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seedvault-app / seedvault

A backup application for the Android Open Source Project.
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The Backup Message 'Waiting to Backup' is Confusing #234

Open bettyvschmartz opened 3 years ago

bettyvschmartz commented 3 years ago

side note: I find the waiting to backup message a little confusing after a backup is performed. I have noticed it happens in contacts for example when there are no contacts

Should this be raised as a separate issue? I also notice on backup completion the message ...waiting to backup on both Local Contacts and SMS Messages. I assume this is because I have cloud-based contacts (no local, device contacts) and have another default SMS app (native SMS app therefore has no messages).

Would it not be better to change to something like Nothing to backup?

-- BVS

Originally posted by @bettyvschmartz in https://github.com/seedvault-app/seedvault/issues/152#issuecomment-814061908

bettyvschmartz commented 3 years ago

As discussed, raising this as a separate issue to be fixed. The backup message ..waiting to backup is confusing for those apps that have no data. Proposing something like Nothing to backup as more appropriate.

-- BVS

grote commented 3 years ago

Proposing something like Nothing to backup as more appropriate.

I don't agree here, because the message just means that the system didn't ask us to back up something. There's a separate message for no data already.

grote commented 3 years ago

Also note that Waiting to Backup is the same language used by Google for this situation.

bettyvschmartz commented 3 years ago

Proposing something like Nothing to backup as more appropriate.

I don't agree here, because the message just means that the system didn't ask us to back up something. There's a separate message for no data already.

So in this case it's not waiting to backup in the backup run as nothing was requested to backup. So maybe another message you think is more appropriate but waiting to backup isn't accurate and is misleading for the user IMO. You've given some language above that explains it better so maybe Not requested for backup, Excluded from Backup, or Backup skipped. I think some users will believe either a) the backup didn't complete, or b) the backup still needs to finish as these apps are waiting to backup.

-- BVS

chirayudesai commented 3 years ago

Proposing something like Nothing to backup as more appropriate.

I don't agree here, because the message just means that the system didn't ask us to back up something. There's a separate message for no data already.

So let's just use that.

Also note that Waiting to Backup is the same language used by Google for this situation.

We can do better :)

If there's no backup data keeping it always waiting for backup, we should show a different message, especially since these items are highlighted and shown at the top and thus the first things that a user would see.

Rihcus commented 3 years ago

I have had waiting to backup issues with google in the past. Adding a backup now button would be nice

grote commented 2 years ago

There's a separate message for no data already.

So let's just use that.

But that's a separate case. After turning on backup for the first time, all apps are "waiting for backup", but only some of those will be "no data" after the first run. So these really are two different cases and I am not sure how to present them better to the user.

dehnhard commented 7 months ago

Noticed this message and was glad to found this issue to be assured the backup went well.

The text message is a bit confusing, but the "warning icon" beside it makes the user wonder if he has to wait until it's finished or something has gone wrong. A green tick for these entities would be better.

nandlab commented 5 months ago

I have GrapheneOS with sandboxed Google Services. After a successful backup, Google Play Store, Maps and "Speech Recognition and Synthesis from Google" are showing "Waiting to back up...", which is confusing. GmsCompatConfig and Google Play Services have a red exclamation mark, but maybe this is a different issue.

DDvO commented 3 months ago

I get the 'Waiting to Backup' outcome for around 75% of my apps (and a backup error indication for a few further apps), which seems to render Seedvault pretty useless :-(

Update: I opened an issue on this point: #684

grote commented 2 days ago

We are now asking the system to back up apps, so we choose which apps. That means the message "Waiting to backup" should only ever be shown before the first backup ran. If (on a recent version) it is shown afterwards this may indicate a bug and warrant a new ticket.

So far I haven't seen a suggestion on how to improve the "Waiting to backup" message.

bettyvschmartz commented 1 day ago

So far I haven't seen a suggestion on how to improve the "Waiting to backup" message.

I guess it isn't clear to me what has been done here. If the message "Waiting to backup" is now not shown after a backup runs it seems the issue is resolved. Unless you are now referring to the language "Waiting to backup" still showing before the first backup? In that case I don't personally see that as much of an issue as was previously the case. While still not strictly the correct wording, I expect the user will think to try kick off a backup. Whereas previously that message still showing after backup was much more confusing and problematic IMO.

-- bvs

dehnhard commented 1 day ago

We are now asking the system to back up apps, so we choose which apps. That means the message "Waiting to backup" should only ever be shown before the first backup ran. If (on a recent version) it is shown afterwards this may indicate a bug and warrant a new ticket.

Yes, I don't see this message anymore on any App. But it's still there on "local contacts".

I guess it isn't clear to me what has been done here. If the message "Waiting to backup" is now not shown after a backup runs it seems the issue is resolved. Unless you are now referring to the language "Waiting to backup" still showing before the first backup? In that case I don't personally see that as much of an issue as was previously the case. While still not strictly the correct wording, I expect the user will think to try kick off a backup. Whereas previously that message still showing after backup was much more confusing and problematic IMO.

I agree.

grote commented 1 day ago

So it isn't the message that is confusing, but there are some bugs which leave this message appear longer than it should.

Yes, I don't see this message anymore on any App. But it's still there on "local contacts".

This for example was a bug which is fixed in https://github.com/seedvault-app/seedvault/commit/53b98ea0a95f975f786b2357231f2645e8e77675

So if, with the latest version, this still happens for apps, we should open a dedicated ticket for it and investigate.

I don't personally see that as much of an issue as was previously the case. While still not strictly the correct wording

But what would be the correct wording?

dehnhard commented 1 day ago

So it isn't the message that is confusing, but there are some bugs which leave this message appear longer than it should.

Sounds correct, but we users can't possibly know that.

Yes, I don't see this message anymore on any App. But it's still there on "local contacts".

This for example was a bug which is fixed in 53b98ea

Great. I notice that commit appears to be part of an open pull request and therefor it will be solved someday in the future.