Strange video call issue with other element-android instances

[akallabeth]

Steps to reproduce

1. Establish a video call between 2 element android clients.
2. Expect both participants to see the other end on screen
3. Be surprised that one end does not see the other end, but the other end has both, local preview and remote participant on screen

Outcome

What did you expect?

working video call

What happened instead?

one end does not get the video

I can reproduce this with 3 devices: pixel 3a with graphene OS, pixel 4 with calyxos, pixel 6 pro with clayxos

• I could only reproduce it with these devices
• I can make calls from (at least) the pixel 6 pro to other accounts without a hitch
• I can call from the other 2 devices without issues to the electron/flatpak/desktop app
• so it does not seem like this is some kind of permissions/hardware issue as also other apps (e.g. conversations xmpp) can make video calls without issues from all of these

I did test this with 3 accounts on matrix.org, did not try other home servers yet.
Any hint what I could do to debug this? (I am kind of limited with available debug hardware and options as long as I have access to all 3 devices, so sorry if I can´t send useful logs)

best guess I have is it is some setting changed with element-android video encoding maybe?
(the video calls used to work with I think up to v1.5.18 on the pixel 3a and pixel 4 (only have the issue on the pixel 6 pro with these devices)

Your phone model

pixel 3a, pixel 4, pixel 6pro

Operating system version

android 12

Application version and app store

1.5.28 from f-droid

Homeserver

matrix.org

Will you send logs?

No

Are you willing to provide a PR?

No

[rajil]

You are not alone. Element is broken since end of last year. Here is the bug report, #7619

[akallabeth]

@rajil :/
luckily I have conversations on these devices as well, so not too big an issue, but annoying none the less.

some more data points:

1. call initiated from pixel 4 to pixel 6 pro: black screen on pixel 6 pro
2. call initiated from pixel 6 pro: black screen on pixel 4

[rajil]

I suggest downgrading to 1.5.2 version, that should get your video working again.