Starting Without Data Connection Does Not Start "Properly"

[Stuart]

My phone crashes periodically (does a restart) and when it restarts AquaMail does not seem to restart.  However, when I run it manually when there is no data connection, on return to the home screen there is no status bar icon (the small blue @ icon).  Repeated many times.  So I went indoors, enabled the WiFi, ran it again and "back" to home screen and immediately the icon appeared.

I appreciate that without a data connection it cannot check for incoming mail, but when you restart the phone it is then difficult to remember that when you next have data coverage you need to restart AquaMail.

(The status bar icon IS enabled in the settings)

So questions:
1.  When there is no icon, I assume AquaMail is NOT running and checking for mail (or waiting for a data connection).

2.  Is there any way to get AquaMail to start automatically when the phone is powered on (i.e. from a full power-on/restart).

The issues relate to having confidence that the app will collect and notify me of incoming mail. If it is not running or if it has "exited" because of no data connection then users need to know without remembering they need no notice the absence of an icon.  Maybe a status bar @ with a cross through it when no data connection ?  If too many apps need attention the entire time then things get overlooked and messages get missed maybe for several days (which can be disastrous).  The stock mail client seems to restart (i.e. checks) after a restart automatically (though it obviously has other shortcomings).

(n.b. I only use WiFi for data as there is no 3G coverage where I live in the countryside and WiFi stops working when I go outside for a walk ...)

[Kostya Vasilyev]

It sounds like you're talking about IMAP Push.

The app does restart push after a device reboot, but I'm guessing that the data connectivity of your device takes a long time to kick in -- and the app only retries a limited number of times trying to start IMAP push (IDLE).

It should kick in when the device finally connects, and I could investigate it if you collected a debug log, as described on the support page: http://www.aqua-mail.com/?page_id=232

( and speaking of confidence in my app -- what sort of confidence can there be if the device's operating system crashes and restarts? )

[Stuart]

... ( and speaking of confidence in my app -- what sort of confidence can there be if the device's operating system crashes and restarts? )

It's not that I don't have confidence (and my Sony Xperia is quite "unstable).  Just that I find the status bar icon reassuring that everything is running.  And if it is running without a data connection, the status icon tells me it will start again when a data connection is there.

So, Question: If I power-off and power back on the phone (i.e. complete Android restart) and do not run or do anything with AquaMail, will it still be checking for mail, etc. ?

On playing around, if I disable the data connection the AquaMail icon in the status bar disappears.  When I re-enable the data the icon reappears. But I thought the icon was necessary to avoid the OS killing off and closing the process (I like the icon and am not one of those who wants it removed).  So what does the icon mean and can I be sure that without data connection/icon the OS will allow AquaMail to keep running ?

Many thanks
Stuart

[jcasares]

I wouldn't try for apps to fix issues with the OS.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

It sounds like you're using IMAP push, and in that case, the app is trying to start up its push process. And yes, Android -- if done by the book -- strongly recommends putting an icon up (since 2.0). There is a setting to turn it off, though.

I still don't know why it would do that if there really is no connection (like I said, the code does have a check for this)... Did you change the setting in the app to not check for a connection before doing its thing?

@jacasares: those are very wise words, but what if I'm running into a networking bug on 4.1-4.2, which manifests differently on two official Google devices (GNex/Nexus7), connected to the same WiFI router, logged into the same mail server? That's a rhetorical question, of course