Background checks and push not working BlackBerry KEYone

[79_TransAm]

Hello all,

I've been using AquaMail Pro or some time now, from a Note 5 and S8+ which all had AquaMail working great to a BlackBerry KEYone which I've had nothing but problems with trying to get AquaMail Pro working correctly on.  It seemed to work fine when I first got the BB but in the last week or so Background checks have stopped as well as Push notifications aren't working anymore.

I have 6 email accounts, 3 Exchange, 1 Gmail, 1 Outlook and 1 TELUS. 

All 6 have stopped receiving push email as well as no longer do the background checks which I have set at 5 minutes.

Of note is the fact that as soon as I open AquaMail Pro all checks take place as they normally would.

I've already spoken to AquaMail support and they have only replied the standard "make sure AquaMail is not being optimized" (it's not) and "Android 7.1 does not allow background checks shorting that 15-20 minutes".  Neither of these have been very helpful and have not solved the problem that has only recently popped up and were not present on my previous phones.

One of the Exchange accounts from work is for tornado warnings so it is imperative that Push email be working.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Mike

[79_TransAm]

Ok I've managed to get it checking once a minute with setting a custom check interval but this will only work when the app is open and "minimized".  If I close it from the app history push definitely doesn't work and the 1 minute check also stops working.  This is not typical of other email programs such as the Gmail app or and SMS app that continues to receive notifications while closed completely and definitely not the way AquaMail used to function.

Any ideas if there is a setting I'm missing to be able to close the app and still have push and the 1 minute sync still work?

Mike

[StR]

On some devices (e.g. Samsung phones and tablets) swiping an app away from the "history" results in the app being killed by the system immediately. Just don't do it.

As for Gmail and SMS apps, - different programs work differently, especially those that are essentially "integrated" with the OS (or the launcher).

As an aside, - 1 minute sync frequency might lead to high battery usage, and some servers (was it Gmail?) might not allow that frequent syncing.
And the response you received from the support might not what you wanted to hear, but it is correct. Android 7.* has created some new problems for 3rd-party apps. You can read about that in various sources (you can google it, or find the links posted by Kostya in one of the previous threads on the same topic.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

I've already spoken to AquaMail support and they have only replied the standard "make sure AquaMail is not being optimized" (it's not) and "Android 7.1 does not allow background checks shorting that 15-20 minutes".  Neither of these have been very helpful and have not solved the problem that has only recently popped up and were not present on my previous phones.

First, Android 7 - does "optimize" apps, and even apps "excluded" from Doze Mode aren't allowed to "wake up the device" more often than about every 15 minutes.

Second, I don't know anything about Blackberry phones. A couple of years ago those ran RIM's own operating system with an Android "compatibility layer". Don't know about now, but it could still be different from other Android devices (in terms of how they behave). For example, they could have decided to "stop" apps that want to wake up the phone "too often" (whatever that "too often" may mean to them).

Third, for Exchange accounts Aqua supports push mail, which works independently of scheduled mail checks. You can enable it by long pressing on the account -> options and folders -> account options -> "push mail".

This works even when the device is in "deep sleep" / Doze Mode as it uses something called Firebase "cloud" Messaging.

[79_TransAm]

Thanks all for the replies.

The BlackBerry KEYone is now a full Android device running 7.1.

So far the 1 minute checks have been working fine on all email accounts so I'll stick with if for now and leave the app open.

As for Push, it's already turned on for all accounts but when the app is closed they are not coming through so that might be a genuine bug to report.  If the app is open they push emails come through immediately.

Thanks again for the help.

Mike

[mikeone]

Mike:

Please (re)check your settings for 'Push' and 'Sync' as follows - description related to accounts configured as IMAP -:

First step: (Re)configure your sync settings

a)  On app's level
> Menu button > Settings > Mail, receiving:
Scheduled sync: enabled
Mail check interval: 15 minutes (= default, very reasonable)
You could stick with your current setting. However, increasing the interval to 15 minutes is highly recommended.

b) On account level
> long press on account name > Options and folders > Account options:
Scheduled sync: enabled

c) On folder level
> long press on account name > Options and folders > Folders > press on each folder name which you want to sync (e.g. Inbox):
chose 'Sync (plain folder)'

You will find some more interesting information in the app's FAQ-page:
http://www.aqua-mail.com/?page_id=227
> Search for "Messages to sync and messages to cache settings"


Second step: Enable 'Push'
- to get notifications about' new messages' immediately -

Please check your settings for 'Push' as follows:

1 - On app's level
> Menu button > Settings > Mail, receiving:
Push mail: enabled

2 - On account level
> long press on account name > Options and folders > Account options:
Push mail: enabled [disabled by default]

3 - On folder level
> long press on account name > Options and folders > Folders > press the wheel of the folder where you want to get push notifications (e.g. Inbox): enable/check 'Use Push mail'

Please have also a look into the app's FAQ-page:
http://www.aqua-mail.com/?page_id=227
> Search for "How do I enable Push mail"

[Kostya Vasilyev]

I wonder if BB has a "battery optimizer" built-in, in addition to Android's Doze Mode.

