play on next when paused

package.json

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
     "web": "expo start --web",
     "lint": "expo lint",
     "test:queue-actions": "node --experimental-strip-types --experimental-specifier-resolution=node --test src/components/queue/queueActions.test.mts src/components/queue/queuePerformance.test.mts src/components/queue/virtualQueuePaging.test.mts src/components/swipeableRowState.test.mts",
-    "test:desktop-remote": "node --experimental-strip-types --test src/services/desktopRemotePairing.test.mts",
+    "test:desktop-remote": "node --experimental-strip-types --test src/services/desktopRemotePairing.test.mts src/services/desktopRemoteTransport.test.mts",
     "test:dynamic-playlists": "node --experimental-strip-types --experimental-specifier-resolution=node --test src/shared/playlists/dynamicPlaylist.test.mts",
     "test:album-grouping": "node --experimental-strip-types --experimental-specifier-resolution=node --test src/shared/library/albumGrouping.test.mts src/shared/library/albumEligibility.test.mts src/library/albumIdentity.test.mts src/library/albumSummary.test.mts",
     "test:artist-grouping": "node --experimental-strip-types --test src/library/artistGrouping.test.mts src/audio/artistCreditTransport.test.mts",
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
     "test:signal": "node --experimental-strip-types --experimental-specifier-resolution=node --test src/audio/signalShare.test.mts src/audio/signalShareIntent.test.mts src/audio/signalScanGeometry.test.mts src/audio/signalLocalMatch.test.mts",
     "test:eq-math": "node --experimental-strip-types --experimental-specifier-resolution=node --test src/audio/eq.test.mts",
     "test:audio-startup": "node --experimental-strip-types --test src/audio/dspStartupCoordinator.test.mts src/audio/dspStartupGain.test.mts",
-    "test:seek-bar": "node --experimental-strip-types --test src/audio/playbackClock.test.mts src/audio/playbackProgressProjection.test.mts src/components/waveformScrubDetents.test.mts",
+    "test:seek-bar": "node --experimental-strip-types --test src/audio/playbackClock.test.mts src/audio/playbackNavigation.test.mts src/audio/playbackProgressProjection.test.mts src/components/waveformScrubDetents.test.mts",
     "test:recent-play": "node --experimental-strip-types --test src/audio/recentPlayTracking.test.mts",
     "test:lyrics": "node --experimental-strip-types --experimental-specifier-resolution=node --test src/lyrics/parsing.test.mts src/lyrics/presentation.test.mts src/lyrics/displaySettings.test.mts src/lyrics/embedded.test.mts src/lyrics/resolver.test.mts",
     "test:sleep": "node --experimental-strip-types --test src/audio/sleepTimerState.test.mts",

src/audio/playbackController.ts

@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ import {
   prepareAudioProcessingForPlayback,
   primePreparedTrackForPlayback,
 } from './audioProcessingStartup';
-import { shouldRestartOnPrevious } from './playbackNavigation';
+import {
+  shouldRestartOnPrevious,
+  shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext,
+} from './playbackNavigation';
 import {
   cancelManualRecentPlayTransition,
   markManualRecentPlayTransition,
@@ -815,15 +818,19 @@ export async function togglePlay(): Promise<void> {
 export async function skipToNext(): Promise<void> {
   markNowPlayingTrackTransitionDirection('next', 'phone');
   await ensurePlayerReady();
-  const [nativeQueue, nativeIndex] = await Promise.all([
+  const [nativeQueue, nativeIndex, nativePlaybackState] = await Promise.all([
     TrackPlayer.getQueue(),
     TrackPlayer.getActiveTrackIndex(),
+    TrackPlayer.getPlaybackState(),
   ]);
+  const playbackStateAtIntent = mapRntpState(nativePlaybackState.state);
+  const resumeAfterSkip = shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext(playbackStateAtIntent);
+  const playbackTarget = dspTargetFromTrack(
+    nativeIndex == null ? undefined : nativeQueue[nativeIndex + 1],
+    'none',
+  );
   await prepareAudioProcessingForPlayback(
-    dspTargetFromTrack(
-      nativeIndex == null ? undefined : nativeQueue[nativeIndex + 1],
-      'none',
-    ),
+    playbackTarget,
     'skip-next',
   );
   const { tracks, activeIndex } = useQueueStore.getState();
@@ -831,7 +838,10 @@ export async function skipToNext(): Promise<void> {
   const manualTransitionFromPath = usePlayerStore.getState().currentTrack?.path ?? null;
   if (nextIndex >= 0 && nextIndex < tracks.length) {
     useQueueStore.getState().setActiveIndex(nextIndex);
-    setOptimisticTrack(tracks[nextIndex], usePlayerStore.getState().playbackState);
+    setOptimisticTrack(
+      tracks[nextIndex],
+      resumeAfterSkip ? 'loading' : playbackStateAtIntent,
+    );
   }
   const manualTransition = markManualRecentPlayTransition(manualTransitionFromPath);
   let nativeTransitionSucceeded = false;
@@ -839,10 +849,15 @@ export async function skipToNext(): Promise<void> {
     await TrackPlayer.skipToNext();
     nativeTransitionSucceeded = true;
     await refreshActiveIndexFromNative();
+    if (resumeAfterSkip) {
+      await primePreparedTrackForPlayback(playbackTarget, 'skip-next-resume');
+      await TrackPlayer.play();
+      usePlayerStore.getState().setPlaybackState('playing');
+    }
   } catch {
     if (!nativeTransitionSucceeded) cancelManualRecentPlayTransition(manualTransition);
     await reconcilePlayerFromNative();
-    // no next track — ignore
+    // No next track or resume failed — keep the reconciled native state.
   }
 }
 

src/audio/playbackNavigation.test.mts

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import test from 'node:test';
 import {
   PREVIOUS_RESTART_THRESHOLD_SECONDS,
+  shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext,
   shouldRestartOnPrevious,
 } from './playbackNavigation.ts';
 
