MediaRouter

public final class MediaRouter

MediaRouter allows applications to control the routing of media channels and streams from the current device to external speakers and destination devices.

A MediaRouter instance is retrieved through getInstance. Applications can query the media router about the currently selected route and its capabilities to determine how to send content to the route's destination. Applications can also send control requests to the route to ask the route's destination to perform certain remote control functions such as playing media.

See also MediaRouteProvider for information on how an application can publish new media routes to the media router.

The media router API is not thread-safe; all interactions with it must be done from the main thread of the process.

Summary

Nested types
public abstract class MediaRouter.Callback

Interface for receiving events about media routing changes.

Callback which is invoked with the result of a media control request.

Listener for receiving events when the selected route is about to be changed.
public final class MediaRouter.ProviderInfo

Provides information about a media route provider.

Provides information about a media route.

Constants
static final int

Flag for isRouteAvailable: Ignore the default route.
static final int

Flag for isRouteAvailable: Require an actual route to be matched.
static final int

Flag for addCallback: Request passive route discovery while this callback is registered, even on low-RAM devices.
static final int

Flag for addCallback: Actively scan for routes while this callback is registered.
static final int

Flag for addCallback: Request passive route discovery while this callback is registered, except on low-RAM devices.
static final int

Flag for addCallback: Do not filter route events.
static final int

Passed to onUnselect, onRouteUnselected and onRouteSelected when the user pressed the disconnect button to disconnect and keep playing.
static final int

Passed to onUnselect, onRouteUnselected and onRouteSelected when the user selected a different route.
static final int

Passed to onUnselect, onRouteUnselected and onRouteSelected when the user pressed the stop casting button.
static final int

Passed to onUnselect, onRouteUnselected and onRouteSelected when the reason the route was unselected is unknown.

Public methods
void

Registers a callback to discover routes that match the selector and to receive events when they change.
void
@MainThread
addCallback(
    @NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector,
    @NonNull MediaRouter.Callback callback,
    int flags
)

Registers a callback to discover routes that match the selector and to receive events when they change.
void

Registers a media route provider within this application process.
void

This method is deprecated.

Use setMediaSessionCompat instead.
@Nullable MediaRouter.RouteInfo

Gets a bluetooth route for playing media content on the system.
@NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo

Gets the default route for playing media content on the system.
static @NonNull MediaRouter

Gets an instance of the media router service associated with the context.
@Nullable MediaSessionCompat.Token
@NonNull List<MediaRouter.ProviderInfo>

Gets information about the route providers currently known to this media router.
@Nullable MediaRouterParams

Gets parameters of the media router service associated with this media router.
@NonNull List<MediaRouter.RouteInfo>

Gets information about the routes currently known to this media router.
@NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo

Gets the currently selected route.
boolean

Returns true if there is a route that matches the specified selector.
void

Removes the specified callback.
void

Unregisters a media route provider within this application process.
void

This method is deprecated.

Call setMediaSessionCompat instead of addRemoteControlClient so that there is no need to call this method.
void

Selects the specified route.
void

Equivalent to setMediaSessionCompat, except it takes an .
void

Associates the provided MediaSessionCompat to this router.
void

Sets a listener for receiving events when the selected route is about to be changed.
void

Sets the RouteListingPreference of the app associated to this media router.
void

Sets parameters of the media router service associated with this media router.
void
@MainThread
unselect(int reason)

Unselects the current route and selects the default route instead.
@NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo

Returns the selected route if it matches the specified selector, otherwise selects the default route and returns it.

Constants

AVAILABILITY_FLAG_IGNORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int AVAILABILITY_FLAG_IGNORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE = 1

Flag for isRouteAvailable: Ignore the default route.

This flag is used to determine whether a matching non-default route is available. This constraint may be used to decide whether to offer the route chooser dialog to the user. There is no point offering the chooser if there are no non-default choices.

AVAILABILITY_FLAG_REQUIRE_MATCH

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int AVAILABILITY_FLAG_REQUIRE_MATCH = 2

Flag for isRouteAvailable: Require an actual route to be matched.