We've seen this with Huawei / ASUS / Xiaomi, but in theory any manufacturer could choose to "improve" their phones like that.

If there is one, please whitelist Aqua there - and btw this "optimizer" may already "know" to not touch "other apps" (Gmail for example, we've seen this too).

In addition, on some phones, swiping an app "away" from "recents" can prevent it from working in the background as well.

[79_TransAm]

Mike:

Please (re)check your settings for 'Push' and 'Sync' as follows - description related to accounts configured as IMAP -:

First step: (Re)configure your sync settings

a)  On app's level
> Menu button > Settings > Mail, receiving:
Scheduled sync: enabled
Mail check interval: 15 minutes (= default, very reasonable)
You could stick with your current setting. However, increasing the interval to 15 minutes is highly recommended.

b) On account level
> long press on account name > Options and folders > Account options:
Scheduled sync: enabled

c) On folder level
> long press on account name > Options and folders > Folders > press on each folder name which you want to sync (e.g. Inbox):
chose 'Sync (plain folder)'

You will find some more interesting information in the app's FAQ-page:
http://www.aqua-mail.com/?page_id=227 [nofollow]
> Search for "Messages to sync and messages to cache settings"


Second step: Enable 'Push'
- to get notifications about' new messages' immediately -

Please check your settings for 'Push' as follows:

1 - On app's level
> Menu button > Settings > Mail, receiving:
Push mail: enabled

2 - On account level
> long press on account name > Options and folders > Account options:
Push mail: enabled [disabled by default]

3 - On folder level
> long press on account name > Options and folders > Folders > press the wheel of the folder where you want to get push notifications (e.g. Inbox): enable/check 'Use Push mail'

Please have also a look into the app's FAQ-page:
http://www.aqua-mail.com/?page_id=227 [nofollow]
> Search for "How do I enable Push mail"

Thank you for taking the time to give the very detailed reply, it's appreciated.  Every setting you have stated above has already been turned on and doublechecked.  Unfortunitely the result is the same, if the app is closed it does not check in the background.  If I open the app and there are emails then they load right away.  If I leave the app open then push and syncing work as they should.

Very frustrating, love the app but it's just not working as it has in the past on all my other devices.

Mike

[79_TransAm]

I wonder if BB has a "battery optimizer" built-in, in addition to Android's Doze Mode.

We've seen this with Huawei / ASUS / Xiaomi, but in theory any manufacturer could choose to "improve" their phones like that.

If there is one, please whitelist Aqua there - and btw this "optimizer" may already "know" to not touch "other apps" (Gmail for example, we've seen this too).

In addition, on some phones, swiping an app "away" from "recents" can prevent it from working in the background as well.

Yes I believe this is exactly what is happening here, swiping an app away in recents is killing the app until it's opened again.

What's also strange is at the same time this started to happen with Aqua Mail Pro, the weather widget I have on my phone also freezes after a period of time and stops working.  If I open the weather app the temp in the notification bar updates but the widget for the weather never updates either.

[StR]

Yes I believe this is exactly what is happening here, swiping an app away in recents is killing the app until it's opened again.

That's for sure the case with Samsung devices (Galaxy tablets and phones).

What's also strange is at the same time this started to happen with Aqua Mail Pro, the weather widget I have on my phone also freezes after a period of time and stops working.  If I open the weather app the temp in the notification bar updates but the widget for the weather never updates either.

That indicates that some of the optimization is not (cannot be) turned off.

Google made a full swing from a completely loose policy on the apps in pre-6 Androids to an impractically tight in 7.x.  To me, that's a lack of strategic thinking, visionary, if you wish.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

What's also strange is at the same time this started to happen with Aqua Mail Pro, the weather widget I have on my phone also freezes after a period of time and stops working.

At this point you have *two* different apps from different developers "freezing" - personally I'd demand an answer from BB support about any "enhancements for better battery usage" that they have in their devices.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Google made a full swing from a completely loose policy on the apps in pre-6 Androids to an impractically tight in 7.x.  To me, that's a lack of strategic thinking, visionary, if you wish.

In 8 (Android O) they upped it by another notch yet again.

They're aware that they're breaking apps - and the docs then say "this is the new way that should work for most apps". "Most" apps?

[mikeone]

RE: In 8 (Android O) they upped it by another notch yet again.

... Google is straight on the track of Apple's closed system environment. 

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Re: Google is straight on the track of Apple's closed system environment

Yes, very much true (sigh).

[StR]

... Google is straight on the track of Apple's closed system environment. 

I wouldn't consider that path being straight. When a pendulum swings, it looks straight only from the top, but from the side you can see that it is "around and about".
 

PS. And it is a big pendulum swing as I indicated above.