@@ -16,3 +17,10 @@ test('invalid and negative positions retain previous-track behavior', () => {
   assert.equal(shouldRestartOnPrevious(Number.NaN), false);
   assert.equal(shouldRestartOnPrevious(Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY), false);
 });
+
+test('only a paused explicit Next intent resumes playback', () => {
+  assert.equal(shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext('paused'), true);
+  assert.equal(shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext('playing'), false);
+  assert.equal(shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext('loading'), false);
+  assert.equal(shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext('stopped'), false);
+});

src/audio/playbackNavigation.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import type { PlaybackState } from '@/types/audio';
+
 export const PREVIOUS_RESTART_THRESHOLD_SECONDS = 3;
 
 /** Match desktop Astra: restart only after crossing the previous-track cutoff. */
@@ -7,3 +9,13 @@ export function shouldRestartOnPrevious(positionSeconds: number): boolean {
     positionSeconds > PREVIOUS_RESTART_THRESHOLD_SECONDS
   );
 }
+
+/**
+ * An explicit Next press while paused is also an instruction to resume.
+ * Loading, stopped, and already-playing sessions retain their native behavior.
+ */
+export function shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext(
+  playbackState: PlaybackState,
+): boolean {
+  return playbackState === 'paused';
+}

src/services/desktopRemoteTransport.test.mts

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import test from 'node:test';
+import { desktopRemoteControlSequence } from './desktopRemoteTransport.ts';
+
+test('paused desktop Next advances before resuming playback', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    desktopRemoteControlSequence('next', 'paused'),
+    ['next', 'play'],
+  );
+});
+
+test('desktop Next preserves non-paused transport behavior', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(desktopRemoteControlSequence('next', 'playing'), ['next']);
+  assert.deepEqual(desktopRemoteControlSequence('next', 'loading'), ['next']);
+  assert.deepEqual(desktopRemoteControlSequence('next', 'stopped'), ['next']);
+  assert.deepEqual(desktopRemoteControlSequence('next', undefined), ['next']);
+});
+
+test('other desktop commands are never expanded', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(desktopRemoteControlSequence('previous', 'paused'), ['previous']);
+  assert.deepEqual(desktopRemoteControlSequence('play', 'paused'), ['play']);
+  assert.deepEqual(desktopRemoteControlSequence('seek', 'paused'), ['seek']);
+});

src/services/desktopRemoteTransport.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext } from '../audio/playbackNavigation.ts';
+import type {
+  DesktopRemoteControlCommand,
+  DesktopRemotePlaybackState,
+} from '@/types/desktopRemote';
+
+/**
+ * The desktop protocol exposes discrete transport commands. Expand a paused
+ * Next intent into ordered Next + Play requests so the transition also resumes.
+ */
+export function desktopRemoteControlSequence(
+  command: DesktopRemoteControlCommand,
+  playbackState: DesktopRemotePlaybackState | undefined,
+): DesktopRemoteControlCommand[] {
+  if (
+    command === 'next'
+    && playbackState
+    && shouldResumeAfterExplicitNext(playbackState)
+  ) {
+    return ['next', 'play'];
+  }
+  return [command];
+}

src/stores/desktopRemoteStore.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { AstraLibraryData } from '../../modules/astra-library-scanner';
 import { useDesktopSyncStore } from '@/stores/desktopSyncStore';
 import { identityMatchesPinnedConnection } from '@/services/desktopSyncPolicy';
 import { ensureDesktopRemoteCredentialsFresh } from '@/services/desktopRemoteSession';
+import { desktopRemoteControlSequence } from '@/services/desktopRemoteTransport';
 import { usePlaybackTargetStore } from '@/stores/playbackTargetStore';
 import type {
   DesktopRemoteConnection,
@@ -732,16 +733,22 @@ export const useDesktopRemoteStore = create<DesktopRemoteStore>((set, get) => {
     },
 
     sendControl: async (command, time) => {
-      const { connection, token } = get();
+      const { connection, token, snapshot } = get();
       if (!connection || !token) return;
       try {
-        await sendDesktopRemoteControl(
-          connection.baseUrl,
-          token,
-          connection.certificateFingerprint,
+        const commands = desktopRemoteControlSequence(
           command,
-          time
+          snapshot?.playbackState,
         );
+        for (const nextCommand of commands) {
+          await sendDesktopRemoteControl(
+            connection.baseUrl,
+            token,
+            connection.certificateFingerprint,
+            nextCommand,
+            nextCommand === command ? time : undefined,
+          );
+        }
         set({ errorMessage: '' });
         if (command === 'seek' && typeof time === 'number') {
           set((state) => state.snapshot