Incorrect "no network connection" errors when loading comments on pre-iOS 18

nativeit commented 2 weeks ago

I’ve been a paid Octal user for a few years now, without issue, but I think the recent updates that coincide with iOS 18 may have killed the app for my old (but still perfectly functional, otherwise) iPad Pro (A1652).

I understand support may be limited for older devices, but since this is where I primarily consume such material, I am sincerely hoping there is a chance for it to be fixed.

As of right now, the main feed loads, links to articles work, but comments never load, and neither do search results when searching for articles.

I thought this was an open source app? I have an Apple Developer account, and I would be happy to dig into this issue, and search for a fix myself. It seems this may not be the case, I only see docs and issues in this repo, anyway. Not a big deal, but I don't like to ask for things like this without offering my own support. If there’s a way I could sponsor the fix, I would certainly consider that.

Either way, thanks for your efforts, I love the app, here’s hoping I can keep using it for a few more years!

rc1 commented 2 weeks ago

Same issue for me on an iPhone 14 Pro with the latest update. Comments show network error. Restarting the app and trying immediately again means they load. Later, they won’t load again.

dangwu commented 2 weeks ago

Thanks for the reports. I’ll try to repro using an iOS 16 sim tomorrow. I use a 14 Pro myself and haven’t had issues. What iOS version are you on?

On Sat, Sep 28, 2024 at 12:17 AM Ross Cairns @.***> wrote:

Same issue for me on an iPhone 14 Pro with the latest update. Comments show network error. Restarting the app and trying immediately again means they load. Later, they won’t load again.

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rc1 commented 2 weeks ago

17.6.1 The issue only started happening this week or last but has been consistent. Thanks for a great app (that I spend too long in 😉)

dangwu commented 2 weeks ago

@nativeit are you getting a No network connection error, a blank screen, or something else?

dangwu commented 2 weeks ago

Also, do you have another iOS device to see if it experiences the same issue? (Wondering if it's a connection-specific issue within household)

oldgalileo commented 1 week ago

@dangwu FWIW I’m also experiencing this on an iPhone 11 Pro on iOS 16.5.1.

It seems that the comments load fine when I first open the app. Then when the app is backgrounded and then I come back, they refuse to load until I close and re-open the app.

Also noted that I haven’t taken an iOS app update, and this has just started in the last week.

abulte commented 1 week ago

Same here, iPhone 14, iOS 17.6.1. Tried to delete app and then reinstall, to no avail.

dangwu commented 1 week ago

Very strange. I'm sorry this happened, ya'll. I haven't been able to reproduce this at all (on simulator).

When you background the app, are you backgrounding it on the comments screen, or does it happen no matter what? I'm also curious if upgrading to iOS 18 fixes the issue, if any of you can update.

abulte commented 1 week ago

Screenshot attached since I managed to reproduce today after restarting the app this morning. It took a few hours (6 at most, at least 1). I was on a comment thread when the app was backgrounded, but I don't know if it happens when I'm not.

I'll try with iOS 18 when I can.

dangwu commented 1 week ago

@abulte Thank you so much - that's very useful. So to be clear, the comments load, you background the app, then after resuming the app, the already-loaded comments are replaced by the "No network connection" error? My current theory is there's something wrong with the code that tests the Firebase connection - I can see what I can do to improve/replace it.

abulte commented 1 week ago

It's more like: I open the app, read the comments, leave the app (background). Then I come back, leave the article I was on, go back to the articles list (which seems to work fine) and click on another previously unseen one to see the comments. Then the comments won't load.

dangwu commented 1 week ago

Hi everyone - I may have resolved the issue (via setting specific HN Firebase URL config for the connection test). I have a new app version in TestFlight if anyone is able to test for me! https://testflight.apple.com/join/jdB8zvZG

(cc: @abulte @nativeit @oldgalileo @rc1)

abulte commented 1 week ago

Nice @dangwu! I just upgraded to iOS 18. I'll see in a few hours if I can reproduce, and if I can I'll try your beta.

leejoramo commented 1 week ago

Then current Test Flight seems to have fixed the issues on my iPhone SE (v2) running iOS 17.7

dangwu commented 1 week ago

Awesome, thank you @leejoramo! I'll release a new app update ASAP.

dangwu commented 1 week ago

The new version has been released to the App Store. Thanks again everyone! Let me know if it still persists.

gundy commented 1 week ago

I'm up to date with the latest version, but still seeing these issues :(. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help determine what's going on.

IPhone 14 Pro, iOS 17.6.1

rc1 commented 1 week ago

Same. I reverted back to the testflight install. Can’t say for sure I haven’t see it happen on that. Will report back if I do.

