fix: premiere dates, every subscribe bell, Shorts on channel Home, force dark, and a swipe-away switch

.github/nightly-notes/2026-10-28-fix-premiere-date-bell-shorts-home-force-dark.md

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+## New
+- Choose whether playback keeps going after you swipe Flow away (#1468)
+
+## Fixed
+- Premiere and stream dates fit in the description again (#1466)
+- The notification bell works in search, Shorts, related channels and the video menu (#1467)
+- Shorts stay hidden on a channel's Home tab and in Explore when Show Shorts is off (#1507)
+- Titles and messages stay readable when the phone is in dark mode and Flow is light (#1517)

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/MainActivity.kt

@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
         if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.Q) {
             window.isNavigationBarContrastEnforced = false
             window.isStatusBarContrastEnforced = false
+            // Some MIUI builds read force dark from the view rather than the theme (#1517).
+            window.decorView.isForceDarkAllowed = false
         }
 
         // Player setup reads DataStore and opens the media cache index, so it runs off the main

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/data/local/PlayerPreferences.kt

@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ const val MAX_CONCURRENT_DOWNLOADS = 5
 /** On until turned off, matching NewPipe's default and the Background button (#1298). */
 const val DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_PLAY_ENABLED = true
 
+/** On until turned off: a swipe from recents has kept playback going since #1321. */
+const val DEFAULT_KEEP_PLAYING_AFTER_SWIPE = true
+
 val DEFAULT_NAV_TAB_ORDER = listOf(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
 
 private const val MAX_UNPLAYABLE_VIDEO_IDS = 1_000
@@ -79,6 +82,7 @@ class PlayerPreferences(
 
     private object Keys {
         val BACKGROUND_PLAY_ENABLED = booleanPreferencesKey("background_play_enabled")
+        val KEEP_PLAYING_AFTER_SWIPE = booleanPreferencesKey("keep_playing_after_swipe")
         val AUTOPLAY_ENABLED = booleanPreferencesKey("autoplay_enabled")
         val QUEUE_AUTOPLAY_ENABLED = booleanPreferencesKey("queue_autoplay_enabled")
         val START_VIDEOS_PAUSED = booleanPreferencesKey("start_videos_paused")
@@ -1652,6 +1656,19 @@ class PlayerPreferences(
         }
     }
 
+    /** Whether swiping Flow away from recent apps leaves a playing video or song going (#1468). */
+    val keepPlayingAfterSwipe: Flow<Boolean> =
+        context.playerPreferencesDataStore.data
+            .map { preferences ->
+                preferences[Keys.KEEP_PLAYING_AFTER_SWIPE] ?: DEFAULT_KEEP_PLAYING_AFTER_SWIPE
+            }
+
+    suspend fun setKeepPlayingAfterSwipe(enabled: Boolean) {
+        context.playerPreferencesDataStore.edit { preferences ->
+            preferences[Keys.KEEP_PLAYING_AFTER_SWIPE] = enabled
+        }
+    }
+
     // Autoplay
     val autoplayEnabled: Flow<Boolean> =
         context.playerPreferencesDataStore.data

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/data/local/SubscriptionRepository.kt

@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ import io.github.aedev.flow.data.local.AppDatabase
 import io.github.aedev.flow.data.profile.StoreScope
 import io.github.aedev.flow.utils.ThumbnailUrlResolver
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.MutableSharedFlow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.SharedFlow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.asSharedFlow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.distinctUntilChanged
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.map
 
@@ -158,6 +162,12 @@ class SubscriptionRepository private constructor(
             }
         }
 
