Issue: "Reload" shouldn't happen when tabs are in background

[Mishasama]

Describe the bug

Chrome does not fully render tabs that are loading in the background. If you attempt to reload a tab in this state, the process will never complete and will enter an infinite loop. This is because an incomplete page load triggers a reload, but the reload itself can never complete the full loading process.

To Reproduce

1. Watch a stream
2. Open a new tab in the same window
3. Turn off the internet
4. Wait about 1 min, then turn on the internet
5. Keep the stream tab in background
6. See error

Expected behavior

If detects that a target tab is running in the background or that the window is completely obscured (i.e., a situation that would trigger lazy loading or deferred rendering), it will not reload those pages.

Screenshots

There are no screenshots of things that can't be seen.

Extension Information

• Version: 5.34
• Source: store
• Browser: chrome
• Operating System: Windows

Additional comments

Do not attempt to force the tab to the foreground, as this will impair the user experience.
If necessary, you can display a system notification prompting the user to switch to that tab to trigger a reload.
You can also include a note in the relevant feature description reminding users that the feature requires the tab to be in the foreground to function properly.

[Ephellon]

This logic runs on the background portion of the extension (background.js) and does not play well with loading user settings—it's either always on, or always off... This will need some research to see if there are any useable workarounds...

[Osagani31]

This bug happens because Chrome pauses or throttles background tabs, so when the tab is partially loaded and the internet returns, your extension keeps trying to reload it — causing an infinite reload loop.

Try this:
Only reload when the tab is in the foreground (visible)
Add a flag or delay to prevent repeated reloads
If it’s in the background, don’t reload — just notify the user

[Mishasama]

just notify the user

I recommend implementing the following design:
Set a 60-second timeout. If the user does not respond within that time, or if no user activity (such as mouse movement or keyboard input) is detected during that period, the target tab should automatically be brought to the foreground to attempt a standard reload. Otherwise, no action should be taken.