Subsequent notifications don't get shown if first is ignored

[clivemeister]

A user reports that if they have one unread notification in BeemiOS, then they don't get alerted for another one until the first one is read. They can replicate this by using the "send test notification" but not dismissing it, and then sending another - which then isn't notified until the first is acknowledged.

I asked user to do the "send test notification", and their exact response was

"The tests work. Though if I don't dismiss the test notification, and send another test, that doesn't come through until later. Maybe there's something in that… if a notification is ignored then the next notification doesn't necessarily send? "

Thread is here in HelpScout: https://secure.helpscout.net/conversation/2956804387/220030

[krugerk]

What of the app's notification settings at the iOS level? Here are some examples.

Settings App / Apps / Beeminder / Notifications:

Similarly, what of the active focus's settings with regard to notifications?
Settings App / Focus / one of the focus presets

[dreeves]

Another report of this. User cpcallen avers that they only saw one notification from BeemiOS at 9:32am and no others between then and when the goal derailed at noon, despite these notification settings:

He adds, "I think on one previous occasion that this happened you looked in your logs and reported that multiple notifications had indeed been sent".

[krugerk]

I am wondering if the remote message (push) is being received but just not shown in the expected way due to

Banner Style: persistent

and the banner having not been dismissed by the time the subsequent message arrived.

Also, the logging in the app itself could be extended to make such an issue easier to localize. As is it seems the app is not logging anything when 'pushes' are received/handled by the app.

[cpcallen]

Hmm. I had definitely noticed that Beeminder notifications on iOS worked more reliably if I diligently tap them to dismiss them, rather than merely swiping them off the top of the screen (which leaves them in the notification area). I've tried changing the banner style to "temporary"; we shall see if this helps with re-notification.

I attempted to repro the hidden-but-undismissed-persistent-banner-prevents-renotification hypothesis, but I wasn't able to figure out how to send myself test notifications. I've never noticed an option to do that in the iOS app, and I even tried getting out my old Android phone to see if I could send one from there but Beedroid has changed enough I wasn't able to find the option there either—nor on the Beemindner website.

I had already (long ago) added Beeminder to the list of apps exempted from Sleep mode, which is the only focus mode I routinely use—but virtually all of the derailments I've experienced due to missed reminders have been daytime ones anyway.

[krugerk]

but I wasn't able to figure out how to send myself test notifications

There is a spot in the settings area of a goal where the deadlines and reminders can be configured. There is where a button for sending a 'test' notification can be found.

[cpcallen]

OK, I eventually found that button and spent a bit of time trying to reproduce the unobserved-notification issue. Here are my observations:

• Having the beeminder app open prevents notifications from being shown:
  • Pressing the test button via a goals settings page in a web view within Beeminder (by clicking on the goal, then clicking on the up-arrow-out-top-of-box icon, then navigating to the settings tab, the clicking "update & send test message") caused an email to be sent but had not other observable effect.
  • Ditto pressing the test button via my laptop, if the app was open on my phone.
  • This behaviour makes some sense but is a bit sub-optimal compared to e.g. Messages, where there is clear, audible in-app indication when a new message arrives, even though no notification is shown. Fortunately I do not tend to leave the Beeminder app open, and this notification suppression does not occur when the phone is locked.
• If the beeminder app is not open on the phone, then pressing the test button causes a banner to appear on my phone (either at the top of the screen, if unlocked, or at the bottom of the lock screen).
• If the banner is shown persistently on screen, then pressing the test button a second time will not cause another notification immediately, but if I swipe the first banner up to hide it a second one will appear promptly afterwards. That seems… OK.
• I was not able to reproduce the hypothesized behaviour where a persistent banner that had been swiped up to hide it would prevent subsequent notifications until it was tapped on to open the Beeminder app.
• An aside: it seems like there is some delay between changing the Settings > Notifications > Beeminder > Banner Style between temporary and persistent, and when the change actually takes effect. It does take effect eventually, but it seems like either I have to wait for a few minutes or I have to lock and unlock my phone before the change is effective. If I change the setting and then send some test notifications, their behaviour corresponds with the previous setting rather than the current one.

[krugerk]

• Having the beeminder app open prevents notifications from being shown:
  • Pressing the test button via a goals settings page in a web view within Beeminder (by clicking on the goal, then clicking on the up-arrow-out-top-of-box icon, then navigating to the settings tab, the clicking "update & send test message") caused an email to be sent but had not other observable effect.
  • Ditto pressing the test button via my laptop, if the app was open on my phone.
  • This behaviour makes some sense but is a bit sub-optimal compared to e.g. Messages, where there is clear, audible in-app indication when a new message arrives, even though no notification is shown. Fortunately I do not tend to leave the Beeminder app open, and this notification suppression does not occur when the phone is locked.

I do not think this was intentional and was rather a bug. A fix was introduced in #646. It has not been made available in the App Store release of the app (currently 6.7), yet, nor has it made its way into a TestFlight / Beta build (currently 6.8 (63)).

[krugerk]

• If the banner is shown persistently on screen, then pressing the test button a second time will not cause another notification immediately, but if I swipe the first banner up to hide it a second one will appear promptly afterwards. That seems… OK.

I wonder if this behavior is the same as the original report but with just another description.

The user might have been expecting another flashy hey here is a notification but iOS prevents overload by preventing the subsequent one from being so loud since the previous one has not been addressed.