Android 14 - Connection drops / app stops working

[Kahros]

Device: Samsung S23 Ultra
OS: Android 14
Version of app: 0.29
Watch: Catfish

I am able to get this software installed, permissions set, connected to my watch, and functional but after a period of time, app features stop working. For me to resolve this, I force-close the app and reopen it.

Possibly related, gadgetbridge has a similar issue, except if I change any settings within the app, I need to force-close it for it to send notifications to the watch - gadgetbridge works consistently there after provided I don't mess with anything.

I saw that back in April, there was a fox for Bluetooth buffer overflow causing issues. Maybe this is a similar problem?

I'm unaware how to pull logs. If anyone can direct me as how how, I'll include them.

[librarydemise457892]

Hi,

Apologies for the delay I meant to upload my experience with this issue awhile ago but I've been pressed for time. I am experiencing the same issue.

Device: Pixel 6
OS: Latest Graphene OS (Android 14)
Version of app: Latest from F droid (0.29) and every other build that is runnable on A14, including the previous debug builds
Watch: Catfish

At first I thought it was to do with the Bluetooth regressions in A14 but once they were resolved it was ruled out as the issue still occurs. Based on your description it is not a Graphene specific bug either.

I have attached a quick log that Graphene generated but will get the full crash dump from ADB later.

Error in AsteroidOS Sync ec4cd4a131fc.txt
Error in AsteroidOS Sync ada966394367.txt

Our sample size is still quite small but I will ask in the Matrix chat as well as do some further testing of my own.

[Subsonic-dev]

Hi,

Apologies for the delay I meant to upload my experience with this issue awhile ago but I've been pressed for time. I am experiencing the same issue.

Device: Pixel 6 OS: Latest Graphene OS (Android 14) Version of app: Latest from F droid (0.29) and every other build that is runnable on A14, including the previous debug builds Watch: Catfish

At first I thought it was to do with the Bluetooth regressions in A14 but once they were resolved it was ruled out as the issue still occurs. Based on your description it is not a Graphene specific bug either.

I have attached a quick log that Graphene generated but will get the full crash dump from ADB later.

Error in AsteroidOS Sync ec4cd4a131fc.txt Error in AsteroidOS Sync ada966394367.txt

Our sample size is still quite small but I will ask in the Matrix chat as well as do some further testing of my own.

I no longer have access to this account so will be posting logs from this one going forward. Attached is the logcat from the crash.
AsteroidOS Sync log 5f9946f4da85.txt

@Kahros Try using the following to get logs of the crash so we can compare:
adb logcat -v time > logcat.txt

@sevmonster Are you still running Graphene on a P6P with Catfish? Have you encountered this issue?

[sevmonster]

I sold my watch and cannot test this issue, sorry.

[Subsonic-dev]

The problem mentioned in issue #217 looks to be the same problem as discussed here.

Somewhat unsurprising if by looking at the logs it turns out to be the same thing, whatever arbitrary code change in A14 that is broken/causes the sync app to crash persists in A15. Perhaps even crashing more.

If that turns out to be the case I suggest renaming this issue to A14 + rather make a new issue for every subsequent release until we figure out why it crashes. Will make tracking the issue and save some headaches.

I haven't had a chance to look into this more yet but I'm hoping for some down time in October when I can revisit this issue.

[TheCaster]

Okay, so after experiencing the same problems. I recompiled and installed over Android Studio on Pixel 6 with GrapheneOS. Interesting enough, the crashes don't to appear then?

[Subsonic-dev]

Okay, so after experiencing the same problems. I recompiled and installed over Android Studio on Pixel 6 with GrapheneOS. Interesting enough, the crashes don't to appear then?

That is curious. Are you running the latest stable build of GOS? Not that it should make any difference but are you running play services? If you built the Sync app from source it should be similar to the current F droid build.

There have been a few GOS updates since I last tested so I will try again after work.

[TheCaster]

@Subsonic-dev Android 14 with latest updates. Play Services are installed, but not in the profile where I am running the AsteroidOS Sync App, therefor it - should - not be accessible. I am also a little bit surprised ...

