Automate 1.30.2 is using excessive amount of memory

[Bowen Ding]

Hi,

After the update to Automate 1.30.2, it's using excessive amount of memory, and making the phone extremely slow:

I see in the release notes that the new version "uses Google's implementation of in-app purchase and verification," which I assume is why Google Play in app billing service is here.

Killing the app temporarily solves this problem, but after serveral hours it strikes again. I've also tried clearing the app's data, and then restoring flows from a backup, it doesn't work.

I'm on Android 10, and have purchased the app. Please help.

Bowen

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

Not good, since we developers are now forced the use Google's buggy implementation.

Looking at the screenshot it seem to be the Google Play Store app process that's consuming 1.1 GB.

Automate only checks for premium when first starting its background service running flow, and when opening or returning to the "flow list" or "flow details" screens.

Does it occur even when Automate is only running flows?

To test, "Force close" Automate in system Apps settings, open it again (flow list screen) so the service starts and the flows resume, then swipe away Automate from the "resent" screen, that should ensure only the service process will be running.

Also, ensure the Google Play Store app is up to date.

You could also try to "Clear data" for the Google Play Store app, maybe it's caching some corrupt data causing it to bug.

[丁博文]

Thanks.

> Force close" Automate in system Apps settings, open it again (flow list screen) so the service starts and the flows resume, then swipe away Automate from the "resent" screen, that should ensure only the service process will be running.

I tried this and it didn't work.

I then tried clearing Google Play store's data while Automate is running , it seems to have cached the billing verification data, and after that launching Automate flows or details page does not activate the InAppBilling service  again. It has been running for over a day now, and it seems to be working fine.

Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist <henrik.l...@gmail.com> 于 2021年11月1日周一 10:32写道：

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[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

The Automate service running the flow does indeed "cache" the premium status after its started, but it always tries to maintain a connection to the Google Play Store app. When you "Clear data" an app it's force closed, but will be started again if another app connects to it.

Odd, the flow list and flow details screen always open and maintain a connection to the Google Play Store app.

So it's working now? If not, try force closing only the Google Play Store app, to see if its the cause of the slow down.

[Bowen Ding]

> If not, try force closing only the Google Play Store app, to see if its the cause of the slow down.

After force closing, the InAppBillingService disappears and there's plenty of free memory available immediately. But after a while it shows back again and gradually grows its memory usage.

I rebooted my phone yesterday, and it seems after the reboot the "clear data" trick has failed. This time it gets even more ridiculous:

I have other paid apps installed and they never bring up InAppBillingService (e.g. WebCast and Plex), and Automate used to not, either. Why is that?

Is there anything else I can do to fix it? Disabling play store maybe altogether maybe?

Bowen

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

So it's the Google Play Store memory that "grows"?

An app using a lot of memory usually isn't an issue, memory is there to be used, and should be freed when other apps needs it, but if the device shouldn't "slow down".

Maybe the new billing API isn't the issue. You seem to be using the Automate accessibility service, try stopping any flows using it, e.g. the Interact block, and disable the accessibility service.

The other apps may not be using version 4 of the billing library yet, as Automate does, but it will be a requirement next year.

The other apps may also save/cache the "premium" status locally within the app, which is not advised since its easily "cracked", and Automate doesn't since users could easily use the app itself to copy/write the such a cached value.

Automate is also always running, which most apps doesn't do.