+    /** The channels whose bell is on. */
+    fun notifyingChannelIds(): Flow<Set<String>> =
+        getAllSubscriptions()
+            .map(::notifyingIds)
+            .distinctUntilChanged()
+
     /**
      * Get all subscription IDs as a Set
      */
@@ -279,18 +289,28 @@ class SubscriptionRepository private constructor(
         channelId: String,
         enabled: Boolean,
     ) {
+        var turnedOn = false
         context.subscriptionsDataStore.edit { preferences ->
             val channelData = preferences[channelKey(channelId)]
             if (channelData != null) {
                 val subscription = deserializeChannel(channelData)
                 if (subscription != null) {
                     val updated = subscription.copy(isNotificationEnabled = enabled)
                     preferences[channelKey(channelId)] = serializeChannel(updated)
+                    turnedOn = enabled && !subscription.isNotificationEnabled
                 }
             }
         }
+        if (turnedOn) bellsTurnedOn.tryEmit(channelId)
     }
 
+    // Every bell in the app writes through updateNotificationState, so this is the one place that
+    // knows a viewer just asked for alerts. Nothing replays: with no shell listening, it is dropped.
+    private val bellsTurnedOn = MutableSharedFlow<String>(extraBufferCapacity = 1)
+
+    /** A channel whose bell the viewer just turned on. */
+    val notificationsTurnedOn: SharedFlow<String> = bellsTurnedOn.asSharedFlow()
+
     /**
      * Record that the subscription feed has just fetched these channels.
      *
@@ -351,3 +371,6 @@ data class ChannelSubscription(
     /** When the subscription feed last fetched this channel; 0 means never. */
     val lastFeedFetchAt: Long = 0L,
 )
+
+internal fun notifyingIds(subscriptions: List<ChannelSubscription>): Set<String> =
+    subscriptions.filter { it.isNotificationEnabled }.mapTo(HashSet()) { it.channelId }

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/data/shorts/FeedShelfShorts.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package io.github.aedev.flow.data.shorts
+
+import io.github.aedev.flow.innertube.pages.renderer.FeedItem
+import io.github.aedev.flow.innertube.pages.renderer.FeedShelf
+
+/**
+ * The shelves with every Short taken out, for a viewer who switched Shorts off (#1507). A shelf
+ * left with nothing is dropped rather than drawn as an empty header.
+ */
+fun List<FeedShelf>.withoutShorts(): List<FeedShelf> =
+    mapNotNull { shelf ->
+        val kept = shelf.items.filterNot(FeedItem::isShort)
+        when {
+            kept.size == shelf.items.size -> shelf
+            kept.isEmpty() -> null
+            else -> shelf.copy(items = kept)
+        }
+    }
+
+/** A collaboration reel arrives as a plain video lockup marked as a Short, so both shapes count. */
+fun FeedItem.isShort(): Boolean = this is FeedItem.ShortItem || (this is FeedItem.VideoItem && video.isShort)

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/player/LifecyclePlaybackPreferences.kt

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package io.github.aedev.flow.player
 
 import io.github.aedev.flow.data.local.DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_PLAY_ENABLED
+import io.github.aedev.flow.data.local.DEFAULT_KEEP_PLAYING_AFTER_SWIPE
 import io.github.aedev.flow.data.local.PlayerPreferences
 import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
@@ -10,8 +11,9 @@ import javax.inject.Inject
 import javax.inject.Singleton
 
 /**
- * The playback preferences read synchronously: by the activity lifecycle callbacks, and by opening a
- * video, which has to know whether to start before any stream is handed to the player.
+ * The playback preferences read synchronously: by the activity lifecycle callbacks, by opening a
+ * video, which has to know whether to start before any stream is handed to the player, and by the
+ * media services when Flow is swiped away, which can happen after the activity is gone.
  */
 data class LifecyclePlaybackSettings(
     val autoPipEnabled: Boolean = false,
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ data class LifecyclePlaybackSettings(
     val shortsPipEnabled: Boolean = false,
     val startVideosPaused: Boolean = false,
     val openVideosFullscreen: Boolean = false,
+    val keepPlayingAfterSwipe: Boolean = DEFAULT_KEEP_PLAYING_AFTER_SWIPE,
 )
 
