Tasker does not work on background Android 10

[John George]

I upgraded to Android 10 couple of days ago and noticed that Tasker does not work. Started investigating and found that Tasker process and Monitoring Service are running on background, but nothing happens when profile/task is triggered. The log shows everything to be running normal, but the result is nothing. The tasks are running fine when started manually.
Then I found that all runs normal when Tasker app is open (foreground), but nothing happens when it is closed (background only).
Tasker is not restricted in any way I know about : the battery use is unrestricted (no battery saver, not in adaptive battery list), modify system settings allowed, full permissions, unrestricted background run, superuser granted.
Worked fine until the upgrade.
This is on rooted Pixel (1st generation).
Hope somebody can advise.
Thank you
John

[John George]

BTW, I just found that one more of my background apps shows the same behavior, which points to some new Android 10 setting I'm obviously not aware of.
Any help would be appreciated.
John

[andy o]

Are you allowing the Tasker notification to run permanently? Also, which other apps are doing this?

On Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 9:43:03 AM UTC-7, John George wrote:

[John George]

Typically I keep Tasker without notification, but I tried with permanent notification (even rebooted) - didn't help.
Also installed latest Tasker 5.8.4, but no luck.
The other app is a old one which is abandoned since 2015 called PhoneWeaver, but was working until now.
Noticed something else - seems tasks which do not have to open apps are working, but the ones which suppose to open app do not. For example the task which turns my Bluetooth when triggered by tag works in this part, but then when the same task has to open the Map app next, it fails to do so. .

[andy o]

It seems your issue is not that Tasker is going to sleep, but instead is with performing certain actions. What happens when you go to the task and try to run it manually (little "play" button on the bottom left)? You should get a "play" icon to the left of the action as it is being done, and a green circle when it is completed. Can you upload one of your tasks that doesn't work?

[Lee Revell]

I guess by log you mean the Tasker log? Can you post logcat output?

Lee 

[John George]

Hi Andy,
As I mentioned in my original post, the tasks in question perform just fine when I run them manually as you suggested, however when they have to run with Tasker on background, they don't run correctly. As I noted the Tasker log indicates that they run OK on background, but nothing happens.
I'm not sure how to upload task as file here. Don't see "attach" option to this post, but here is the text version:

Start VPN (12)
A1: Wait [ MS:0 Seconds:15 Minutes:0 Hours:0 Days:0 ]
A2: If [ %PACTIVE !~ *VPN Enable* ]
A3: Goto [ Type:Action Number Number:6 Label: ]
A4: End If
A5: Launch App [ App:PIA VPN:ui.features.LaunchVPNForService Data: Exclude From Recent Apps:Off Always Start New Copy:Off ]
A6: Stop [ With Error:Off Task: ]

Below is also the Tasker runlog. Few explanations:
The task StartVPN is run by the profile VPN Enable. This profile is triggered when my home WiFi is disconnected.
The run in 00:45:55 is on background, the one in 00:52:25 is manual.
As you can see they seem identical, but in 00:45:55 (background), the app PIA VPN did not actually started, while in 00:52:25 (manual) it did start.

20190922 00.45.39 P Active ID16 VPN Enable
20190922 00.45.40 E Start ID0:0.0 TaskService
20190922 00.45.40 T Running ID12 Start VPN
20190922 00.45.55 A OK ID12.1 Start VPN.Wait
20190922 00.45.55 A OK ID12.2 Start VPN.If
20190922 00.45.55 A OK ID12.5 Start VPN.Launch App
20190922 00.45.55 A OK ID12.6 Start VPN.Stop
20190922 00.45.55 T ExitOK ID12 Start VPN
20190922 00.45.55 E Stop ID0:0.0 TaskService
20190922 00.48.07 E Start ID0:0.0 TaskService
20190922 00.48.07 E Stop ID0:0.0 TaskService
20190922 00.52.05 E Start ID0:0.0 TaskService
20190922 00.52.10 T Running ID12 Start VPN
20190922 00.52.25 A OK ID12.1 Start VPN.Wait
20190922 00.52.25 A OK ID12.2 Start VPN.If
20190922 00.52.25 A OK ID12.5 Start VPN.Launch App
20190922 00.52.25 A OK ID12.6 Start VPN.Stop
20190922 00.52.25 T ExitOK ID12 Start VPN
20190922 00.52.39 E Stop ID0:0.0 TaskService

[John George]

Hi Lee,
See my response to Andy. The log and additional info is posted there.
John

[andy o]

Is that the only task you're having trouble with? It seems like a problem with PIA, can you just try to switch that action to simply launch any other app? I've had trouble with PIA starting and stopping even when doing it directly from the PIA app.

