Message details not shown in push notifications anymore

[paulchen]

Description:

The notifications on my Android phone do not show any message details anymore, just the text "You have a new message", despite the server being configured to deliver message details.

Environment Information:

• Rocket.Chat Server Version: 3.5.3
• Rocket.Chat App Version: 4.45.0.55377
• Device Name: ELE-L29 (Huawei P30)
• OS Version: EMUI 12.0.0 (Android 11)

Steps to reproduce:

1. Configure the server like this (Workspace -> Settings -> Push -> Privacy):

2. Wait for a push notification being shown on your mobile phone.

Expected behavior:

The message is shown on the push notification, including its details.

Actual behavior:

The push notification does not contain any message details:

Additional context:

This issue is quite new, it must have been introduced in one of the most recent versions of the Rocket.Chat server or the app.

[preeesha]

Hey @paulchen, thanks for pointing out the issue

@GleidsonDaniel, can I work on this issue? My approach will be to first verify whether the issue belongs to this repository or the primary mono repo of Rocket.Chat. If this issue is in the app only then I will dive into the notification pushing process and update you with results.

Thanks for your time and consideration
Prisha Gupta

[GleidsonDaniel]

Hey @paulchen, thanks for pointing out the issue

@GleidsonDaniel, can I work on this issue? My approach will be to first verify whether the issue belongs to this repository or the primary mono repo of Rocket.Chat. If this issue is in the app only then I will dive into the notification pushing process and update you with results.

Thanks for your time and consideration Prisha Gupta

I don't recommend working on this issue.
The notification flow is a very complex flow, and we are already working on this issue internally.

[GleidsonDaniel]

Hey @paulchen, can you find out if this happened after updating the app or the server?
Because testing here on some servers, I realized that the problem is intermittent, showing that the problem is not really in the mobile app, because if it were on the mobile it wouldn't work any of the time.
On a private server (with very few users) with these same settings it worked 100% of the time.

I'm waiting for more information.

[paulchen]

Hey @paulchen, can you find out if this happened after updating the app or the server?

I noticed the problem on Jan 19 in the evening. The app on my mobile phone was last updated on Jan 16.

There was no update to the server on Jan 19, but I restarted the instance twice earlier that day (due to updating MongoDB from 6.0.12 to 6.0.13 and later Docker from 24.0.7 to 25.0.0). However, all the messages that triggered the problem were sent at a later time.

Because testing here on some servers, I realized that the problem is intermittent, showing that the problem is not really in the mobile app, because if it were on the mobile it wouldn't work any of the time.

Since I reported the issue, I have received some notifications that worked as expected while others didn't.

On a private server (with very few users) with these same settings it worked 100% of the time.

My instance is a small instance on the Starter plan with 18 registered users.

[loopway]

similar situation here: updated rocket.chat server (starter) on January 11 from 6.4.0 to 6.5.2 (and mongodb from 4.4.21 to 6.0.12). ios app got updated on January 17 to 4.45.0. all but one (!) push notifications did not show details.

[GleidsonDaniel]

similar situation here: updated rocket.chat server (starter) on January 11 from 6.4.0 to 6.5.2 (and mongodb from 4.4.21 to 6.0.12). ios app got updated on January 17 to 4.45.0. all but one (!) push notifications did not show details.

Are you having this error on iOS too?
Or is your device Android?

[Vaxter]

similar situation here: updated rocket.chat server (starter) on January 11 from 6.4.0 to 6.5.2 (and mongodb from 4.4.21 to 6.0.12). ios app got updated on January 17 to 4.45.0. all but one (!) push notifications did not show details.

Are you having this error on iOS too? Or is your device Android?

I do have the same issue on iOS, both on iPad and iPhone.
For me this has started happening once I have signed up for this free preium thing.
It’s A self hosted on site instance.

[matbgn]

Same problem here. This started from the day we bumped Rocket.Chat Server from version 6.4.X to 6.5.X

[0ki]

Same. After upgrade to 6.5 notification text disappeared. Any way to debug?

[diegolmello]

FYI we've been investigating this issue.

[matheusbsilva137]

@paulchen are you also using the Starter plan on your workspace? Or is it running a Pro/Enterprise license?
You can check this in Workspace > Administration > Subscription.

[paulchen]

@paulchen are you also using the Starter plan on your workspace? Or is it running a Pro/Enterprise license? You can check this in Workspace > Administration > Subscription.

Starter plan.

However, in the recent days I have not encountered the problem.

[matbgn]

Error still happening on iOS for information

[0ki]

Just started working today randomly. No update to app, nor the server.

[Vaxter]

Same for me a couple of days ago, but it’s Really random.
Some notifications have preview, and some don’t.

[diegolmello]

I have a possible fix on #5596
But I need help testing from all of you, @paulchen @loopway @Vaxter @matbgn @0ki .

Here's the link to TestFlight https://testflight.apple.com/join/3gcYeoMr
Build version should be 4.47.0.58428.

Thanks!
Let me know if you have any questions.

[paulchen]

Here's the link to TestFlight https://testflight.apple.com/join/3gcYeoMr Build version should be 4.47.0.58428.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to use TestFlight.

• Device Name: ELE-L29 (Huawei P30)
• OS Version: EMUI 12.0.0 (Android 11)

[diegolmello]

@paulchen I wasn't able to reproduce the issue on Android at all.
Let me know if it happens again.

