Mobile Ed audio hangs if there is no good network data connection

Graham Criddle
Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,469
edited November 21 in English Forum
I was driving today and listening to a mobile ed audio track on my iPhone.

When it reached the end of a segment - and if there was poor network coverage at that time - it would hang for a while (I think until it got a good network connection again)

This sometimes resulted in me driving for miles without the audio playing.

I assume this is trying to sync position at the end of each segment.

Would it be possible to change the behaviour so that it continues to play even if it can't get a network connection?

All the segments were downloaded to my device.

Thanks, Graham

)Apologies for layout of this post - browser not playing nicely at the moment)
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Comments

  • What I would suggest is to download the lesson's that you think you may be able to hear on your next drive ahead of time. That is what I do. All media on desktop application and mobile devices stream media content. You have to actually download the media if you want the ability to have it either offline or in your case poor connection situations.

    I usually have the next 5 lessons downloaded on my iPad/iPhone just in case. I'll delete them later.

    Hope this helps.

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,469

    Hi Alejandro - and welcome to the forums

    You have to actually download the media if you want the ability to have it either offline or in your case poor connection situations.

    Thanks for your reply - and I have downloaded all of the media to my device.

    The problem is that the application still seems to require to communicate with Logos servers when starting a new segment and this introduces the delays I am referring to.

    Graham

  • Kevin Byford (Faithlife)
    Kevin Byford (Faithlife) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 4,309

    The problem is that the application still seems to require to communicate with Logos servers when starting a new segment and this introduces the delays I am referring to.

    This shouldn't be an issue if your phone is set to airplane mode. There is already a feature request case for adding a way to turn off the network in-app while leaving the phone connected. 

  • Fr Devin Roza
    Fr Devin Roza MVP Posts: 2,409

    The problem is that the application still seems to require to communicate with Logos servers when starting a new segment and this introduces the delays I am referring to.

    This shouldn't be an issue if your phone is set to airplane mode. There is already a feature request case for adding a way to turn off the network in-app while leaving the phone connected. 

    But in this case Graham had the audio downloaded. Shouldn't the app have the intelligence built in to work properly when network connection comes and goes when everything it needs to access is available offline?

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,469

    This shouldn't be an issue if your phone is set to airplane mode. 

    I am also using the phone as a satnav device so this isn't an option.

  • Kevin Byford (Faithlife)
    Kevin Byford (Faithlife) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 4,309

    But in this case Graham had the audio downloaded. Shouldn't the app have the intelligence built in to work properly when network connection comes and goes when everything it needs to access is available offline?

    The thing is, "everything it needs to access" is not available offline; syncing the location in audio/video resources is part of what the app needs to access. If it didn't sync that would be considered a bug. The easiest solution in this case is to have a way to turn off network access for the Bible app while leaving the device connected.

  • Kevin Byford (Faithlife)
    Kevin Byford (Faithlife) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 4,309

    This shouldn't be an issue if your phone is set to airplane mode. 

    I am also using the phone as a satnav device so this isn't an option.

    One workaround - if you open iOS Settings and scroll down to where the apps are shown and tap on Logos Bible, there is a "Cellular Data" toggle that you can turn off.

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,469

    ]
    One workaround - if you open iOS Settings and scroll down to where the apps are shown and tap on Logos Bible, there is a "Cellular Data" toggle that you can turn off.

    Hi Kevin

    Many thanks for that - if that stops it trying to sync that will be great

    I'll try it when next travelling and report back 

    Graham

  • Fr Devin Roza
    Fr Devin Roza MVP Posts: 2,409

    The thing is, "everything it needs to access" is not available offline; syncing the location in audio/video resources is part of what the app needs to access. If it didn't sync that would be considered a bug. 

    Mobile devices regularly go on and offline. Most apps deal with this correctly, and are able to simply adapt and wait for the next available moment when connectivity returns to sync. Not being able to sync when connectivity is poor is NOT a bug. It's simply a normal part of being a mobile app.

    Crashing or hanging when unable to sync, on the other hand, is a bug.

    The easiest solution in this case is to have a way to turn off network access for the Bible app while leaving the device connected.

    It might be the easiest solution, but it's not ideal. Apps shouldn't make the user manually turn off data or sync to work properly when signal is poor.

    FWIW, where I have most run into frustration with the Verbum app when signal is poor is when tapping on Bible verse links to see the pop-up. When signal is poor, the app takes 15-60 seconds to respond... while the default Bible is available offline and could easily be used instead by the app. Often I have turned off connectivity on the device to be able to use the app.

  • SineNomine
    SineNomine Member Posts: 7,043

    Mobile devices regularly go on and offline. Most apps deal with this correctly, and are able to simply adapt and wait for the next available moment when connectivity returns to sync. Not being able to sync when connectivity is poor is NOT a bug. It's simply a normal part of being a mobile app.

    Crashing or hanging when unable to sync, on the other hand, is a bug.

    Apps shouldn't make the user manually turn off data or sync to work properly when signal is poor.

    I agree emphatically. Syncing what I'm doing in the app is vastly less important than being able to do it. 'Better to do something, than to sync nothing.'

    FWIW, where I have most run into frustration with the Verbum app when signal is poor[...] while the [resource] is available offline and could easily be used instead by the app. Often I have turned off connectivity on the device to be able to use the app.

    Indeed.

    “The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara

  • Kevin Byford (Faithlife)
    Kevin Byford (Faithlife) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 4,309

    There are already cases for these issues. I've given two workarounds in the meantime.

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,469

    ]
    One workaround - if you open iOS Settings and scroll down to where the apps are shown and tap on Logos Bible, there is a "Cellular Data" toggle that you can turn off.

    Hi Kevin

    Many thanks for that - if that stops it trying to sync that will be great

    I'll try it when next travelling and report back 

    Graham

    Hi Kevin

    I had the chance to try the toggle you suggested earlier today and it worked well. Thank you.

    However, it seemed to have a bigger impact than I had expected. It disabled all cellular access on the device and even switching if off in settings didn't restore it, I needed to turn my iPhone off and back on again for it to reconnect to the cellular network (switching to airplane mode and back didn't do it)

    Is this intended behaviour?

  • Simon’s Brother
    Simon’s Brother Member Posts: 6,816 ✭✭✭

    Good to hear the cases are written up Kevin. I hope the have high priority because the workarounds are really not all that desirable.

    There are already cases for these issues. I've given two workarounds in the meantime.