iOS 14 emergency compatibility

This release fixes an issue with the player continuing playback even after being closed. This issue is an iOS 14 regression.

Known issues

• Background video playback does not work anymore on iOS 14. The feature might disappear in a future release.
• 3rd party dependencies have not been updated for iOS 14 compatibility yet. The application works but its behavior might not be optimal (e.g. for Google Cast support).

Improved Live tab experience

Improvements

• Updated TV and radio channel overview on the Live tab.
• Add "sort by" filter in Search tab.
• iPad profile split view: Reset right navigation to its root when tapping again on left cells.
• iOS prediction for TV and radio livestreams.

Fixes

• Fix screen incorrectly turning off when watching videos with sound over AirPlay.
• Fix issue leading to the loading indicator being displayed more than necessary.
• Always hide the playback controls after entering full screen.
• Correctly take into account SDH accessibility opt-in when choosing subtitles automatically.

Improved timeshift user experience

ℹ️ This version requires iOS 12 and above.

Timeshift improvements

Improved user experience when playing a TV or radio livestream:

• Navigate shows recently broadcasted and restart any of them from the beginning.
• For radio channels, check which songs have been broadcasted and play them again.

Improvements and fixes:

• Topics can be accessed with shortcuts displayed at the top of the video homepage.
• The device can correctly sleep when playing a video in background.
• The RTR radio logo has been updated.

User experience improvements

Improvements

• The latest played TV or radio livestream is moved to the front so that it is immediately accessible when opening the livestream tab for the first time.
• Horizontal content navigation has been improved.
• The profile view has been consolidated on iPad.

Fixes

• Fixed player incorrectly reopened when stopping a livestream (live only) from the mini player while using picture in picture (SRF / RSI TV livestreams, also RTS Couleur 3).
• Fixed incorrect background color when opening a context menu.
• Fixed coupling between horizontal rows of content.
• Fixed empty homepages when no content could be loaded.

Aspect ratio support

• Medias with various aspect ratios are better displayed in the detail page and in fullscreen mode.
• Allow Handoff with downloaded content.
• Display event module lead on the home event module card.
• Homepage glitches and performance issues have been fixed.
• Fixes double tap on tab which sometimes would not return to the top of a list.
• Fixes sometimes erratic scroll position when returning on a homepage.
• Fixes an issue preventing the first item in lists to be accessed with VoiceOver.

Bottom navigation

Bottom navigation

• The navigation has been updated to provide for better user experience and content reachability:
  • Content previously located in the side menu is now available from the videos, audios and live tabs.
  • User-centric features (notifications, favorites, history, watch later and downloads) are accessed under the More tab (or Profile tab for RTS).
• Accessibility via VoiceOver has been updated for tab bar navigation.

Design and user experience improvements

• The design has been tweaked for a more modern look and feel.
• The mini player can be dismissed when not needed to save screen space.
• Screen layouts have been improved to better make use of the available screen space, no matter the chosen font size.
• Live content is consistently identified with a red label throughout the app.
• Context menus are available for iOS 13 and above.
• Control center, picture in picture, AirPlay and Google Cast integrations have been improved to offer a more streamlined playback experience.
• Audio track and subtitle selection has been improved. In particular, device subtitle settings are used when casting content over AirPlay.

Fixes and improvements

• Live has been translated to Direct in French.
• Energy impact has been reduced, most notably when the application is in the background or idle.
• Page view analytics have been updated.
• A Handoff issue, pausing playback and displaying banners in an unexpected way in the presence of a nearby macOS 15 computer running Safari, has been fixed. Handoff does not trigger a pause anymore when transferring playback from an iOS device.
• Layout issues affecting subtopic lists have been mitigated on iOS 12 and below.

Badges and AirPlay user experience improvements

• Content available on Play SRG before it is brodcast on TV is identified with a Webfirst badge.
• An ST badge identifies content for which subtitles are available. An option is available in the application settings to display this information everywhere.
• The system can automatically suggest AirPlay devices based on your usage.
• Seeking is possible directly in the control center or on the lock screen.
• When playing a media with AirPlay, subtitles and audio tracks can be changed directly from the lock screen.
• Playback resumes automatically after being interrupted by a phone call or an alarm.
• Fix history progress indicator in history, later and downloads views on iOS 13.

iOS 13 compatibility

• This release ensures proper compatibility with iOS 13.
• Application only supports the new v2 url scheme format.

Maintenance release for RTS

• RTS channel logos have been updated.

Search filters and universal link support

• Filters are available for further refining searches. Available filters range from a period to consider to a specific list of shows, for example.
• The application supports universal links, providing a seamlessly integrated experience with the mobile Play web portal. Universal links provide a way for the web portal to directly link to the corresponding section of the application if installed on a user device. Shared links or links opened from a search engine list of results will open directly with the application if available. Finally, Handoff can be used to seamlessly move from one device (e.g. a Mac, an iPhone or an iPad) to another device, at any time.
• A thumbnail image is displayed alongside push notifications.
• The application version is displayed in the application as well as in the system settings. This will be helpful to gather version information from users who might experience issues with the Play application at startup.
• iOS 13 preliminary support.