Laggy video playback (NewPipe, PipePipe) since A16 QPR2

DeletedUser591

Anyone else noticing lag in video playback when using either NewPipe or PipePipe?

Videos – wether 30 or 60fps, 1080p or 480p, short or long – seem to lag from time to time, making the frame-rate seem closer to 5-10fps instead of 30 or 60fps. Pausing and unpausing the video when the lag occurs, seems to alleviate the lag for a while, only for it to come back a few seconds or minutes later.

This does not seem to happen on chromium based applications when viewing videos (i.e. Vanadium) only on NewPipe or PipePipe (even on the new PipePipe beta rewrite.)

I believe this started since Android 16 QPR2.

Before submitting a bug report to these apps, I would like to know, if someone else has noticed similar problems popping up or if this is only occurring for me.

Technical details:

GrapheneOS version: latest security preview.
Profile: on secondary, not tested on owner.
Developer options: off.
Smooth display: occurs wether on or off.
Display colors: no effect on lag.
Night shift: no effect.
Exploit protection: enabled tagging/allocator, native code blocked, JIT disabled, Dynamic code both disabled.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 This does not seem to happen on chromium based applications when viewing videos (i.e. Vanadium) only on NewPipe or PipePipe (even on the new PipePipe beta rewrite.)

Are not Newpipe, Grayjay etc based on Chromium browser?

GrouchyGrape

DeletedUser591 FWIW, I'd been having this issue as well, but has since resolved itself.

I had been using Tubular until the intermittent low FPS started happening (without any app update, don't remember if it started after an OS update). In pursuit of a fix, I moved to PipePipe instead. The issue still persisted.

Recently (a week ago?), videos started playing normally again. Don't think there was an app update that coincided with it, but it's working normally now.

DeletedUser591

Seems one other user at least has the same identical problem as since the recent update.

DeletedUser609 To describe this problem the best I can, using newpipe when playing videos, they stutter

DeletedUser609

Having a problem with playing YouTube videos on my Pixel Tablet.

I've tried researching this but the best I can find is this thread but does not really help

I posting here because this started after this update, not sure if it is a update issue, up stream issue or just pure coincidence, I don’t know. But defiantly started after this update.

To describe this problem the best I can, using newpipe when playing videos, they stutter in the way of being like they playing in time-laps but playing at actual speed or another way to describe it is when is filming in very low light the playback can stutter.
This is not like buffering where the video pauses, my internet speed is more than enough. At first I thought is was a Newpipe issue, so to check I downloaded grayjay and it was the same.
The work around I doing is using a RSS feeder for my subscriptions and watching YouTube threw the Brave browser which is a lot better but still not perfect but at least watchable.

I tried to lower from 1080p to 720p down 480p and works OK at 480p. I’m not 100% sure but also seems a lot worse if the playback is a 60fps rather than 30fps on where most videos are set to at 480p

Is anyone having a similar issue or just me? Is it a update issue? Or if not I need to look further to what else is causing this.

Another thing to add to try to describe it, its like try to watch YouTube on a low power laptop when the CPU is maxed out

Just to echo my previous comment above as this seems to be the same problem I am having mention in GrapheneOS version 2025121200 released post

DeletedUser591

@DeletedUser609 do you have all exploit protection settings enabled?

enabled tagging/allocator, native code blocked, JIT disabled, Dynamic code both disabled.

I do not think that the pixel tablet has memory tagging, so that is not the cause at least.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 do you have all exploit protection settings enabled?

No, everything is default as the same before the update

Murcielago

DeletedUser591

do you have all exploit protection settings enabled?

DeletedUser591

I am talking about the options below it, in particular dynamic code loading via memory and via storage, which the default is not restricted, I believe.

PipePipe (4.7.6) works fine for me with DCL via memory and storage restricted.

If these settings causes problems you should get a push up notification on starting the app (maybe check if App info> Dynamic code loading via memory/storage> show notifications about blocked DCL attempts is enabled).

DeletedUser591

DeletedUser609 no they are their own apps, that service videos with their own extractors

Chromium based means browsers like Brave/Vanadium/Google Chrome and the system webview.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 I see. I'm sure Grayjay is a electron application though, I'm not sure but remember futo saying something on this when they released it but I could be completely wrong.