[matbgn]

Again it happened today. I'm personally on Android, I have a colleague who is on iOS but won't be able to help with TestFlight

[Vaxter]

I have a possible fix on #5596

But I need help testing from all of you, @paulchen @loopway @Vaxter @matbgn @0ki .

Here's the link to TestFlight https://testflight.apple.com/join/3gcYeoMr

Build version should be 4.47.0.58428.

Thanks!

Let me know if you have any questions.

Installed on all of my devices.
I'll give it a run for a couple of days and let you know.

[0ki]

I'd love to test, but the problem has fully disappeared on its own, so I'm afraid I might not be able to verify the fix atm.

[Vaxter]

@paulchen Still happening. Now when phone is unlocked I sometimes can see the sender and content, and when locked still the same.
Notifications are set up to show everything even when locked.
Same on my iPad.

[diegolmello]

@Vaxter Thanks for the feedback.
It looks exactly what I described on known bugs there, but not only after boot #5596

I'll have to investigate deeper.
I'm going to let you all know once I have more info.

[diegolmello]

@Vaxter Try this workaround, but might be tricky to do:

• Install app from App Store
• Restart device
• Receive a push only after device is unlocked
• App is going to reuse that same valid instance to fetch content

If you do it, let me know if it works forever (or until you restart).
That might be what happened to @0ki

[harryb303]

@diegolmello also been experiencing this issue since updating to 6.5 around the middle of January. Happens whether my iPhone is locked or unlocked. Updated to 6.6.1 today but problem persists. Installed the TestFlight build.

[harryb303]

@Vaxter Try this workaround, but might be tricky to do:

* Install app from App Store

* Restart device

* Receive a push only after device is unlocked

* App is going to reuse that same valid instance to fetch content

If you do it, let me know if it works forever (or until you restart). That might be what happened to @0ki

Just tried this, reinstalled the App Store build over the TestFlight build, restarted the phone, unlocked, waited for a push notification and it showed the message content, then locked the phone and received another notification with the message content. Will report back if the issue comes back.

[diegolmello]

Btw there's nothing that proves 6.5 is related to this issue.
Our backend team took a look at this last week and couldn't find anything.

On iOS, it's related to how MMKV is handled by iOS when phone is locked (and other behaviors).
On Android, I still need to investigate.

If this issue is something that's impacting your use case negatively, you should turn off the setting until we have a fix (or try the workaround above).

[ulope]

I've just updated (due to being forced, I've learned to never trust RC updates because something breaks every single damn time) from 6.4.2 to 6.6.1 and now notifications all of a sudden are missing content so I'd say it'd pretty clearly related to the server version.

[diegolmello]

@ulope Did you have the setting enabled before the update or was it enabled for you afterwards?

[ulope]

I can't really say. I definitely didn't change anything except updating.

[paulchen]

@paulchen I wasn't able to reproduce the issue on Android at all. Let me know if it happens again.

@diegolmello The issue did not occur recently, neither for me nor for any of my users.

[diegolmello]

6.5 moved some workspaces to the Starter plan, which means those workspaces now have access to almost all enterprise features.
Since Secure Push Notifications is enabled by default and it used to be a paid feature, now you're actually using it on Starter.

Let me know if it makes sense.

[harryb303]

Issue has returned this morning. Have not restarted the phone or touched the app or our server.

[0ki]

Issue has magically returned this morning. No app updates, no server updates. What is this? Seems like a gateway issue?

[ulope]

Still seeing this here as well. Users are starting to notice and complain :/

[diegolmello]

#5496 (comment)

If this issue is something that's impacting your use case negatively, you should turn off the setting until we have a fix

Workspace -> Settings -> Push -> Privacy

[ulope]

In our instance it's not possible to disable this setting.

The toggle is disabled:

[diegolmello]

@ulope What plan are you on right now?

[ulope]

@diegolmello no plan, community edition.

[matheusbsilva137]

@ulope have you been on Starter plan (or any other Premium plan) at some point recently and disabled it? Or have you always been on community?

[matbgn]

Is there a way to fully switchback to community?

[ulope]

@matheusbsilva137 Yes the upgrade to 6.6.1 auto-enrolled us to the starter plan (which I did not at all appreciate btw, overbearing marketing dark patterns like this just suck, and probably are illegal in a good number of countries I might add).

@matbgn Yes, totally intuitively you have to click the "cancel subscription" at the bottom edge of the manage subscription screen.

[0ki]

Notifications have randomly started working properly again this evening. No changes to client or server on our part.
About 1600-1700 UTC, I'd say.

Any ideas?

[0ki]

What did change, is that I rebooted my phone. Hmmm.

[0ki]

This started working randomly at one point and broke later that same day after I updated the Rocket Chat client on iOS. Hasn't been working since.

[svenseeberg]

This started working randomly at one point and broke later that same day after I updated the Rocket Chat client on iOS. Hasn't been working since.

The same for us. It seems that it works for some time after restarting the service but then breaks.

[diegolmello]

I'm going to send a new TestFlight version in a few days. Just need to finish testing something else first. I'll be in touch.

[mdoesburg]

@diegolmello Any update on this? Not being to able to see message details/previews anymore (on iOS) is getting really frustrating. 😂

[0ki]

An update from my side - still affected on iOs for the past month. Any plans on fixing?