[Next-Gen SDK Beta 04] Close button unclickable on Rewarded/Interstitial (Android 13 to 15)

[Huy Nguyen Quang]

Environment:

• SDK Version: Google Mobile Ads Next-Gen SDK 0.22.0-beta04

• Android Versions: Android 13 (API 33) to Android 15 (API 35)

• Ad Formats: Rewarded Ads & Interstitial Ads (Both affected)

Description of the Issue: I am migrating to the Next-Gen SDK (Beta), but I am encountering a critical blocking issue across devices running Android 13 through Android 15.

1. Unclickable Close Button: The close button (Top-Right) appears to be rendered underneath the system Status Bar. User clicks in that area are intercepted by the system or ignored, making it impossible to close the ad. This behavior is consistent across both Rewarded and Interstitial ads.

2. Layout Artifacts: When enabling "Show Layout Bounds" in Developer Options, I observe a large "X" mark across the Ad view. This suggests that the SurfaceView or internal layout is being clipped or scaled incorrectly within the Window Insets on these Android versions.

Root Cause Analysis: The Next-Gen SDK uses com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.AdActivity with the legacy theme @android:style/Theme.Translucent (identified in the Merged Manifest). This legacy theme does not seem to handle the modern Window Insets or Edge-to-Edge enforcement correctly on API 33+, causing the ad content to draw under system bars without the necessary insets/padding for the Close button.

Attempted Fixes (All Failed): I have attempted to force the correct window behavior via AndroidManifest.xml overrides and ActivityLifecycleCallbacks (forcing setDecorFitsSystemWindows(true) and windowLayoutInDisplayCutoutMode="never"), but the SDK appears to override these settings internally at runtime.

Question: Is there a specific configuration required for v0.22.0-beta04 to ensure the Close button is clickable on Android 13+ devices? Or is this a known regression compared to the stable play-services-ads SDK?

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!