026-03-03 15:36:15 +03:00

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:16 +03:00

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@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Nov 24, 2025):

I wonder if this is a browser only bug, as video playback works normally for me in Reddit, Facebook and Instagram app

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Nov 24, 2025): I wonder if this is a browser only bug, as video playback works normally for me in Reddit, Facebook and Instagram app

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:16 +03:00

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@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

This problem affects both audio and video. It can actually run in multitask mode under specific circumstances. I am able to reproduce it on Firefox via following steps:

Run Firefox in normal (not-multitask) mode
Open a site with a <video> element
Play that video
Close Firefox (which is also LiveContainer)
Open Firefox in multitask mode
The site with the video tag is served from cache instead of reloading. (Confirmed by using a local server hosting the site, Firefox won't request the page again until I hit refresh page)
The video can play normally in multitask mode
Here you can exit and reopen Firefox in multitask mode, as long as the page is served from cache it will plays the video

Observations:

When I get the video to be able to run in multitask mode, if I hit refresh page, video will fails to play again
At step 7 and 8, if I open the tab view inside Firefox, the video pauses. This is normal behaviour in normal mode too. However immediately going back to the video tab won't make the video play, and the video fails from that point onward, until I repeat from step 1
As above only the page that was served from cache can play video, opening new site triggers the above and so all media fails
If I don't do step 3, video won't work, it has to be played first in normal mode

Tested on Firefox 144.0, iOS 26.1, LiveContainer nightly e06a1f1

This is simple html page hosting the video to test
video_debug_test.html

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): This problem affects both audio and video. It can actually run in multitask mode under specific circumstances. I am able to reproduce it on Firefox via following steps: 1. Run Firefox in normal (not-multitask) mode 2. Open a site with a `<video>` element 3. Play that video 4. Close Firefox (which is also LiveContainer) 5. Open Firefox in multitask mode 6. The site with the video tag is served from cache instead of reloading. (Confirmed by using a local server hosting the site, Firefox won't request the page again until I hit refresh page) 7. The video can play normally in multitask mode 8. Here you can exit and reopen Firefox in multitask mode, as long as the page is served from cache it will plays the video Observations: - When I get the video to be able to run in multitask mode, if I hit refresh page, video will fails to play again - At step 7 and 8, if I open the tab view inside Firefox, the video pauses. This is normal behaviour in normal mode too. However immediately going back to the video tab won't make the video play, and the video fails from that point onward, until I repeat from step 1 - As above only the page that was served from cache can play video, opening new site triggers the above and so all media fails - If I don't do step 3, video won't work, it has to be played first in normal mode Tested on Firefox 144.0, iOS 26.1, LiveContainer nightly e06a1f1 This is simple html page hosting the video to test [video_debug_test.html](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23987960/video_debug_test.html)

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:16 +03:00

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@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Dec 7, 2025):

I have a new discovery. Video in multitasking works fine on a jailbroken iOS 16.6 phone!

I reboot that device to "return to stock iOS", not sure if there is any differences between that and a normal non-jailbroken device, but video still works in multitask mode. Could be something new introduced in iOS 17 or iOS 18?

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Dec 7, 2025): I have a new discovery. Video in multitasking works fine on a jailbroken iOS 16.6 phone! I reboot that device to "return to stock iOS", not sure if there is any differences between that and a normal non-jailbroken device, but video still works in multitask mode. Could be something new introduced in iOS 17 or iOS 18?

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:16 +03:00

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@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Jan 3, 2026):

I just tested the new changes in multitask-experimental branch. The bug still occurred when running multitasking on private app. However there's seem to be a minor behavior change.

In the previous comment I mentioned:

At step 7 and 8, if I open the tab view inside Firefox, the video pauses. This is normal behaviour in normal mode too. However immediately going back to the video tab won't make the video play, and the video fails from that point onward, until I repeat from step 1

For this version in multitask mode, immediately going back to the video tab makes the video play if the app is a Private App and makes the video stop (and fails onward) for Shared App!

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Jan 3, 2026): I just tested the new changes in `multitask-experimental` branch. The bug still occurred when running multitasking on private app. However there's seem to be a minor behavior change. In the previous comment I mentioned: > At step 7 and 8, if I open the tab view inside Firefox, the video pauses. This is normal behaviour in normal mode too. However immediately going back to the video tab won't make the video play, and the video fails from that point onward, until I repeat from step 1 For this version in multitask mode, immediately going back to the video tab makes the video play if the app is a Private App and makes the video stop (and fails onward) for Shared App!

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:16 +03:00

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@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Jan 10, 2026):

I have some more observations. I recently updated my Firefox app for both the native one and the one in LiveContainer to 146.1. It seems now when opening the tab view while playing a video/audio doesn't pause the video/audio as it did like before. This leads to an interesting behaviour is that if I managed to play a video from cache, like from step 6 of a previous comment, and don't let that session die, I can open any new page and play a new video/audio freely (so no need to be from cache). If I let it die (such as refreshing the page that is playing the video), then all video and audio fails to play as usual

Another observation is that playing video/audio seems to be regarded as a background audio? I don't know how to explain this, but for example the Apple Music app, if I open the app and play music, the Dynamic Island doesn't change, but if I swipe up to home screen which put the Apple Music app into the background, the Dynamic Island displays that it is playing audio from an app. In native Firefox app when I play a video the Dynamic Island also doesn't display anything, and when I swipe up to home and put Firefox into background it shows the playing audio indicator in Dynamic Island for a second, then stops (the waveform flatten and volume icon shrink), possibly because Firefox isn't set to continue playing audio in the background.

