GTA Radio on mobile
Making a browser-based radio player work reliably on phones is a project of its own.
Why mobile is different
A desktop browser normally has plenty of resources available for a continuously playing page. Mobile browsers have additional constraints around battery use, background tabs, memory and user interaction.
Safari and Chrome
I test the player in both Safari and Chrome because browser behaviour is not always identical.
Mobile browsers can interrupt audio when a device is locked, another application becomes active or the browser decides that a page should be suspended.
Interruptions
An interruption does not necessarily mean the radio itself has failed. The browser may simply have stopped the connection.
The project therefore needs to handle reconnection gracefully and make it easy for the listener to resume playback.
Add it to your home screen
The player has its own app icon. In Safari on an iPhone, open the player, tap Share and choose Add to Home Screen. GTA Radio then appears on your home screen like an app. Other mobile browsers offer a similar option in their menu.
It is still the same web player in your browser, so nothing needs to be installed from an app store.
A simple interface
I deliberately keep the player interface simple. On a phone, the primary purpose is listening, so the interface should not get in the way of the audio.
The mobile work is an ongoing part of the project because browser behaviour continues to evolve.
Listening on an iPhone
Open the player in Safari and press play. Safari only starts audio after a tap, so the first press is always needed. To keep the radio one tap away, use Share and Add to Home Screen. Whether audio keeps playing with the screen locked depends on the iOS version and the browser. If the sound stops after a while, unlock the phone and press play again.
Listening on Android
Chrome and other Android browsers often keep audio playing when you switch apps or turn off the screen, but battery-saving modes can still stop a page in the background. If the radio stops, check that the browser is not restricted in the battery settings and press play again. Many Android browsers also offer Add to Home screen in their menu.
In the car
There are two simple options. You can play the player page on your phone and send the sound to the car over Bluetooth or a cable, which works with any car stereo that can play phone audio. Or you can open the direct stream at radio.stayrich.nl in a media player such as VLC, which was the original way to use GTA Radio and does not need a web page. Set everything up before you drive, and do not use your phone while driving.
If playback stops
- Press play again. The player reconnects to the stream.
- Check your connection: moving between Wi-Fi and mobile data interrupts a stream.
- Reload the page if pressing play does not help.
- Try another browser. Safari and Chrome do not always behave the same way.