Signal-android: App-switcher closes when closing TextSecure

Created on 5 Mar 2014 · 17Comments · Source: signalapp/Signal-Android

When closing the Textsecure app from the default app-switcher (see screenshot) it also closes the app-switcher itself unlike if i close other apps from the app-switcher.

I'm using Cyanogenmod-Version 11-20140210-SNAPSHOT-M3-mako, my TextSecure is up-to-date.

Although it is not a big issue, it is annoying (might annoy others too) and i think it might lead to other errors.

The following screenshot was taken right before closing Textsecure by swiping from left to right. After that, the app-switcher closes.

app_switcher_screenshot

Source

sendiulo

👍1

Most helpful comment

This issue should NOT be closed. I have tested this behavior using Signal without SMS integration and with SMS integration, behavior occurs in either mode.

Action/Cause:

Signal App installed via Google Play Store and launched.
Signal App closed via Android's "Recents" screen.

Result/Effect:

Signal App is closed as expected.
Android's Recents screen is exited out of and/or closes - Unexpected Behavior.

Consider this 'Unexpected Behavior' because no other Application I have ever used, when closed via the Recents screen, causes the entire Recents Screen to also close.

This interrupts the normal behavior/ability to quickly close other Apps or switch to another App.

Additional Details/Troubleshooting:

Behavior is easily recreated.
Will recur every time Signal is opened then closed via Recents Screen.
Phone has been restarted as well as completely shut off then started, unexpected behavior occurs.
Fresh install of Signal App (SMS Integration not enabled), unexpected behavior occurs.
SMS Integration enabled, unexpected behavior occurs.

Phone: Pixel XL
OS: Google Project Fi's Android 8.1.0 (Latest Patches)

Description of Android's "Recents" Screen if that Term is unclear:
The Recents screen (also referred to as the Overview screen, recent task list, or recent apps) is a system-level UI that lists recently accessed activities and tasks. The user can navigate through the list and select a task to resume, or the user can remove a task from the list by swiping it away.

Source: https://developer.android.com/guide/components/activities/recents.html

Similar behavior reported by multiple Signal Users on this site and others.

Searched Signal's Support Center website using same terms/strings used to locate this issue/page but Signal's Support Center portal kept returning "No results found".

No option to Submit this feedback through the App so posting here.

t00muchdata on 7 Jun 2018

👍4

All 17 comments

This is the consequence of a workaround for an Android OS bug that was causing TextSecure to miss incoming messages after swiping from the recent tasks list. I agree it's unfortunate, but it's better than the alternative, and I don't think there's anything we can do until Android fixes their bug.

moxie0 on 5 Mar 2014

👎2

Could you please point me to the code that you used for working around that bug?
Thanks!

alexgyori on 12 Sep 2014

👍3

I guess it's this: b5fe378bc92aa87e33a2909ee183247d65f773bf

agrajaghh on 12 Sep 2014

👍2

Is this bug still present in Android 5, 5.1 and 6?

sedrubal on 12 Dec 2015

@sedrubal looks like it's back.
Noticed that the other day but ignored it.

Can reproduce if closing the unlocked Signal :confused:
Play store. Rooted Sony stock. Xposed but no xprivacy.

McLoo on 12 Dec 2015

I meant the bug in android, @moxie0 explained above ;)

sedrubal on 12 Dec 2015

Obviously. 😴

McLoo on 12 Dec 2015

Has the root cause bug in Android been fixed? None of the other messengers have this really annoying problem.

nils-werner on 27 Dec 2016

👍1

I am not an Android developer but reading the WakefulBroadcastReceiver docs and comparing it to Signal/GcmBroadcastReceiver I have the suspicion that you are not allowed to do

@Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
  String data = ...
  ApplicationContext.getInstance(context)
                    .getJobManager()
                    .add(new PushContentReceiveJob(context, data));
}

because the execution of your JobManager may be interrupted and put to sleep at any time.

If instead you invoked an Intent using startWakefulService() the execution would not be interrupted.

@Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
  String data = ...
  Intent service = new Intent(context, PushContentReceiveService.class);  // PushContentReceiveService currently doesn't exist

  Bundle extras = new Bundle();
  extras.putString("data", data);
  service.setExtras(extras)

  startWakefulService(context, service);
}

Again, not an Android developer, but what is the advantage of using a selfmade JobManager over Intents? Aren't they essentially doing the same thing?

nils-werner on 9 Jan 2017

👍2

This behavior still exists in Android 7.0 and remains mildly annoying.

Has anyone looked at @nils-werner's comment?

thornjad on 6 Feb 2017

👍2

@Raindeer44 I think that comment is unrelated to this issue.

I honestly can't remember how this was originally manifesting, but I think it was through SMS messages. Maybe this wouldn't apply to people who aren't using Signal for SMS. Someone would have to disable this workaround and test all the different scenarios.

moxie0 on 7 Feb 2017

Still a problem in 8.1. It would be nice to find a better alternative.

zehkaiser on 2 May 2018