Random app freezing (Pixel 7 Pro)

[Aleš Příhoda]

I have a strange problem and I'm out of ideas. Since some time, randomly, my phone (Pixel 7 Pro) reports that the Automate application freezes (not responding). If I choose to wait, I very often get prompted to quit the app or wait very soon again. But everything seems to be working, flows starting and doing what they are supposed to do. If I stop all flows, the application usually crashes by itself (or just shuts down), after a new start everything works again for some time (half or whole day?). I can't find any trigger that would make the app freeze faster. Sometimes it doesn't show up all day, sometimes every few seconds. It doesn't matter which of the flows I have running. Of course I tried clearing app data, using only one flow, even upgraded Android 14 to Android 15 beta 2. I am using helper app with wireless adb hack. No change and no logs clues..

I have no idea if the problem is on Google's side or the Automate application. Since I have quite a lot of flows running, it would hurt me a lot to stop using Automate and I would like to find out the cause. It's very frustrating because any attempt to resolve this always means waiting a day for the result. Thanks for help.

[Aleš Příhoda]

I just found this exactly same problem: https://groups.google.com/g/automate-user/c/2q3iviEvf1E 

Maybe some Pixel 7 Pro problem? Sent logcat via email now. 

Dne pondělí 27. května 2024 v 23:53:16 UTC+2 uživatel Aleš Příhoda napsal:

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

Ensure any of the flow logs aren't filling up with message, since that usually means the flow is running continuously, please read:

https://llamalab.com/automate/doc/faq.html#battery_usage

Check that the fiber count, i.e. the number with in the cog icon and after the STOP button isn't ever increasing, since that means the flow is using the Fork block incorrectly.

Ensure a flow isn't accumulating more and more data in it's variables, since that might cause the internal database to fail once it's binary data size limit is reached.

Ensure a flow isn't send a lot of data in it's intents, e.g. lots of extras. This also includes Dialog blocks , e.g. very long text or lots of choices, since they are rely on intents as well.

With every new release Google makes using a service running in the background more and more difficult, and unreliable since they keep on adding edge-cases where such a service is not allowed. 

Is any of the flows using the Interact block?

If not, then try enabling the Automate accessibility service since the system should consider those more important so less likely to kill it.

[Aleš Příhoda]

Only 1 test flow is currently running. 1kB of log (few lines). Flow just sitting and waits for a bluetooth connection with my car (and starts the wifi hotspot). So there is no forking and no increasing of fibers. No dialogs and no interactive blocks are used in this flow. Even so, a few moments ago I got an unresponsive popup (clicked "wait" and nothing has popped up again yet). 

Enabling Accesibility for Automate now. 

One note: if I click on "close" the message usually appears again within a few seconds. "Wait" usually lasts longer, but it seems to me that with a larger number of running flows, the frequency of popups also increases. 

Dne úterý 28. května 2024 v 0:14:52 UTC+2 uživatel Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist napsal:

[Aleš Příhoda]

Few freezes cought when interacting with Automate and flow..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAnr5rdXvr8

It seems to trigger faster when starting and stopping flow or killing app.

Dne úterý 28. května 2024 v 0:42:25 UTC+2 uživatel Aleš Příhoda napsal:

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

By freeze i assume you mean the crash.

As a test, try to do the same but with another flow always running.

[Adrien Carlyle]

Seeing this in on my Pixel 8 pro running the latest beta.  Accessibility service is enabled.

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

Please use the Help & feedback menu to send me the system log just after a crash. You probably also need to grant the "read sensitive system logs" privilege in Automate settings.