For angular.js, here is a directive (based on the accepted answer) that will allow your controller to react to a change in visibility:
myApp.directive('reactOnWindowFocus', function($parse) {
return {
restrict: "A",
link: function(scope, element, attrs) {
var hidden = "hidden";
var currentlyVisible = true;
var functionOrExpression = $parse(attrs.reactOnWindowFocus);
// Standards:
if (hidden in document)
document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", onchange);
else if ((hidden = "mozHidden") in document)
document.addEventListener("mozvisibilitychange", onchange);
else if ((hidden = "webkitHidden") in document)
document.addEventListener("webkitvisibilitychange", onchange);
else if ((hidden = "msHidden") in document)
document.addEventListener("msvisibilitychange", onchange);
else if ("onfocusin" in document) {
// IE 9 and lower:
document.onfocusin = onshow;
document.onfocusout = onhide;
} else {
// All others:
window.onpageshow = window.onfocus = onshow;
window.onpagehide = window.onblur = onhide;
}
function onchange (evt) {
//occurs both on leaving and on returning
currentlyVisible = !currentlyVisible;
doSomethingIfAppropriate();
}
function onshow(evt) {
//for older browsers
currentlyVisible = true;
doSomethingIfAppropriate();
}
function onhide(evt) {
//for older browsers
currentlyVisible = false;
doSomethingIfAppropriate();
}
function doSomethingIfAppropriate() {
if (currentlyVisible) {
//trigger angular digest cycle in this scope
scope.$apply(function() {
functionOrExpression(scope);
});
}
}
}
};
});
You can use it like this example: <div react-on-window-focus="refresh()">, where refresh() is a scope function in the scope of whatever Controller is in scope.