What should I check when testing Moonfade with headphones?

Test Moonfade with the headphones you actually use, on one short timer, and observe two separate events: the media-volume fade after the countdown ends, and whether your media app pauses afterward. Keep the timer short so you do not have to wait through a long session to learn what happened. Official product overview.

Set up a short, observable test

1. Start playback in your usual media app and use the headphone output you actually plan to use, at a comfortable audible volume.
2. In Moonfade, enable Stop audio & video in Settings. This is the option that lowers the Android media-volume stream and requests audio focus at the end.
3. Choose a short duration with the dial or a preset, then tap Start.
4. Complete any prompted Android Device Admin activation. In the current version, the countdown cannot begin until that activation is done, and it is requested after you press Start.
5. Adjust the countdown from its active timer notification if you need to without reopening Moonfade.

Listen for the fade, not the countdown

With Stop audio & video enabled, countdown completion starts the configured 0–60-second media-volume fade, followed by an audio-focus request to pause playback. Moonfade then separately requests display lock when Turn off the screen is enabled. Disabling Stop audio & video skips both fade and audio focus. These requests do not prove that the player paused or the physical display locked. The enabled fade begins after the countdown ends. During the final seconds of the countdown, you should not hear Moonfade gradually lowering anything. When the countdown completes, you should hear the media volume drop in your headphones over the fade interval you set. You can set the fade to zero to skip that gradual interval, but that still does not guarantee an immediate pause (zero-second fade).

If you hear a fade while the countdown is still visibly running, treat that as a reason to re-check the timer state and your settings rather than assuming the ending has already happened (see countdown and fade order).

Confirm the pause separately from the fade

The fade and the pause are different outcomes. After the fade, Moonfade requests audio focus; whether your player actually pauses depends on the media app and the Android device, so it is never guaranteed. Watch the player's progress bar or play/pause icon to see whether playback truly stopped, rather than relying only on the volume dropping to silence.

If playback continues after an observed volume reduction, record those two outcomes separately. That observation alone does not establish whether the audio-focus request was accepted or why the player continued. Use the media-keeps-playing guide to check settings and repeat a short test; use the player’s own controls when you want to end playback yourself.

What headphones don't change

Headphones change where you hear the audio, not what Moonfade controls. Moonfade lowers the Android media-volume stream and requests audio focus; it does not control hardware power and does not cover smart speakers or remote cast playback. Keep the actual output, player and device in the test. A result on one setup does not establish another setup’s behavior. If you change the output later, repeat the same short test; this guide does not verify a particular headphone model, connection type or remote-playback setup.

One more check: adjust and stop from the notification

With the timer running, use its notification to add time, subtract time, or stop it. That confirms you can make last-minute changes without reopening Moonfade and without re-drawing the timer. If the notification is missing, see timer notification missing.

Turn the test into a real session

Once the fade is audible in your headphones and you have seen whether your player pauses, do one longer run at your normal bedtime volume using the same player and output. If you switch media apps later, retest, because the player's response to audio focus can differ (retest after changing media apps).

Next step: set a 1-minute timer with your actual headphone output, confirm any enabled fade arrives only after the countdown, and note whether your player pauses. Then use that result to choose a duration and fade for your normal session. Get Moonfade on Google Play and run the same short test with the player you actually use.

FAQ

Does the fade happen while the countdown is still running? No. The fade begins after the countdown ends and lasts from 0 to 60 seconds, followed by the request to pause playback.

Is a wired headphone test enough for Bluetooth? A test establishes the observed result for that setup. Repeat with the output you will actually use; this guide does not verify the result for another connection. Moonfade does not control hardware power or remote cast playback.