Crash after connecting if restored from backup of an older device

[ElhemEnohpi]

Checklist (please check before submitting)

• [x ] I checked the existing issues, and the issue was not reported before.

The problem

The app quits unexpectedly, shortly after opening, if a backup from an older device is restored, and internet is active.

Environment

• Wire version that exhibits the issue: restoring to: 3.90, backup saved from: 3.20
• Last Wire version that did not exhibit the issue (if applicable): n.a.
• iOS version used to run Wire: restoring to: 15.0.2, backup saved from: 9.3.6
• iOS device type: restoring to: iPhone SE 2020, backup saved from: iPhone 4s
• Mobile network type (EDGE/LTE/Wi-Fi/Offline): WiFi
• Exact date, time and timezone (only for the crash issues): 12 October, 00:58 CET

Details

I am trying to move my message history from an old iPhone to a new one.

1. Save backup to Dropbox on old phone with a password.
2. Install Wire on new phone, log in, but do not restore from backup.
3. Confirm that Wire works as expected on the new phone; it's able to send and receive new messages.
4. Log out, then log in again and choose to restore from the backup in Dropbox, and enter the password.

Expected result: message history is restored and Wire continues to function.

Actual result:

1. A spinning white icon shows for a few seconds, then the app quits unexpectedly, with no error message.
2. Upon reopening the app, a thin orange line appears briefly at the top, then it quits again, less than a second after opening it. There is no error message. It happens every time it's opened.
3. Putting the phone in Airplane mode with no internet allows the app to open. The old messages from the backup are present and can be read.
4. As soon as Airplane mode is turned off, and the app tries to connect, it crashes again.

[jc0315]

i have the same issue except i used the same device. i was using 3.86 and once i updated to 3.87, the app was crashing every time i opened it so i backed up, reset my phone and tried to reinstall using said back up but it just does exactly as described above, the white icon spinning, the crashing, the airplane mode. i now have 3.91 but it still won’t let me use my back up.

[0ki]

This affects me too. App is perfectly usable without internet on. Also, if I login to a second account (while offline), the app crashes once when going online and then runs nicely as long as I don't switch back to the "bad user". I sent an automated crash report about 12 hours ago.

Let me know if there is anything that should be done.

[0ki]

Is this product even alive anymore?

[0ki]

Is see that it's still alive.

@tmspzz , is there anything you need from me to debug the critical bug?

[johnxnguyen]

Hi @0ki , can you please trigger the crash again so we can find the crash report. Make sure that before you trigger the crash that Settings > Data Usage Permissions > Send anonymous crash data is turned on.

To help identify your crash report, it would be helpful if you give the time and date of the crash, the version of the Wire app, iOS version and device model.

[0ki]

Wire 3.99 (4790) iOS 15.4.1 Crashes at 12MAY2022 1311 and/or 1312 GMT

@johnxnguyen

Let me know what else you need.

[johnxnguyen]

Hey @0ki I went through every crash report for Wire 3.99 (4790) back to May 12th and couldn't find anything thing matching those times. Would you be interested in to installing a TestFlight build and reproducing the crash. Through TestFlight you'll be able to send the crash report with a message which we can use to identify your problem.

[0ki]

I had wire in testflight already, so I opted back into the testing. When I lauch the beta build it just crashes similar to stable. No offer to send a crash report is provided.

The debug logs aren't of much use either. They seem benign. How do I force-generate a crash report?

[ElhemEnohpi]

@0ki when you say "this affects me", is it happening after you tried to restore from a backup? Or are you just experiencing the described symptoms of the crash when going online? The latter may be a caused by various different problems. Unless your problem is caused by restoring from a backup, this is not the right place to report it.

As far as I can tell, the original issue has been fixed. I am now able to follow the steps above, using the same two devices, with the exception that the target iPhone SE is now using iOS 15.5 and Wire version 3.99. The backup is restored successfully, and there is no crash when going online. I am able to restore either a newly-made backup or the one I made originally in October. It seems like it was not a problem with the backup itself, but something in the restore process. I'm not certain in which version it was fixed, I've only tried it again just now.

[0ki]

So, I should try restoring again? Hmm... I don't think I'd lose any data since the account has been non-functional since.

Certainly worth a shot, thanks!

One question though? How did you reset the account from the device to be able to re-add and re-restore?

[ElhemEnohpi]

How did you reset the account from the device to be able to re-add and re-restore?

On iOS, you just log out. Is that what you mean? It tells you all your messages will be deleted, and asks for the password. Then when you log in again, there's a choice to restore from backup. If it's crashing when you go online, just put the phone in airplane mode and restart the app, then you can log out.

[0ki]

Thanks for the tip, @ElhemEnohpi. I logged out (wasn't too easy, logging out and typing the password takes time, but logout only works when internet is enabled), logged in again, re-restored from backup. It successfully restored and crashed immediately just as before.

@johnxnguyen, how do I force-generate a crash report? In any case, if you have something on the server it may be around 19:52 GMT on 25th of March. I am using 3.100 (4810)

[0ki]

@johnxnguyen, I've been without my main comms channels with multiple people for multiple months now. How is the bugfix going?

[0ki]

I see updates coming out to TestFlight about once a week. Is there any point installing those? (So far no success for me.) @johnxnguyen

[0ki]

Good[ish] news. I've updated to iOS 16 and that has fixed my crash reporter. So you guys should have a received crash report on 18th Sep 16:28 or 16:27 UTC. @johnxnguyen, please confirm if the report is there.

Looking forward to chatting with my people again.

[0ki]

Sorry that I have to be so insisting. Do I need to do anything else?

[0ki]

Tried the new version today. Same crash on 3rd of October at 1901 UTC.