If this flag is not set, then isRouteAvailable will return true if it is possible to discover a matching route even if discovery is not in progress or if no matching route has yet been found. This feature is used to save resources by removing the need to perform passive route discovery on low-RAM devices.

If this flag is set, then isRouteAvailable will only return true if a matching route has actually been discovered.

CALLBACK_FLAG_FORCE_DISCOVERY

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int CALLBACK_FLAG_FORCE_DISCOVERY = 8

Flag for addCallback: Request passive route discovery while this callback is registered, even on low-RAM devices.

This flag has a significant performance impact on low-RAM devices since it may cause many media route providers to be started simultaneously. It is much better to use CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY instead to avoid performing passive discovery on these devices altogether. Refer to addCallback for details.

See also
MediaRouteDiscoveryFragment

CALLBACK_FLAG_PERFORM_ACTIVE_SCAN

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int CALLBACK_FLAG_PERFORM_ACTIVE_SCAN = 1

Flag for addCallback: Actively scan for routes while this callback is registered.

When this flag is specified, the media router will actively scan for new routes. Certain routes, such as wifi display routes, may not be discoverable except when actively scanning. This flag is typically used when the route picker dialog has been opened by the user to ensure that the route information is up to date.

Active scanning may consume a significant amount of power and may have intrusive effects on wireless connectivity. Therefore it is important that active scanning only be requested when it is actually needed to satisfy a user request to discover and select a new route.

This flag implies CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY but performing active scans is much more expensive than a normal discovery request.

See also
CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY

CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY = 4

Flag for addCallback: Request passive route discovery while this callback is registered, except on low-RAM devices.

When this flag is specified, the media router will try to discover routes. Although route discovery is intended to be efficient, checking for new routes may result in some network activity and could slowly drain the battery. Therefore applications should only specify this flag when they are running in the foreground and would like to provide the user with the option of connecting to new routes.

Applications should typically add a callback using this flag in the activity'sonStart method and remove it in the onStop method. The MediaRouteDiscoveryFragment fragment may also be used for this purpose.

On low-RAM devices this flag will be ignored. Refer to addCallback for details.

See also
MediaRouteDiscoveryFragment

CALLBACK_FLAG_UNFILTERED_EVENTS

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int CALLBACK_FLAG_UNFILTERED_EVENTS = 2

Flag for addCallback: Do not filter route events.

When this flag is specified, the callback will be invoked for events that affect any route even if they do not match the callback's filter.

UNSELECT_REASON_DISCONNECTED

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int UNSELECT_REASON_DISCONNECTED = 1

Passed to onUnselect, onRouteUnselected and onRouteSelected when the user pressed the disconnect button to disconnect and keep playing.

See also
canDisconnectAndKeepPlaying

UNSELECT_REASON_ROUTE_CHANGED

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int UNSELECT_REASON_ROUTE_CHANGED = 3

Passed to onUnselect, onRouteUnselected and onRouteSelected when the user selected a different route.

UNSELECT_REASON_STOPPED

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int UNSELECT_REASON_STOPPED = 2

Passed to onUnselect, onRouteUnselected and onRouteSelected when the user pressed the stop casting button.

Media should stop when this reason is passed.

UNSELECT_REASON_UNKNOWN

Added in 1.1.0
public static final int UNSELECT_REASON_UNKNOWN = 0

Passed to onUnselect, onRouteUnselected and onRouteSelected when the reason the route was unselected is unknown.

Public methods

addCallback

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void addCallback(
    @NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector,
    @NonNull MediaRouter.Callback callback
)

Registers a callback to discover routes that match the selector and to receive events when they change.

This is a convenience method that has the same effect as calling addCallback without flags.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector

A route selector that indicates the kinds of routes that the callback would like to discover.
@NonNull MediaRouter.Callback callback

The callback to add.
See also
removeCallback

addCallback

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void addCallback(
    @NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector,
    @NonNull MediaRouter.Callback callback,
    int flags
)

Registers a callback to discover routes that match the selector and to receive events when they change.

