Android app stuck in "Preparing - Cleaning up - Syncing" loop

Bug Reports
1

Platform: Android

App version number: 1.19.8 (430)

Screenshots of what you are seeing

How about an animated gif? This is 10 seconds long:

iNat sync loop
iNat sync loop300×534 2.5 MB

Description of problem

As soon as I open the app, the green sync bar appears at the top of my page of observations, looping through “preparing”, “cleaning up” and “syncing” over and over. It doesn’t stop. It’s the same whether I’m on mobile data or wifi.

For settings, I have Automatic Upload on/checked.

~

Edit: I followed these instructions:

If the bug relates to our Android app, please send a log file to help@inaturalist.org right after the bug or crash occurs. To send a log file, go to the Settings tab in the app and tap three times on the version number. You will then have the option to email the log file to help@inaturalist.org.

Anyone who’s having the same issue should do this too!

3 Likes
2

I think there may be an existing bug report for this.

[addendum: Found it! https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/perpetual-sync-activity/14406/ ]

[second addendum: actually, there’s SEVERAL bug reports on it:
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/android-app-observation-remains-in-sync-loop/13504
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/sync-issue-on-mobile-app/4866
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/android-app-doesnt-sync-observations/11777 ]

[third addendum: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/updating-1-of-8-observations-android-app/4821 ]

1 Like
4

Also, there was a closed github for it last year: https://github.com/inaturalist/iNaturalistAndroid/issues/660

But I don’t see one in the current open bugs for Android: https://github.com/inaturalist/iNaturalistAndroid/labels/bug
nor for iOS (as @kathrynwells333 reported): https://github.com/inaturalist/INaturalistIOS/labels/bugs

5

This happens to me sometimes too. I can usually get it to stop by closing the app entirely (through the “Square Button” Android menu, I’m not sure what it’s offcially) and then opening again. Obviously this bug should be fixed, but hopefully that should get your iNaturalist working normally again.

6

I have tried this, and sadly it has never worked for me. :(

2 Likes
7

Me either. :-(

8

Not me. Even force stopping the app in settings & restarting it doesn’t help.

1 Like
9

I followed these instructions:

If the bug relates to our Android app, please send a log file to help@inaturalist.org right after the bug or crash occurs. To send a log file, go to the Settings tab in the app and tap three times on the version number. You will then have the option to email the log file to help@inaturalist.org.

Anyone who’s having the same issue should do this too!

10

I wasn’t saying you shouldn’t submit b/c there were other topics. I’m sorry if I gave that impression.

I listed the other topics to show (1) don’t expect a resolution soon and (2) to compile all of them and thereby show how widespread the bug is for both staff (to be fair, they are probably aware) and other users.

11

I wasn’t saying you shouldn’t submit b/c there were other topics. I’m sorry if I gave that impression.

Oh it’s okay, I didn’t take it that way, I just thought it’d be a helpful instruction. :) The link-sharing was very helpful!