 /**
@@ -68,6 +71,11 @@ private fun PlayerPreferences.lifecyclePlaybackSettings(): Flow<LifecyclePlaybac
         },
         startVideosPaused,
         openVideosFullscreen,
-    ) { settings, startPaused, openFullscreen ->
-        settings.copy(startVideosPaused = startPaused, openVideosFullscreen = openFullscreen)
+        keepPlayingAfterSwipe,
+    ) { settings, startPaused, openFullscreen, keepPlaying ->
+        settings.copy(
+            startVideosPaused = startPaused,
+            openVideosFullscreen = openFullscreen,
+            keepPlayingAfterSwipe = keepPlaying,
+        )
     }

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/service/Media3MusicService.kt

@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ import io.github.aedev.flow.data.scrobble.ScrobbleRules
 import io.github.aedev.flow.extensions.setOffloadEnabled
 import io.github.aedev.flow.innertube.YouTube
 import io.github.aedev.flow.innertube.models.WatchEndpoint
+import io.github.aedev.flow.player.LifecyclePlaybackPreferences
 import io.github.aedev.flow.player.MusicFailureStreak
 import io.github.aedev.flow.player.MusicLoadErrorPolicy
 import io.github.aedev.flow.player.MusicMutePause
@@ -222,6 +223,9 @@ class Media3MusicService : MediaLibraryService() {
     @Inject
     lateinit var downloadUtil: DownloadUtil
 
+    @Inject
+    lateinit var lifecyclePlaybackPreferences: LifecyclePlaybackPreferences
+
     @Inject
     lateinit var legacySongs: LegacySongDownloads
 
@@ -531,7 +535,8 @@ class Media3MusicService : MediaLibraryService() {
                             }
                         }
 
-                        if (!versionSwap && !videoId.isNullOrBlank() && !title.isNullOrBlank() && !artist.isNullOrBlank()) {
+                        val wantsLyrics = !versionSwap && !videoId.isNullOrBlank() && !LocalMediaIds.isLocal(videoId)
+                        if (wantsLyrics && !title.isNullOrBlank() && !artist.isNullOrBlank()) {
                             lifecycleScope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
                                 try {
                                     Log.d(TAG, "Pre-warming lyrics cache in background for: $videoId - \"$title\"")
@@ -1369,7 +1374,9 @@ class Media3MusicService : MediaLibraryService() {
      */
     @OptIn(UnstableApi::class)
     override fun onTaskRemoved(rootIntent: Intent?) {
-        val keepsPlaying = ::player.isInitialized && player.keepsPlayingOnTaskRemoved(isPlaybackOngoing())
+        val keepsPlaying =
+            ::player.isInitialized &&
+                player.keepsPlayingOnTaskRemoved(lifecyclePlaybackPreferences.settings.keepPlayingAfterSwipe, isPlaybackOngoing())
         PlayerDiagnostics.logInfo(TAG, "onTaskRemoved keepsPlaying=$keepsPlaying ${taskRemovalSnapshot()}")
         if (keepsPlaying) return
         pauseAllPlayersAndStopSelf()

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/service/PlaybackServiceEntryPoint.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package io.github.aedev.flow.service
+
+import dagger.hilt.EntryPoint
+import dagger.hilt.InstallIn
+import dagger.hilt.components.SingletonComponent
+import io.github.aedev.flow.player.LifecyclePlaybackPreferences
+
+/** [VideoPlayerService] is not a Hilt entry point, so the singletons it reads come through here. */
+@EntryPoint
+@InstallIn(SingletonComponent::class)
+interface PlaybackServiceEntryPoint {
+    fun lifecyclePlaybackPreferences(): LifecyclePlaybackPreferences
+}

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/service/TaskRemovalPolicy.kt

