android sync not working (set as available offline option not available)

Actual behaviour

selecting the options menu on a file is missing the previously available "set as available offline"
now you have to manually sync the file to propagate local changes

Expected behaviour

"set as available offline" should be an available option
then sync would happen automatically

Steps to reproduce

navigate to a file
chose options from the menu

Environment data

Android version: 8.0

Device model: Motorola + Samsung

Stock or customized system: stock

Nextcloud app version: 3.5.0

Nextcloud server version: 14.0.6

Feb 25 '19 22:02 cast-away

GitMate.io thinks possibly related issues are https://github.com/nextcloud/android/issues/1611 (Uploading and "Set as available offline" should be available for folders and not only single files), https://github.com/nextcloud/android/issues/2094 (Don't start file observer if no files are marked as "Set as available offline"), https://github.com/nextcloud/android/issues/2859 (multiple file selection is not removed after copy/move/download/set-available-offline), https://github.com/nextcloud/android/issues/269 (Need option "available offline" for folders.), and https://github.com/nextcloud/android/issues/1018 (Contacts restore option in newer phone not available).

Feb 25 '19 22:02 nextcloud-android-bot

This changed with latest version, but was not communicated properly :-/ There is now a background job that syncs every downloaded file every 15min, when on wifi.

Feb 26 '19 12:02 tobiasKaminsky

Thanks Tobias, this is a neat improvement. IMHO the download + set as available offline was a little confusing.

The issue is it does not seem to work. I noticed one of my files, which was marked both as "set available offline" and as favourite was not being updated, that's when I actually realised the option was missing. I had to manually sync the file for it to work.

Feb 26 '19 20:02 cast-away

This changed with latest version, but was not communicated properly :-/ There is now a background job that syncs every downloaded file every 15min, when on wifi.

I don't think the new 'sync' works. Downloaded a file, uploaded a new version via the web and the Android client changed the corner icon to a red 'x'. It never downloads the new version.

Feb 27 '19 19:02 drkmccy

Similar here. Changing a file on the android device, it never gets synced to nc. I use it to sync my keepass database.

Mar 02 '19 12:03 mase76

Even sync every 15 minutes is not very handy for local changes propagation if someone is waiting for our job.

What is the reason to wait 15 minutes for upload, if we are on wifi, instead of just upload immediately?

By the way, it's intriguingly, why there is no auto sync option for selected files. In many places mobile data is very cheap. In Poland you can have 20GB for 6$/month. There is no need to care about such limit in case of a few KB files. And users of "make available offline" know that very well. Now this option is removed without alternative to self decide.

Mar 06 '19 09:03 jedwabny

I agree, mobile data is not an issue. Having files available as soon as possible is important. Maybe have an option to automatically sync files below 1MB?

Mar 20 '19 13:03 drkmccy

There is a limitation on Android to scan/get notified by changing files. Therefore we decided to run a job every 15min to see if there is a changed file. This is a tradeoff between update speed vs. data usage vs. battery usage.

Mar 21 '19 13:03 tobiasKaminsky

I've personally never observed any problems with auto-upload of "available offline" files. But of course it's only two persons with three devices possitive impression. I could be not aware of problems. Anyway, maybe observing of just a few files (less number than the android limitation), recently opened by external app (from nextcloud open with menu), is an option instead of completely take the user right to decide?

Please understand, it's significant disconfort. At least if your file is outdated then you see red icon, but if you have local not-uploaded change done by external app then icon is still green and user can be convinced that his workflow is done.

Moreover, really sorry for saying this, taking into account the background jobs execution difficulties on various android devices and static time value in my humble opinion the new solution is step back.

Mar 24 '19 10:03 jedwabny

There is a limitation on Android to scan/get notified by changing files. Therefore we decided to run a job every 15min to see if there is a changed file. This is a tradeoff between update speed vs. data usage vs. battery usage.

I see. In that case we need to look at why this 15 minute sync is not working. I still believe a "Keep in sync" or "sync on/sync off" option for a folder is the right option.

Mar 25 '19 09:03 drkmccy

I have several Android clients all running 3.5.1. On a Linux client, I have a file README.txt that automatically gets modified once per hour. It gets synchronized to the nextcloud server immedeately. On all clients, the file README.txt has been downloaded manually. After a number of hours it turns out that all clients except one automatically update the local copy of the file.

On the misbehaving client the following happens. The initial (manual) download of the file README.txt goes well. After a while, when the file has been modified on the server and the client detects this, the file gets a red cross and there’s a notification “Download failed - Could not download README.txt”. When I use the nc client file browser and click on the file I get the same error. The only remedy is to remove the file locally and download it again, manually. But the next time the file is changed on the server the same download error occurs again on the client. It looks as if the client has access rights to create files, remove files, read files, but is not allowed to overwrite existing files…

FWIW, this client is running on Asus Z300M with Android 7.0.

Mar 25 '19 22:03 sciurius

No improvements with 3.6.0 beta.

Mar 28 '19 07:03 sciurius

Synced txt files with nextcloud app, modified in other app multiple times these days. Nextcloud web app still says date from days ago. So this did not sync anything automatically at all for me, just downloaded once manually, nothing uploaded automatically at all. Also opened the NC app to ensure that it's not like the app is not running or could not create background stuff. Still old unchanged file in there (in online view).

Having Android 9, NC app 3.5.1, battery optimization also turned off for that app.

Also: Unsure if I understood this correct, but this auto sync is only available for wifi usage? If so, please make it an option to also work for mobile.

Mar 29 '19 19:03 gsantner

I am struggling to make sense of this...

a feature that detected files changed locally and immediately uploaded them to the server, albeit with a slightly confusing UI, is removed
a new feature, with a neater UI, is implemented in its place
the new feature is limited to detecting changes in files every 15 minutes only, and currently does not work

Can't we just get back to what worked in the first place please?

Mar 30 '19 23:03 cast-away

Yeah, I would also like the auto sync (even on mobile data) for smaller files. Eg. I have a shared todoTXT file with things and now that no longer syncs until I'm on WiFi which is not ideal

Apr 06 '19 17:04 TobiasDev

I have the same use case as @TobiasDev : a todo.txt file shared between several devices that no longer syncs(unless I do it manually). To have the option to push local changes to the server automatically and instantly would nice.

May 02 '19 02:05 lilianchiassai

same use case as @TobiasDev and @AllirionX, the small files suggestion could be a nice workaround, is this technically feasible?

May 13 '19 22:05 cast-away