The selector describes the kinds of routes that the application wants to discover. For example, if the application wants to use live audio routes then it should include the live audio media control intent category in its selector when it adds a callback to the media router. The selector may include any number of categories.

If the callback has already been registered, then the selector is added to the set of selectors being monitored by the callback.

By default, the callback will only be invoked for events that affect routes that match the specified selector. Event filtering may be disabled by specifying the CALLBACK_FLAG_UNFILTERED_EVENTS flag when the callback is registered.

Applications should use the isRouteAvailable method to determine whether is it possible to discover a route with the desired capabilities and therefore whether the media route button should be shown to the user.

The CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY flag should be used while the application is in the foreground to request that passive discovery be performed if there are sufficient resources to allow continuous passive discovery. On low-RAM devices this flag will be ignored to conserve resources.

The CALLBACK_FLAG_FORCE_DISCOVERY flag should be used when passive discovery absolutely must be performed, even on low-RAM devices. This flag has a significant performance impact on low-RAM devices since it may cause many media route providers to be started simultaneously. It is much better to use CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY instead to avoid performing passive discovery on these devices altogether.

The CALLBACK_FLAG_PERFORM_ACTIVE_SCAN flag should be used when the media route chooser dialog is showing to confirm the presence of available routes that the user may connect to. This flag may use substantially more power. Once active scan is requested, it will be effective for 30 seconds and will be suppressed after the delay. If you need active scan after this duration, you have to add your callback again with the CALLBACK_FLAG_PERFORM_ACTIVE_SCAN flag.

Example

public class MyActivity extends Activity {
    private MediaRouter mRouter;
    private MediaRouter.Callback mCallback;
    private MediaRouteSelector mSelector;

    // Add the callback on start to tell the media router what kinds of routes
    // the application is interested in so that it can get events about media routing changes
    // from the system.
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

        mRouter = MediaRouter.getInstance(this);
        mCallback = new MyCallback();
        mSelector = new MediaRouteSelector.Builder()
                .addControlCategory(MediaControlIntent.CATEGORY_LIVE_AUDIO)
                .addControlCategory(MediaControlIntent.CATEGORY_REMOTE_PLAYBACK)
                .build();
        mRouter.addCallback(mSelector, mCallback, /* flags= */ 0);
    }

    // Add the callback flag CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY on start by calling
    // addCallback() again so that the media router can try to discover suitable ones.
    public void onStart() {
        super.onStart();

        mRouter.addCallback(mSelector, mCallback,
                MediaRouter.CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY);

        MediaRouter.RouteInfo route = mRouter.updateSelectedRoute(mSelector);
        // do something with the route...
    }

    // Remove the callback flag CALLBACK_FLAG_REQUEST_DISCOVERY on stop by calling
    // addCallback() again in order to tell the media router that it no longer
    // needs to invest effort trying to discover routes of these kinds for now.
    public void onStop() {
        mRouter.addCallback(mSelector, mCallback, /* flags= */ 0);

        super.onStop();
    }

    // Remove the callback when the activity is destroyed.
    public void onDestroy() {
        mRouter.removeCallback(mCallback);

        super.onDestroy();
    }

    private final class MyCallback extends MediaRouter.Callback {
        // Implement callback methods as needed.
    }
}

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector

A route selector that indicates the kinds of routes that the callback would like to discover.
@NonNull MediaRouter.Callback callback

The callback to add.
int flags

Flags to control the behavior of the callback. May be zero or a combination of CALLBACK_FLAG_PERFORM_ACTIVE_SCAN and CALLBACK_FLAG_UNFILTERED_EVENTS.
See also
removeCallback

addProvider

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void addProvider(@NonNull MediaRouteProvider providerInstance)

Registers a media route provider within this application process.

The provider will be added to the list of providers that all MediaRouter instances within this process can use to discover routes.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull MediaRouteProvider providerInstance

The media route provider instance to add.
See also
MediaRouteProvider
removeCallback

addRemoteControlClient

Added in 1.1.0
Deprecated in 1.6.0
@MainThread
public void addRemoteControlClient(@NonNull Object remoteControlClient)

Adds a remote control client to enable remote control of the volume of the selected route.