Starkrights commented 1 week ago

It seems like I'm still dealing with this issue after the update as well. ~~Attached~~ linked is a short screen recording of the issue, that also shows the AppStore noting the latest version being installed, and opening YouTube as a sanity check that my internet is indeed working.

It appears that I can load the links in the in-app safari, but comments refuse to load. I probably had the app backgrounded for ~5-10 minutes? Even the article I previously had open (*BSDs article opened towards the end of the screen cap) appears to have lost the comments & refuses to get them back :/.

A minor note- afaict my app is updated (AppStore doesn't give me the option to update), but I can't find the version number in the app itself anywhere to double check. Also I wasn't following this super closely so I didn't check out the TestFlight version before, but im going to now given the success from the others in this thread!

dangwu commented 1 week ago

Darn, I'll try to come up with another solution then. I guess the Firebase connection test API isn't reliable, so I'll come up with a different solution soon. Thanks for letting me know

dangwu commented 1 week ago

@rc1 the TestFlight build is the same exact build as the App Store build, so it won't help you. Are you also on iOS 17?

@Starkrights Are you also on iOS 17?

Starkrights commented 1 week ago

I'm actually pretty behind on this device- I'm on iOS 16.2.

@dangwu were you using the firebase connection API prior to update 4.16? That update, as limited and unrelated as the scope seems ("Updated app icon to support light, dark, and tinted appearances in iOS 18"), seems to be pretty on the dot with when this bug started to crop up.

Starkrights commented 1 week ago

For thoroughness/posterity, I managed to get the testflight build to repro as well. Bug cropped up after being backgrounded for ~10 minutes. screencap

Edit: @dangwu - It may be that it's just the connection method & this effort is a bit useless, but I also tested a couple different scenarios for the hell of it- if it's not the connection method itself, this seems like a particularly shitty issue to debug without being able to repro yourself.	triggered	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
YES	{launch}	Open a comment page	Return to main page	{background/wait}
YES	{launch}	Open a comment page	{background/wait}
YES	{launch}	{background/wait}

Some misc notes that came from this:

Seems like I can repro consistently with ~10 minutes of backgrounding.
- Could be shorter, but I'm doing this to waste time while sitting through a really bad lecture haha.
Found a side effect on posts with a text body. The text post body itself is loaded, but due to the comment spinner, it's unscrollable- the whole page is locked up. screencap.
- Looking at the HN api, post-body comes with the story item itself, so presumably that was acquired with the initial story list fetch when the app was first opened.
- Due to that, this has probably always happened if you first loaded some stories & then went offline. That said, maybe it provides a bit of insight, or at least confirmation, as to where the error is occurring?

Let me know if I can explore, record, document, or test anything else for you!

dangwu commented 1 week ago

Thanks, I think this is definitely a pre-iOS 18 issue that is 100% tied to the Firebase SDK update I did when adding the dark mode icons. I went from a really old version to the latest one. I've seen other reports from other Firebase users of this identical issue, so I'm confident it's Firebase. I didn't make any significant code changes otherwise. To fix the issue once and for all, I'm going to stop using the Firebase API that has the problem, since it seems unsolved.

Starkrights commented 2 days ago

@dangwu if the refactor is looking like it's gonna be a bit, would it be possible to push the last working version (4.15.1 it looks like?) to TestFlight? I haven't done much in the way of iOS dev, so I don't even know if that's possible, but just a thought.

For clarity of tone: I recognize the "solo-dev whose project is not their job" struggle, so please do take your time with the refactor/fix. I have no timeframe expectation, I just love using your app, and I'd imagine that sentiment is mirrored by most (if not all) in this thread :)

dangwu commented 2 days ago

@Starkrights No worries with tone - the fix is ready. The unfortunate issue (that keeps happening) is that Apple is blocking my app update because they want me to add a Delete Account option to the app. I added a button that lets the user send an email to HN to request account deletion (since that's all YC offers), but that's not enough. I'm in the appeal process at the moment. App Store reviewers are unfortunately clueless when it comes to 3rd party client apps like Octal so I'm not sure how long this is going to take.

dangwu commented 2 days ago

@Starkrights Out of curiosity, is there any reason you can't use iOS 18? Or are you on iOS 18?

Starkrights commented 2 days ago

Ah, classic. Best of luck with that headache.

As to why I'm not on iOS 18 (currently on 16.2), to be honest I really just try and keep this device downgraded in case a jailbreak comes along for this model/version (thusfar an unfruitful endeavor haha).

dangwu commented 1 hour ago

This should be fixed now with the 4.16.3 update today. Let me know if it persists

SUWULLC / Octal

Incorrect "no network connection" errors when loading comments on pre-iOS 18 #311