Starwalker I wanted to share this in case anyone else experiences the same issue after the latest update.
After updating my Pixel 8 to GrapheneOS build 2026070501 (Android 17), I found that background audio playback stopped whenever the screen was turned off. This affected multiple apps, including Audible and a white noise app.
Thank you for bringing up this topic. Since the Android 17 update I've experienced similar symptoms. That doesn't grant causality ofc, but there is a very strong coincidence.
(Actually, the fact that you report this regarding different media leads me to believe this has not been just some random website change, that broke compatibility at the same time while Android 17 was released.)
Sounds like intended battery optimization.
I assume the symptoms are part of a more diverse pattern and not (or at least not only) related to the battery optimization feature. In my case, I have Battery Saver disabled (at least it is shown disabled), yet I have symptoms consistently. Certain audio playback, which worked on lock screen of Android 16 flawlessly, is apparently not longer recognized as playable media for lock screen; many other media however are still working fine.
I immediately see the difference when I lock my phone (in this case: a pixel 8) while media is playing and single press the lock screen side button to reactivate the display:
In the good-case, the lock screen shows this playback tile that gives some details about the media just played, plus basic controls.
In the bad-case, the lock screen gives no such details -- as if no audio was running at all, even if you still hear it -- and eventually shuts off the audio few seconds after the lock.
I can reproduce the behavior with the site mynoise.net , which has background sound generators to counter/mask distractions, help with sleeping etc.
To give a random example deeplink for testing: https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/windSeaRainNoiseGenerator.php
In Android 16 this worked fine both in Vanadium directly and as installed PWA. After the Android 17 update, it's cut off few seconds after screen lock as described.
Is there some way how I can debug further on my own?
I wonder whether this is about how the audio playback is defined at the respective websites. Maybe some website syntax incompatibility that leads Android 17 to not longer recognize the audio as qualified media? And if so, could the website owner fix this? Or will this require an OS fix?
Addition / Update: Developer Options are disabled. Had been enabled in the past to test Android 16 desktop mode but disabled again, afterwards. I see no visible (developer option) setting difference compared to another Pixel 8 at hand.