VLC 3.1 improves chrome compatibility, brings back Android Auto support and more

If you are a VLC user, you would know that while the Android app for the media player is convenient for bringing so many features to your phones, there was still always a little gap between that and the PC app. However, the latest update to the Android version does a lot to bridge that gap.[caption id="attachment_6422961" align="alignnone" width="1280"] VLC for Android. Image: tech2/Nandini Yadav[/caption]As announced on the Android Developer Blog, VLC's stable version 3.1 has been released for the Android app and it brings several improvements and changes. The biggest of all these changes, though, is the return of Android Auto. Yes, Android Auto support is now back on the media player, which essentially allows you to listen to your music with VLC on the road.[caption id="attachment_6422971" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Android Auto is back with VLC 3.1.[/caption]The new version also brings app shortcuts, which allows you to resume the last playlist you were listening to without even opening VLC. You can now also group videos into folders. This, however, will be allowed only for users running Android 7.1 and above on their smartphones.[caption id="attachment_6423011" align="aligncenter" width="300"] VLC 3.1 allows grouping audio files in a folder.[/caption]Further, the blog says that since most users only use VLC as a player, it will now let users choose between the classic big scanning, a folders selection or no media library at all. VLC still provides a file and network browser.[caption id="attachment_6423021" align="aligncenter" width="618"] VLC 3.1 allows ob-boarding.[/caption]Also, to allow quick loading of files, VLC has implemented what it calls impagination of audio collections, wherein, any collection with large media files will be divided into pages so that VLC won’t load all tracks at once anymore.The browser version now also supports OTG, so that you can insert a flash drive or plug-in an external hard drive to view content stored on storage media with much higher capacities.Some other changes and improvements are as follows:Application:

• Refactored subtitles downloader
• Sorting preferences are now saved
• A-B repeat
• Manual orientation lock in video player
• Podcast detection has been improved
• Bottomsheet style for context menus
• Playback notification is now persistent, even when app is closed by Android

TV:

• Sort media
• group videos by name

VLC:

• AV1 software decoding.
• SMB 2/3