Using Media Controls

What is it?

You can access certain features in Soundscape with the help of the media control buttons on your headphones. This functionality works with any wired or Bluetooth headphones that have media control buttons like Play, Pause, Next, Previous and others. Different headphones may include different buttons so please refer to the list of actions below to determine which ones are available to you.

When would I use it?

Headphone media controls can be used while Soundscape is running — whether you are actively using the app, it is running in the background, or your device is locked. However, headphone media control buttons will not work with Soundscape if you are playing audio, such as music, podcasts, or videos, with another app.

How does it work?

There are 2 modes of operation for the media controls. The mode can be selected in the Settings Media Controls section. The modes are:

Original mode.

⏯ Play/Pause: Toggles the beacon audio on and off.

⏭ Next: If a route is playing back move the audio beacon to the next Waypoint in the route. If no route is being played back callout Around Me.

⏮ Previous: If a route is playing back move the audio beacon to the previous Waypoint in the route. If no route is being played back change the Callout Detail, one step quieter with each press: Detailed, Simplified, Essential, Silent, and back to Detailed.

Audio menu.

⏭ Next moves through a series of menu options which the app describes via text to speech, returning to the first one after the last. ⏯ Play/Pause then triggers the app to perform the option described. There is a single top level menu which only has sub-menus as options. Each sub-menu has a group of similar possible actions.

⏮ Previous does not move through the menu. Instead it changes the Callout Detail, exactly as it does in Original mode, so the same button quietens the app whichever mode you use.