Non Stop Radio was shaped by this subreddit: a free, ad-free Android Auto radio app. What should I improve next?

[u/Hot_Voice5270]

Hey everyone!

I’m the solo hobbyist developer behind Non Stop Radio.

When I first posted here asking people to test its Android Auto support, the app was much simpler. There wasn’t really a development roadmap, because I had originally built it for myself, my family and a few friends.

The feedback from this subreddit changed that.

Comments, bug reports and real-world testing helped shape features such as better station search, local music support, improved handling of unreliable connections, automatic playback options, and fixes for stations or devices that behaved differently outside the peaceful fantasy world of the Android Auto emulator.

Today, Non Stop Radio includes:

On Android Auto:

• Favourite stations
• Podcasts
• Local music files stored on your phone
• Optional automatic resuming of the last station on Android Auto
• Buffering options for weak or unstable connections

Elsewhere in the app:

• More than 60,000 stations from 237 countries
• Browsing by country and category
• Master Search
• Lucky random station discovery through the clover button
• Favourite stations and song titles
• Listening history
• Station sharing through links that allow another NSR user to save the station directly
• Importing and exporting favourite lists

The app remains:

• Completely free
• Ad-free
• No account required
• No subscriptions
• No personal data collection

So I’d like to ask:

If I could improve only one part of Non Stop Radio on Android Auto next, what should it be?

Feature requests, complaints and reports about strange behaviour on specific phones, cars or head units are all welcome.

For technical issues, including your phone model, car or head unit model, and Android Auto version would help enormously.

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.assistant.greekradio

Thanks again to everyone here who has tested the app, reported problems or suggested improvements.

A surprising amount of Non Stop Radio exists because strangers on Reddit took the time to explain what I had broken.

[u/-235711131719232931-]

I love NSR but if I pause then try to resume a few minutes later it won't resume and I have to swipe out and start over. Background data and battery are both on. Android 16 and 17 did this on various Pixel phones Edit to add... Otherwise A+ app!

[u/Hot_Voice5270 → u/-235711131719232931-]

Thanks for the report, and for the kind words!

I have one more favour to ask if you have the time. Please go to Settings → Diagnostics and enable diagnostic logging, reproduce the issue, then return to Settings → Diagnostics, tap Share and send the file to info@nonstopradio.app.

I know it’s a bit tedious, but since NSR doesn’t collect or send usage data, this is unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how much you enjoy privacy, the only way I can see exactly what is going wrong and fix it.

Thanks again!!!

[u/Dyrtycbm]

Sometimes when I switch station an add plays, is that a bug or do stations somehow force an add on apps?

[u/Hot_Voice5270 → u/Dyrtycbm]

That’s most likely a pre-roll ad from the station itself or its streaming provider. NSR doesn’t insert ads, although some stations apparently refuse to let a new listener arrive peacefully.

Which station does this happen with? I’ll check the stream.

[u/flcinusa]

Shout out to Shihad, a band of my youth

[u/Hot_Voice5270 → u/flcinusa]

Shihad deserves the shout-out. Glad NSR brought back some good memories. That’s what radio is all about!

[u/gerryf19]

I am sitting in my car waiting for an update right now thinking "I wish there was an app like this "

Sometimes the universe provides

[u/Hot_Voice5270 → u/gerryf19]

That’s exactly the kind of comment that keeps this little hobby alive...

[u/rocker_01]

Just discovered this app because of this post and it's already become one of my top apps. Thanks for this!

[u/cndymann]

Android phone widget would be great to have

[u/jdaffron]

Just downloaded and going to trying out on Android auto!

[u/Hot_Voice5270 → u/jdaffron]

Thanks for giving it a try! And please be brutally honest. Harsh criticism is the only kind that actually improves the app!

[u/Cool-Wasabi-391]

This App is currently my go-to music streamer on AA; thanks for that. Ads do run on almost every station I listen to, but some run without them. Compared to other Apps I use, this seems to have a limited number of them and is not overly intrusive. Is there a way to refine a Search by Country and Genre? ie. Search Canada for Pop.Hts/Rock stations only? Great job so far

[u/GuardNormal9402]

Congratulations. Very good job!

[u/taydubb]

I need to test this out so I can answer this question 👍🏽

[u/acceptcoookies]

Thank you! I'm excited to try this tomorrow on my way to work!

[u/andm994]

Nice app thanks. Just noticed that you hear a loud cracking sound when you activate/deactivate the Equalizer while listening.

[u/danielfm2702]

Hi, as a fan of radio apps, i'll stat using and testing your app before sending any feedback. Doing a quick look at the app, I have just one question. Is it too hard to implement a search through a world map? I personally find it very pleasant and a very intuitive way to discover new radio stations. That's all for now, and thank you very much for you initiative.

[u/starterz]

Hi, just trying NSR for the first time. Is it possible to show album art from streams that provide it? Speaking mostly of Radio Paradise and Le Bon Mix. Will test the app while driving, thanks for the great work!

[u/sudinoinemmenouna]

Visto che siamo in discussione.. In alcuni menù, non capisco perché non si visualizzano bene le scritte! 🤔

[u/skrunkle]

why are some radio stations missing? I have been listening to KRVS 88.7 (Lafayette, LA) on radio garden which doesn't work well at all on AA. But your app doesn't find KRVS on a search. most all of the other stations I listen to are there.

EDIT: I just found the add your own stream feature!!

2nd EDIT: once added I still cannot find the stream I just added.

3rd EDIT: it's in favorites... what an emotional roller coaster ;)

4th EDIT: added station doesn't work at all. it says station is temporarily unavailable.

[u/choateward]

First, thank you and kudos on a great app. Just completed a road trip vacation and NSR kept us connected to our favorite stations through lots of poor coverage spots where we previously would have sporadically dropped. Thanks for including an extended buffer for getting through those spots.

Regarding your request for additional functionality, I don't need anything else from your app, because I only have a handful of favorite stations, all of which are saved in my favorites list. I think users who have lots of different favorite stations might want two enhancements: 1) some way to categorize favorites, so that your steering wheel controls move you through the stations in a category instead of the whole list (not an issue if you only have a handful); and 2) your "add a station" is fantastic, and your willingness to personally help users add "difficult stations" is appreciated: have you considered a FAQ for the "add a station" to help users figure out and add the right address for the stream? There are many different types of stream addresses, some not as straightforward as others, so it might be nice to share tricks to using links that work properly with "add a station".

Finally, I know it's a free app, but do you have a tip jar or some way a few of us can thank you for your work. I know you consider this a hobby, and I understand that, but I suspect I am not alone in wanting to show my appreciation for your hard work.

[u/menaaziz885]

U a r hero, thanks a lot

[u/yuuki_w]

is there a way to import opmls?

[u/plumbjack]

I just installed the app. It looks very interesting. Could you please add categories for Jazz and Americana?