The remote control client must have previously been registered with the audio manager using the AudioManager.registerRemoteControlClient method.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull Object remoteControlClient

The android.media.RemoteControlClient to register.

getBluetoothRoute

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public @Nullable MediaRouter.RouteInfo getBluetoothRoute()

Gets a bluetooth route for playing media content on the system.

Must be called on the main thread.

Returns
@Nullable MediaRouter.RouteInfo

A bluetooth route, if exist, otherwise null.

getDefaultRoute

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public @NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo getDefaultRoute()

Gets the default route for playing media content on the system.

The system always provides a default route.

Must be called on the main thread.

Returns
@NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo

The default route, which is guaranteed to never be null.

getInstance

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public static @NonNull MediaRouter getInstance(@NonNull Context context)

Gets an instance of the media router service associated with the context.

The application is responsible for holding a strong reference to the returned MediaRouter instance, such as by storing the instance in a field of the android.app.Activity, to ensure that the media router remains alive as long as the application is using its features.

In other words, the support library only holds a weak reference to each media router instance. When there are no remaining strong references to the media router instance, all of its callbacks will be removed and route discovery will no longer be performed on its behalf.

Must be called on the main thread.

Returns
@NonNull MediaRouter

The media router instance for the context. The application must hold a strong reference to this object as long as it is in use.

getMediaSessionToken

Added in 1.1.0
public @Nullable MediaSessionCompat.Token getMediaSessionToken()

getProviders

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public @NonNull List<MediaRouter.ProviderInfo> getProviders()

Gets information about the route providers currently known to this media router.

Must be called on the main thread.

getRouterParams

Added in 1.2.0
@MainThread
public @Nullable MediaRouterParams getRouterParams()

Gets parameters of the media router service associated with this media router.

Must be called on the main thread.

getRoutes

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public @NonNull List<MediaRouter.RouteInfo> getRoutes()

Gets information about the routes currently known to this media router.

Must be called on the main thread.

getSelectedRoute

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public @NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo getSelectedRoute()

Gets the currently selected route.

The application should examine the route's media control intent filters to assess the capabilities of the route before attempting to use it.

Example

public boolean playMovie() {
    MediaRouter mediaRouter = MediaRouter.getInstance(context);
    MediaRouter.RouteInfo route = mediaRouter.getSelectedRoute();

    // First try using the remote playback interface, if supported.
    if (route.supportsControlCategory(MediaControlIntent.CATEGORY_REMOTE_PLAYBACK)) {
        // The route supports remote playback.
        // Try to send it the Uri of the movie to play.
        Intent intent = new Intent(MediaControlIntent.ACTION_PLAY);
        intent.addCategory(MediaControlIntent.CATEGORY_REMOTE_PLAYBACK);
        intent.setDataAndType("http://example.com/videos/movie.mp4", "video/mp4");
        if (route.supportsControlRequest(intent)) {
            route.sendControlRequest(intent, null);
            return true; // sent the request to play the movie
        }
    }

    // If remote playback was not possible, then play locally.
    if (route.supportsControlCategory(MediaControlIntent.CATEGORY_LIVE_VIDEO)) {
        // The route supports live video streaming.
        // Prepare to play content locally in a window or in a presentation.
        return playMovieInWindow();
    }

    // Neither interface is supported, so we can't play the movie to this route.
    return false;
}

Must be called on the main thread.

Returns
@NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo

The selected route, which is guaranteed to never be null.
See also
getControlFilters
supportsControlCategory
supportsControlRequest

isRouteAvailable

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public boolean isRouteAvailable(@NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector, int flags)

Returns true if there is a route that matches the specified selector.

This method returns true if there are any available routes that match the selector regardless of whether they are enabled or disabled. If the AVAILABILITY_FLAG_IGNORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE flag is specified, then the method will only consider non-default routes.

