How to remove track from MediaStream and "stop" webcam?

Question

I'm trying to remove a track from a MediaStream. MediaStream.removeTrack() removes the track from the stream, but the camera light is left on indicating that the camera is still active.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/MediaStreamTrack?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=DOM%2FMediaStreamTrack

This references a stop() method which I suppose would stop the camera completely, In chrome however I get "Object MediaStreamTrack has no method 'stop'"

Is there a way around this or do I have to stop the whole stream and then recreate it with the tracks I don't want gone? As an example, I want to remove the video track while the audiotrack is still there.

score 14 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 17 '15 at 10:30

14

MediaStreamTrack.stop() is now added to the Chrome.

MediaStream.stop() is deprecated in Chrome 45.

You should use MediaStream.getVideoTracks() to get video tracks and stop the track using MediaStreamTrack.stop()

answered Dec 17 '15 at 10:30

Anand S

1,068
9
22

2

I wonder how this design decision was motivated. Is there a discussion somewhere? – William Boman Mar 25 '17 at 00:54
https://developer.chrome.com/blog/mediastream-deprecations/#stop-ended-and-active – Aronanda Jun 04 '22 at 15:27

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 13 '21 at 14:25

1

for stopping specific media stream, Maybe this help: (Link)

function stopStreamedVideo(videoElem) {
  const stream = videoElem.srcObject;
  const tracks = stream.getTracks();

  tracks.forEach(function(track) {
    track.stop();
  });

  videoElem.srcObject = null;
}

answered Apr 13 '21 at 14:25

zahra_oveyedzade

988
10
17

good one, though you might also want to call `stream.removeTrack(track)` after stopping the track, if you wish to later use the stream again – Cagri Feb 26 '23 at 16:56

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 12 '13 at 10:02

0

You need to call stop() on the MediaStream, not a MediaStreamTrack.

Take a look at simpl.info/gum. From the console, call stream.stop(): recording stops and the video camera light goes off.

answered Aug 12 '13 at 10:02

Sam Dutton

14,775
6
54
64

No, not if I only want to stop one track. Each MediaStream have two tracks, audio and video. If I call stop on the MediaStream it will end everything. – Jonathan Aug 12 '13 at 10:22
1

Ah -- so you want stop the video, but keep the audio? Not sure if this does what you want, but how about `track.enabled = false`? Light stays on though, i.e. camera is still 'running'. – Sam Dutton Aug 12 '13 at 10:29
The MediaStreamTrack `stop()` method hasn't been implemented in Chrome or Firefox, though it's in the spec: http://dev.w3.org/2011/webrtc/editor/getusermedia.html#dom-mediastreamtrack-stop – Sam Dutton Aug 12 '13 at 10:36
3

Exactly. That's a bummer, personally I rely quite much on my webcam light when I'm in applications. If its on I'm not convinced that It isn't used. I guess I have to stop the whole stream and then do a new getUserMedia call for now. – Jonathan Aug 12 '13 at 14:23
Thanks for the enabled property tip, much better than removing/adding as I did before. – Jonathan Aug 16 '13 at 16:50
1

Yeah, but as Sam Dutton mentioned, `track.enabled` doesn't make the camera light go off. – jamix Dec 28 '13 at 13:24
Have you found a way to make the camera light go off? I can't stop the tracks. I can't disable/remove them. – Pascut May 13 '20 at 12:32

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 28 '13 at 13:34

It looks like the proper way to deal with this issue is to stop your MediaStream, recreate (and reattach) it as an audio-only one and then renegotiate the PeerConnection session. Unfortunately, Firefox currently doesn't support renegotiation mid-session.

The only viable hack is thus to also recreate the PeerConnection with the new MediaStream as suggested here (see "Adding video mid-call").

How to remove track from MediaStream and "stop" webcam?

4 Answers4