@@ -5,22 +5,29 @@ import androidx.media3.common.Player
 /**
  * Whether a media service stays up when Flow is swiped away from recents. Media3's own rule keeps it
  * only while a session is playing; this also keeps it while a requested song or video is still
- * loading, so a swipe between tracks or during a stall does not end playback. A pause ends it.
+ * loading, so a swipe between tracks or during a stall does not end playback. A pause ends it, and so
+ * does every swipe for a viewer who turned [keepPlayingAfterSwipe] off (#1468).
  */
 internal fun keepsPlayingOnTaskRemoved(
+    keepPlayingAfterSwipe: Boolean,
     playbackOngoing: Boolean,
     playWhenReady: Boolean,
     playbackState: Int,
     hasMedia: Boolean,
 ): Boolean =
-    playbackOngoing &&
+    keepPlayingAfterSwipe &&
+        playbackOngoing &&
         hasMedia &&
         playWhenReady &&
         playbackState != Player.STATE_IDLE &&
         playbackState != Player.STATE_ENDED
 
-internal fun Player.keepsPlayingOnTaskRemoved(playbackOngoing: Boolean): Boolean =
+internal fun Player.keepsPlayingOnTaskRemoved(
+    keepPlayingAfterSwipe: Boolean,
+    playbackOngoing: Boolean,
+): Boolean =
     keepsPlayingOnTaskRemoved(
+        keepPlayingAfterSwipe = keepPlayingAfterSwipe,
         playbackOngoing = playbackOngoing,
         playWhenReady = playWhenReady,
         playbackState = playbackState,

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/service/VideoPlayerService.kt

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import androidx.media3.common.util.UnstableApi
 import androidx.media3.session.DefaultMediaNotificationProvider
 import androidx.media3.session.MediaSession
 import androidx.media3.session.MediaSessionService
+import dagger.hilt.android.EntryPointAccessors
 import io.github.aedev.flow.R
 import io.github.aedev.flow.notification.NotificationHelper
 import io.github.aedev.flow.player.EnhancedPlayerManager
@@ -163,8 +164,13 @@ class VideoPlayerService : MediaSessionService() {
             return
         }
 
+        val keepPlayingAfterSwipe =
+            EntryPointAccessors
+                .fromApplication(applicationContext, PlaybackServiceEntryPoint::class.java)
+                .lifecyclePlaybackPreferences()
+                .settings.keepPlayingAfterSwipe
         val player = EnhancedPlayerManager.getInstance().getPlayer()
-        if (player?.keepsPlayingOnTaskRemoved(isPlaybackOngoing()) == true) return
+        if (player?.keepsPlayingOnTaskRemoved(keepPlayingAfterSwipe, isPlaybackOngoing()) == true) return
 
         EnhancedPlayerManager.getInstance().stop()
         releaseLocks()

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/ui/FlowApp.kt

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ import io.github.aedev.flow.ui.components.musicplayer.sheet.rememberMusicPlayerS
 import io.github.aedev.flow.ui.components.shared.LocalMediaOpenOrigins
 import io.github.aedev.flow.ui.components.shared.MediaMiniBarDefaults
 import io.github.aedev.flow.ui.components.shared.MediaOpenOrigins
+import io.github.aedev.flow.ui.components.shared.SubscriptionBellAlerts
 import io.github.aedev.flow.ui.components.shared.mediaMiniBarBounds
 import io.github.aedev.flow.ui.components.videoplayer.PlayerSheetValue
 import io.github.aedev.flow.ui.components.videoplayer.rememberPlayerDraggableState
@@ -507,6 +508,7 @@ fun FlowApp(
                                     LocalFlowSnackbarHostState provides snackbarHostState,
                                     LocalStatusBarHero provides statusBarHero,
                                 ) {
+                                    if (needsOnboarding == false) SubscriptionBellAlerts(snackbarHostState)
                                     NavHost(
                                         navController = navController,
                                         startDestination = if (needsOnboarding == true) "onboarding" else defaultStartRoute,

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/ui/components/channel/ChannelCards.kt

