[Bug] App UI crashes on loading any YouTube video

[jfoxcanning]

Checklist

• I make sure that the issue is NOT a duplicate of pinned issues
• I make sure I am using the LATEST version - check here
• I understand that issues with limited impact, such as those occurring on specific devices or under specific network conditions, will not be fixed
• I have attached the error report in the issue

Describe the bug

Often, videos will simply fail to load and crash the app. The cause and fix for this issue follow no obvious pattern; sometimes I go a few days with no issues, sometimes it fixes itself within a few hours, sometimes I have to wait for an app update to fix it.

Issue occurs regardless of VPN usage or extraction endpoint.

Version

5.3.1

Frequency

Often (80-90% of the time)

Device

Samsung Galaxy A15, Android 16, OneUI

Steps to reproduce the bug

1. Navigate YouTube interface to a video
2. Click video
3. Wait for video to complete initial loading
4. Observe crash

Additional context

Exception

• User Action: ui error
• Request: ACRA report
• Content Country: US
• Content Language: en-US
• App Language: en_US
• Service: none
• Endpoint: mweb
• Version: 5.3.1
• OS: Linux samsung/a15xsq/a15x:16/BP4A.251205.006/A156USQUBEZE9:user/release-keys 16 - 36

Crash log

java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start service org.schabi.newpipe.player.PlayerService@9c3c456 with null
	at android.app.ActivityThread.handleServiceArgs(ActivityThread.java:6469)
	at android.app.ActivityThread.-$$Nest$mhandleServiceArgs(ActivityThread.java:0)
	at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:3111)
	at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:132)
	at android.os.Looper.dispatchMessage(Looper.java:358)
	at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:288)
	at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:392)
	at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:10346)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
	at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:638)
	at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:972)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'java.lang.String android.content.Intent.getAction()' on a null object reference
	at org.schabi.newpipe.player.PlayerService.onStartCommand(r8-map-id-6c8e3dd3160be81a80a9d5275bebe86313695bda6011e8579f730b08683dad6a:1)
	at android.app.ActivityThread.handleServiceArgs(ActivityThread.java:6453)
	... 10 more

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