What makes this interesting is that for Firefox inside LiveContainer, regardless of Normal Mode or Multitask Mode this indicator always shows. Perhaps something is making Firefox think it is backgrounded? (and yet it can still play video in Normal Mode despite that). I tested this on some video player app like HD Flix and they don't display this indicator

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Jan 10, 2026): I have some more observations. I recently updated my Firefox app for both the native one and the one in LiveContainer to 146.1. It seems now when opening the tab view while playing a video/audio doesn't pause the video/audio as it did like before. This leads to an interesting behaviour is that if I managed to play a video from cache, like from step 6 of a previous comment, and don't let that session die, I can open any new page and play a new video/audio freely (so no need to be from cache). If I let it die (such as refreshing the page that is playing the video), then all video and audio fails to play as usual Another observation is that playing video/audio seems to be regarded as a background audio? I don't know how to explain this, but for example the Apple Music app, if I open the app and play music, the Dynamic Island doesn't change, but if I swipe up to home screen which put the Apple Music app into the background, the Dynamic Island displays that it is playing audio from an app. In native Firefox app when I play a video the Dynamic Island also doesn't display anything, and when I swipe up to home and put Firefox into background it shows the playing audio indicator in Dynamic Island for a second, then stops (the waveform flatten and volume icon shrink), possibly because Firefox isn't set to continue playing audio in the background. What makes this interesting is that for Firefox inside LiveContainer, regardless of Normal Mode or Multitask Mode this indicator always shows. Perhaps something is making Firefox think it is backgrounded? (and yet it can still play video in Normal Mode despite that). I tested this on some video player app like HD Flix and they don't display this indicator <img width="1206" height="656" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/497dfa7c-f7a3-4824-8339-d9194972ebe4" />

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:16 +03:00

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@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Jan 27, 2026):

It seems video can play fine in in-app browsers. What I did was running Reddit in multitasking mode. Then inside Reddit, click on any link to an external site that host video, which will open up an in-app browser. Inside this in-app browser/webview thingy the video can play normally. Is this a difference between stock Safari (which I assume is what these in-app browsers are) compared to webkit-based browsers like Firefox? Is it even possible to dump Safari into an .ipa to sideload into LiveContainer?

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Jan 27, 2026): It seems video can play fine in in-app browsers. What I did was running Reddit in multitasking mode. Then inside Reddit, click on any link to an external site that host video, which will open up an in-app browser. Inside this in-app browser/webview thingy the video can play normally. Is this a difference between stock Safari (which I assume is what these in-app browsers are) compared to webkit-based browsers like Firefox? Is it even possible to dump Safari into an .ipa to sideload into LiveContainer?

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:16 +03:00

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@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Feb 9, 2026):

I found another interaction. This one works when there are multiple LiveContainer. I installed Firefox as a Shared App in the main one. Then:

Open a site with a <video> element in multitasking mode in both LiveContainer (default) and LiveContainer2. Confirm that video doesn't work in both cases
Run Firefox in normal mode in LiveContainer2, the video will play normally
Exit LiveContainer2
Run Firefox in multitasking mode in LiveContainer (default), the video will play too
You can now close the app and reopen in multitasking mode, and the video will still play. It only breaks again if the page is refreshed

It also works vice versa.

Note that even though the above steps use LiveContainer and LiveContainer2, both which shares the same Shared App, in my personal setup I actually have a cloned LiveContainer with a different bundle id and different data path for Shared App (they do share the App Group though), so both the original LiveContainer and the cloned one each have a separate Firefox app, and even then this interaction still work. Could this point to LiveProcess or something that get stored inside App Group affecting video playback?

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Feb 9, 2026): I found another interaction. This one works when there are multiple LiveContainer. I installed Firefox as a Shared App in the main one. Then: 1. Open a site with a `<video>` element in multitasking mode in both **LiveContainer (default)** and **LiveContainer2**. Confirm that video doesn't work in both cases 1. Run Firefox in normal mode in **LiveContainer2**, the video will play normally 1. Exit LiveContainer2 1. Run Firefox in multitasking mode in **LiveContainer (default)**, the video will play too 1. You can now close the app and reopen in multitasking mode, and the video will still play. It only breaks again if the page is refreshed It also works vice versa. Note that even though the above steps use **LiveContainer** and **LiveContainer2**, both which shares the same Shared App, in my personal setup I actually have a cloned LiveContainer with a different bundle id and different data path for Shared App (they do share the App Group though), so both the original LiveContainer and the cloned one each have a separate Firefox app, and even then this interaction still work. Could this point to LiveProcess or something that get stored inside App Group affecting video playback?

kerem commented

2026-03-03 15:36:17 +03:00

Author

Owner

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Feb 18, 2026):

I have a new discovery. Video in multitasking works fine on a jailbroken iOS 16.6 phone!

I reboot that device to "return to stock iOS", not sure if there is any differences between that and a normal non-jailbroken device, but video still works in multitask mode. Could be something new introduced in iOS 17 or iOS 18?

I reset the phone by erasing all data, reseting it into stock without jailbreak and can confirm video still works! This is on iOS 16.7.8 on an iPhone X.

@SAOMDVN commented on GitHub (Feb 18, 2026): > I have a new discovery. Video in multitasking works fine on a jailbroken iOS 16.6 phone! > > I reboot that device to "return to stock iOS", not sure if there is any differences between that and a normal non-jailbroken device, but video still works in multitask mode. Could be something new introduced in iOS 17 or iOS 18? I reset the phone by erasing all data, reseting it into stock without jailbreak and can confirm video still works! This is on iOS 16.7.8 on an iPhone X.

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[GH-ISSUE #870] [BUG] Video playback is broken in multitasking mode for many apps. #783

Describe the bug

Instructions to reproduce

What version of LiveContainer and iOS are you using?

Other info