DeletedUser591

DeletedUser609 Yes, GrayJay could be electron based. Did not think that electron based apps where a thing on android, thought they only where used on desktop. I do not now what player framework GrayJay uses though. NewPipe and PipePipe use ExoPlayer so there is that.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 I could be completely wrong about this.

I'm going to wait till the next release for my pixel tablet and if i still have the problem I'm going to do a factory reset as I'm out of any other ideas and see if that helps.
My p7a does not have this problem just to add using Newpipe.

DeletedUser591

@DeletedUser609 could you maybe tell me what version of Newpipe and GrapheneOS (Security preview yes/no) your Pixel 7a is running?

Also if you enabled any of the exploit settings (Newpipe > App info > Scroll down to Exploit protection) because idk if everything restricted as mentioned here

enabled tagging/allocator, native code blocked, JIT disabled, Dynamic code both disabled.

is default.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 Sure, Newpipe 0.28.0, on security preview stable. Exploit protection is not enabled (Default)

DeletedUser591

DeletedUser609 I think you are talking about exploit protection compatibility mode, which is off by default.

I am talking about the options below it, in particular dynamic code loading via memory and via storage, which the default is not restricted, I believe. But I am not sure.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591

Hardened memory allocator - enabled
Native code debugging - default allowed
Webview jit - default enabled
Dynamic code loading via memory - default allowed
Dynamic code loading via storage - default allowed

Murcielago

DeletedUser591

As you wrote

DeletedUser591

I think you are talking about exploit protection compatibility mode, which is off by default.

I am talking about the options below it, in particular dynamic code loading via memory and via storage, which the default is not restricted, I believe. But I am not sure.

I was just referring to those. But anyways, my PipePipe settings are:

Hardened memory allocator - enabled
Memory tagging - enabled
Native code debugging - blocked
Webview jit - disabled
Dynamic code loading via memory - restricted
Dynamic code loading via storage - restricted

Pixel 10Pro | build 2025121701
PipePipe 4.7.7 (there was an update after my last post)

DeletedUser591

DeletedUser609 Hardened memory allocator - enabled
Native code debugging - default allowed
Webview jit - default enabled
Dynamic code loading via memory - default allowed
Dynamic code loading via storage - default allowed

@DeletedUser609 I am assuming the above is on the pixel 7a because of the memory tagging. Does the pixel tablet have the exact same settings?

Also as a side-note, if the pixel tablet has the same settings as you previously gave, security wise it would be best to change the defaults on your devices to

Hardened memory allocator - enabled
Native code debugging - default blocked
Webview jit - default disabled
Dynamic code loading via memory - default restricted
Dynamic code loading via storage - default restricted

If the pixel tablet and the 7a have the same settings, changing it to a more secure option, will not affect the issue as it is occurring anyway. You can then change/allow any settings if a particular app stops working right.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 I am assuming the above is on the pixel 7a because of the memory tagging. Does the pixel tablet have the exact same settings?

P7a is still on qpr1, the update has not been released to stable.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 Unless Graphene devs confirm or not its a update issue I'd rather leave all my settings as is, if it is confirmed not to be a update issue then I'll try a factory reset first then play with the settings if that makes sense?

DeletedUser591

DeletedUser609 that explains it. You should have mentioned it hahaha. Then changing the settings I mentioned will not affect the issue at all and would be best, if you want max security.

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 appoligies, i had asked what was going on with the update for p7a in the GrapheneOS version 2025121200 released post. But should of said here.. My bad

DeletedUser591

DeletedUser609 Factory reset is almost never the answer. You can try, if you can quickly set-up the device again. But personally, I would not do it, if it costs you a lot of time to get everything running again.

DeletedUser591

DeletedUser609 I'll try a factory reset

@DeletedUser609 did you try perhaps?

Or maybe anyone else try factory resetting their phone to try if the issue goes away?

DeletedUser609

DeletedUser591 Factory reset is almost never the answer.

Yea.. But it will make me feel better lol

DeletedUser591 if it costs you a lot of time to get everything running again.

My phone and tablet are kept very simple, only have around 15 apps and store all my info/files etc on encrypted external HDD so a factory reset takes around a hour.