@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ internal fun ChannelRow(
     isSubscribed: Boolean? = null,
     onSubscribeClick: () -> Unit = {},
     onUnsubscribeClick: () -> Unit = {},
+    isNotificationsEnabled: Boolean = false,
+    onNotificationChange: ((Boolean) -> Unit)? = null,
 ) {
     Row(
         modifier =
@@ -82,6 +84,8 @@ internal fun ChannelRow(
                 isSubscribed = isSubscribed,
                 onSubscribeClick = onSubscribeClick,
                 onUnsubscribeClick = onUnsubscribeClick,
+                isNotificationsEnabled = isNotificationsEnabled,
+                onNotificationChange = onNotificationChange,
                 size = FlowSubscribeButtonSize.Compact,
             )
         }

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/ui/components/search/SearchChannelHeroCard.kt

@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ fun SearchChannelHeroCard(
     onSubscribeToggle: () -> Unit,
     onClick: () -> Unit,
     modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
+    isNotificationsEnabled: Boolean = false,
+    onNotificationChange: ((Boolean) -> Unit)? = null,
     latestTitle: String? = null,
     latestVideos: List<Video> = emptyList(),
     onVideoClick: (Video) -> Unit = {},
@@ -94,6 +96,8 @@ fun SearchChannelHeroCard(
                         ChannelActions(
                             isSubscribed = isSubscribed,
                             onSubscribeToggle = onSubscribeToggle,
+                            isNotificationsEnabled = isNotificationsEnabled,
+                            onNotificationChange = onNotificationChange,
                             onOpen = onClick,
                             tint = tint,
                             modifier = Modifier.width(InlineActionsColumn),
@@ -105,6 +109,8 @@ fun SearchChannelHeroCard(
                     ChannelActions(
                         isSubscribed = isSubscribed,
                         onSubscribeToggle = onSubscribeToggle,
+                        isNotificationsEnabled = isNotificationsEnabled,
+                        onNotificationChange = onNotificationChange,
                         onOpen = onClick,
                         tint = tint,
                         modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(horizontal = CardHorizontalPadding),
@@ -171,6 +177,8 @@ private fun ChannelIdentity(
 private fun ChannelActions(
     isSubscribed: Boolean,
     onSubscribeToggle: () -> Unit,
+    isNotificationsEnabled: Boolean,
+    onNotificationChange: ((Boolean) -> Unit)?,
     onOpen: () -> Unit,
     tint: MediaArtworkTint,
     modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
@@ -184,6 +192,8 @@ private fun ChannelActions(
             isSubscribed = isSubscribed,
             onSubscribeClick = onSubscribeToggle,
             onUnsubscribeClick = onSubscribeToggle,
+            isNotificationsEnabled = isNotificationsEnabled,
+            onNotificationChange = onNotificationChange,
             size = FlowSubscribeButtonSize.Wide,
             tint = tint,
             modifier = if (isSubscribed) Modifier else Modifier.weight(1f),

app/src/main/java/io/github/aedev/flow/ui/components/search/SearchResults.kt

@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ data class SearchResultActions(
     val dismissKeyboard: () -> Unit,
     val isSubscribed: (String) -> Boolean = { false },
     val onSubscribeToggle: (Channel) -> Unit = {},
+    val isNotifying: (String) -> Boolean = { false },
+    val onNotificationChange: (Channel, Boolean) -> Unit = { _, _ -> },
 )
 
 @Composable
@@ -92,6 +94,8 @@ fun SearchResults(
                         channel = item.channel,
                         isSubscribed = actions.isSubscribed(item.channel.id),
                         onSubscribeToggle = { actions.onSubscribeToggle(item.channel) },
+                        isNotificationsEnabled = actions.isNotifying(item.channel.id),
+                        onNotificationChange = { actions.onNotificationChange(item.channel, it) },
                         onClick = { actions.onChannelClick(item.channel) },
                         latestTitle = item.latestTitle,
                         latestVideos = item.latestVideos,