[TheCaster]

@Subsonic-dev The problem does not always seem to occur. The best way to recreate in Debugging is it to disconnect from the watch and reopen the application after that without shutting it down. The reconnect and sync loop (especially when updating the battery status < 100%) seem to help in creating the specific error. Research suggests that the MTU for the Bluetooth connection could be a problem. However, I cannot say for sure, as it is relatively difficult to trace the error ...
(Especially if, like me, you very rarely tinker with Android)

[MeowcaTheoRange]

Happening to me too, between Pixel 6a with Calyx OS (5.11.0) and Skipjack (1.1-nightly)

[streeriver]

Same issue here. Pixel 4a5g GrapheneOS Android 14. The times I've watched it disconnect I get a notification from another app(text message or email, etc). As soon as that notification shows up the app disconnects.

[Subsonic-dev]

Update on this one:

I've not been using my Catfish watch due to not having time to debug this further but as of today I've been speaking to someone who has the same problem via the Graphene discussion board.

I recently upgraded my phone from the Pixel 6 running Graphene OS that provided the above logs to a Pixel 8 pro. I tested the stock Android 15 OS and it seems to work in my short amount of testing. When I flashed Graphene onto the new P8 pro the above issue returned.

I am not sure if this matches with the other open issue #217 as they did not mention if it was a custom rom or stock but it does muddy the waters.

As predicted in the initial report this problem first introduced in A14 has stuck with us as is showing up in more new reports such as #219 .

Several users such as in issue #221 and on Matrix have advised just to use Gadget bridge but I have also had stability issues similar to the AOS sync app.

I am hopeful that this Graphene forum user will bring something new to the table but as it stands this remains a massive blocker to Asteroid OS usage and doesn't look to have a way forward.

[Arne19]

Hi, I created a fixed version which you can download here: https://codeberg.org/Arne/AsteroidOSSync/releases/tag/CodebergRelease-v0.30

At least for me on Android 16 it works.

Maybe the devs have time to merge my changes:
https://codeberg.org/Arne/AsteroidOSSync/commit/1a32e55c1c5d3b4402cea87debd4375b9fe3f592
And update the f-droid version

[Subsonic-dev]

Thanks for this build @Arne19 !

I will test and report back. I have also posted in the Matrix room to get some others to test so all going well hopefully a pull request can be made and it merged in!

[Arne19]

Thanks @Subsonic-dev I already created a pull request: #222

Hopefully everything works!

[Subsonic-dev]

Hmmmm it had been showing some promise to resolve the issue but for me at least after a period of stability it is back to continuous crashes. This may have just been because it was a clean install.

type: crash
osVersion: google/husky/husky:16/BP2A.250805.005/2025081400:user/release-keys
flags: dev options enabled
package: org.asteroidos.sync:30, targetSdk 33
process: org.asteroidos.sync
processUptime: 9794 + 606 ms
installer: com.android.packageinstaller

java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: value should not be longer than max length of an attribute value
    at android.bluetooth.BluetoothGatt.writeCharacteristic(BluetoothGatt.java:1675)
    at no.nordicsemi.android.ble.BleManagerHandler.internalWriteCharacteristic(BleManagerHandler.java:1130)
    at no.nordicsemi.android.ble.BleManagerHandler.nextRequest(BleManagerHandler.java:3523)
    at no.nordicsemi.android.ble.BleManagerHandler.-$$Nest$mnextRequest(Unknown Source:0)
    at no.nordicsemi.android.ble.BleManagerHandler$4.onCharacteristicWrite(BleManagerHandler.java:2476)
    at android.bluetooth.BluetoothGatt$1$7.run(BluetoothGatt.java:631)
    at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:995)
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:103)
    at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:248)
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:338)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:9106)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
    at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:593)
    at com.android.internal.os.ExecInit.main(ExecInit.java:50)
    at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit.nativeFinishInit(Native Method)
    at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit.main(RuntimeInit.java:371)

Despite your change for increasing the max value it seems something may still be sending a packet over this size? I've got a log from the session so I will cast over it tomorrow to see what it might be. If it is certain apps, this might explain why only some are seeing it?

AsteroidOS Sync log d4687302613e.txt