On low-RAM devices this method will return true if it is possible to discover a matching route even if discovery is not in progress or if no matching route has yet been found. Use AVAILABILITY_FLAG_REQUIRE_MATCH to require an actual match.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector

The selector to match.
int flags

Flags to control the determination of whether a route may be available. May be zero or some combination of AVAILABILITY_FLAG_IGNORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE and AVAILABILITY_FLAG_REQUIRE_MATCH.
Returns
boolean

True if a matching route may be available.

removeCallback

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void removeCallback(@NonNull MediaRouter.Callback callback)

Removes the specified callback. It will no longer receive events about changes to media routes.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull MediaRouter.Callback callback

The callback to remove.
See also
addCallback

removeProvider

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void removeProvider(@NonNull MediaRouteProvider providerInstance)

Unregisters a media route provider within this application process.

The provider will be removed from the list of providers that all MediaRouter instances within this process can use to discover routes.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull MediaRouteProvider providerInstance

The media route provider instance to remove.
See also
MediaRouteProvider
addCallback

removeRemoteControlClient

Added in 1.1.0
Deprecated in 1.7.0
@MainThread
public void removeRemoteControlClient(@NonNull Object remoteControlClient)

Removes a remote control client.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull Object remoteControlClient

The android.media.RemoteControlClient to unregister.

selectRoute

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void selectRoute(@NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo route)

Selects the specified route.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo route

The route to select.

setMediaSession

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void setMediaSession(@Nullable Object mediaSession)

Equivalent to setMediaSessionCompat, except it takes an .

setMediaSessionCompat

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void setMediaSessionCompat(@Nullable MediaSessionCompat mediaSession)

Associates the provided MediaSessionCompat to this router.

Maintains the internal state of the provided session to signal it's linked to the currently selected route at any given time. This guarantees that the system UI shows the correct route name when applicable.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@Nullable MediaSessionCompat mediaSession

The MediaSessionCompat to associate to this media router, or null to clear the existing association.

setOnPrepareTransferListener

Added in 1.2.0
@MainThread
public void setOnPrepareTransferListener(
    @Nullable MediaRouter.OnPrepareTransferListener listener
)

Sets a listener for receiving events when the selected route is about to be changed.

Must be called on the main thread.

setRouteListingPreference

Added in 1.6.0
@MainThread
public void setRouteListingPreference(
    @Nullable RouteListingPreference routeListingPreference
)

Sets the RouteListingPreference of the app associated to this media router.

This method does nothing on devices running API 33 or older.

Use this method to inform the system UI of the routes that you would like to list for media routing, via the Output Switcher.

You should call this method immediately after creating an instance and immediately after receiving any route list changes in order to keep the system UI in a consistent state. You can also call this method at any other point to update the listing preference dynamically (which reflect in the system's Output Switcher).

Notes:

  • You should not include the ids of two or more routes with a match in their deduplication ids. If you do, the system will deduplicate them using its own criteria.
  • You can use this method to rank routes in the output switcher, placing the more important routes first. The system might override the proposed ranking.
  • You can use this method to change how routes are listed using dynamic criteria. For example, you can disable routing while an ad is playing).
Parameters
@Nullable RouteListingPreference routeListingPreference

The RouteListingPreference for the system to use for route listing. When null, the system uses its default listing criteria.

setRouterParams

Added in 1.2.0
@MainThread
public void setRouterParams(@Nullable MediaRouterParams params)

Sets parameters of the media router service associated with this media router.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@Nullable MediaRouterParams params

The parameter to set

unselect

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public void unselect(int reason)

Unselects the current route and selects the default route instead.

The reason given must be one of:

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
int reason

The reason for disconnecting the current route.

updateSelectedRoute

Added in 1.1.0
@MainThread
public @NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo updateSelectedRoute(@NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector)

Returns the selected route if it matches the specified selector, otherwise selects the default route and returns it. If there is one live audio route (usually Bluetooth A2DP), it will be selected instead of default route.

Must be called on the main thread.

Parameters
@NonNull MediaRouteSelector selector

The selector to match.
Returns
@NonNull MediaRouter.RouteInfo

The previously selected route if it matched the selector, otherwise the newly selected default route which is guaranteed to never be null.
See also
MediaRouteSelector
matchesSelector