Fitbit Android 7.0 Data Saver preventing sync?

[bluefoxicy]

In Android up to 6.0, the OS can prevent background applications from accessing metered networks.  This means Fitbit in the background won't sync with Fitbit.com if you're on LTE+, but will if you're on Wifi.

As of Android 7.0, there is a new Data Saver feature.  The Data Saver performs the above; in addition, it publishes the current state to applications for voluntary data load reduction.  Applications can test for three properties:

• Is current data connection metered?
• Is Data Saver mode enabled?
• Is the application exempt from background data restrictions?

In theory, this means the application will be forcefully restricted from background data access on metered networks, and informed of the network state in all cases.  On metered networks, the application can voluntarily reduce its data usage in foreground mode (which is unrestricted by the OS); on unmetered networks, it can freely use data in background and foreground mode.

I've noticed the current Fitbit app doesn't sync to Fitbit.com over Wifi when Data Saver is enabled.  Is this a bug?  If the network is unmetered, it's supposed to ignore the Data Saver hint.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[SolangeE]

Hello, @bluefoxicy!  It is nice to see you here. Hmmm..it seems like this is a new feature of the Android 7.0. I found this information: "Data Saver, rather than taking an “on" or "off” approach to background data, this feature lets you specify the apps that do and don't have access to your connection while the screen is off."

So, have you checked if you provided access to the Fitbit App while the screen is off?

Let me know if this helps! 

[bluefoxicy]

The third paragraph in the original message you just replied to says:

"on unmetered networks, it can freely use data in background and foreground mode."

It would appear you didn't read, so let's try this again. Data saver, when on, for a non-exempt application, does not enforce any sort of connection access control when on a non-metered network (e.g. Wifi).

In such cases, Data Saver informs the application that it is on a non-metered network, as well as that Data Saver is active and that the app is non-exempt.  The app is supposed to use this information to make decisions about how to use data--notably, to use data freely when data is free, and to use it more-sparingly when data is metered.

When the application is not in the foreground and data is metered, Data Saver also enforces access restrictions.

In other words:  the Fitbit App can and should continue to sync background data when Data Saver is enabled, Fitibit is not exempted, and the phone is connected to Wifi.

I am getting tired of support at various companies reading a message and completely-ignoring its contents, then responding back with suggestions to which the answer is, "No, as is stated in the original message, that (doesn't work|isn't the issue|is completely unrelated)".  It's like you all just read the subject and write the first thing that comes to mind.

Do you think your users are idiots?  We write detailed descriptions of unexpected behavior for a reason.  If you aren't going to read the user's message, don't insult them by responding in such a way that makes it clear you don't care about anything they said.