Remove time-based auto-sync on mobile as it doesn't work when app is closed

[Fletch-99]

Which version of floccus are you using?

5.7.0

How many bookmarks do you have, roughly?

500

Are you using other means to sync bookmarks in parallel to floccus?

No

Sync method

Nextcloud Bookmarks

Which browser are you using? In case you are using the phone App, specify the Android or iOS version and device please.

iOS 18.7.1, iPhone 12

Which version of Nextcloud Bookmarks are you using? (if relevant)

No response

Which version of Nextcloud? (if relevant)

No response

What kind of WebDAV server are you using? (if relevant)

No response

Describe the Bug

The Auto sync is not working unless the app remains open. There is no Floccus option on iOS Background app refresh. So I guess the app doesn’t run on background. If so, why there’s even the menu option?

Expected Behavior

To sync bookmarks according to synchronization interval. (In my case 15 min)

To Reproduce

Save a link in Floccus and close the app. If app does not stay open the link will never be synced.

Debug log provided

• I have provided a debug log file

[github-actions]

Hello! 👋

Thank you for taking the time to open this issue with floccus. I know it's frustrating when software causes problems. You have made the right choice to come here and open an issue to make sure your problem gets looked at and if possible solved. Let me give you a short introduction on what to expect from this issue tracker to avoid misunderstandings. I'm Marcel. I created floccus a few years ago, and have been maintaining it since. I currently work for Nextcloud which leaves me with less time for side projects like this one than I used to have. I still try to answer all issues and if possible fix all bugs here, but it sometimes takes a while until I get to it. Until then, please be patient. It helps when you stick around to answer follow up questions I may have, as very few bugs can be fixed directly from the first bug report, without any interaction. If information is missing in your bug report and the issue cannot be solved without it, I will have to close the issue after a while. Note also that GitHub in general is a place where people meet to make software better together. Nobody here is under any obligation to help you, solve your problems or deliver on any expectations or demands you may have, but if enough people come together we can collaborate to make this software better. For everyone. Thus, if you can, you could also have a look at other issues to see whether you can help other people with your knowledge and experience. If you have coding experience it would also be awesome if you could step up to dive into the code and try to fix the odd bug yourself. Everyone will be thankful for extra helping hands! If you cannot lend a helping hand, to continue the development and maintenance of this project in a sustainable way, I ask that you donate to the project when opening an issue (or at least once your issue is solved), if you're not a donor already. You can find donation options at https://floccus.org/donate/. Thank you!

One last word: If you feel, at any point, like you need to vent, this is not the place for it; you can go to the Nextcloud forum, to twitter or somewhere else. But this is a technical issue tracker, so please make sure to focus on the tech and keep your opinions to yourself.

Thank you for reading through this primer. I look forward to working with you on this issue! Cheers! 💙

[marcelklehr]

Hi @Fletch-99

Thank you for taking the time to give feedback by opening this issue. I'm sorry for the delay on my part, I've been taking a small break :)

Save a link in Floccus and close the app. If app does not stay open the link will never be synced.

Yes, indeed, the app needs to remain open for the auto-sync to kick in. This is because on iOS the background operations are limited to a very short timeframe and the mobile framework that is used by floccus also doesn't offer a good API for background work, sadly.

If so, why there’s even the menu option?

The menu option is there because the app does run the sync periodically iff it is open, but I guess this could be removed since it's not very useful.

Question for you: Would you still expect on-demand sync to happen on mobile? (ie. when you edit a bookmark floccus automatically runs a sync after 7s).

[Fletch-99]

No I don’t wait for the auto sync to kick (I’ve disabled it). After adding a link I hit the sync button.

I don’t know if it’s easy to add but a background sync (through iOS Background app refresh) would be a great feature. As it is, saving a lot of links (I have a Reading List folder) is time consuming. Press share sheet -> Floccus -> (sometimes the new link window does not open and you close and retrigger the share) -> choose folder -> Save -> sync button -> wait for sync to finish -> back to where you were.