[John George]

No, I have same trouble with other tasks which are launching apps - like the one I mentioned before which suppose to turn on the Bluetooth and then the Maps app. It turns the Bluetooth fine, but then the Maps app never open.
Look, the problem is not with the other apps. The problem is with either Tasker or more likely with something new in the Android 10.
Here is why:
1. The tasks run fine when started manually.
2. The tasks run fine when Tasker app is open.
3. The tasks used to run fine until Android 10 upgrade.
4. Other background apps have the same problem.

[andy o]

The reason I ask is because I have Android 10 on a Pixel 3 and 2XL and not having issues with tasks launching apps even in the background with screen off. I even tested it with a task launching Maps, wifi disconnected (exit task for "wifi connected" state) and it works fine. You have a rooted Pixel, I assume stock firmware right?

Have you tried disabling temporarily all other profiles, and just enable the one you're having trouble with in order to rule out other tasks interfering (although the log should show it, wouldn't hurt)?

Also I believe Lee was asking for the logcat, which means the Android log, not the Tasker log. This might be able to tell you if the app intended to launch at all.

[John George]

Thanks Andy,
No I didn't try this as I don't believe the problem is in Tasker itself.
Regarding the request from Lee, if you read it again, it sounds like he is asking for the Tasker log.
Anyway, I found a fix. The setting "Display over other apps" for Tasker was set to "Not allowed" and after I changed it to "Allowed", it works fine now. I tested it during the day.
I'm not exactly software deveoper, but I'm engineer and have a bit of knowledge of the logic of the programming and it was clear to me that the problem had something to do with changes the new Android version brought.
It is still not very clear to me why this setting has affect to the Tasker functionality, and which other app Tasker is clashing with, but it works.
Regarding the fact that you didn't experience this with the other Pixels - it could be Pixel (1st generation) specific, however my wife's brand new Pixel 3a (original, not rooted) had the same problem after updating to Android 10 and the same fix worked.
If you are deeper into the software development, you may figure why this happens. I didn't mess with my wife's phone factory settings at all, just installed Tasker and added this single profile/task to start VPN when she is outside our home WiFi. Again, it is not PIA VPN problem, as my phone has many profiles and all which suppose to start apps failed to do so before the fix, and they work fine after applying the fix described above.
It's puzzling nobody else reported this, but it maybe because Android 10 is not widely populated yet.
Hope if anybody else has the same issue, the fix I found will be helpful.
Maybe if more people experience this problem Joao can include overall fix in future Tasker releases.
Thank you again for trying to help.
John

[João Dias]

Glad you found it. 

That is indeed a new requirement for Android 10 apps. I'll try to update the app to request that ASAP!

Thanks!

Thank you for your contact.

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João Dias

[John George]

Thanks Joao! I'm glad we got to the bottom of this.
Tasker is the best thing to me after the sliced bread :-) Much appreciated.
John

[andy o]

Glad you solved it. Makes sense I didn't have it, cause I enabled all of Tasker's permissions when installing it.

[Kabir Ahmed]

Hi,

I have experience the same and the problem doesn't get resolved.

I have a repetitive background task which runs only when the screen is off. This was running without any issue for last 5 years but it's stopped working since moved to Android 10 beta 1 in my op 7pro devices.

I have enabled all the permission and necessary things but no luck.

Appreciate if you any fix for this.

[John George]

Hello Kabir.
If changing the setting "Display over other apps" from "Not allowed" to "Allowed" as described in my previous post did not work for you, I am afraid I don't have any other solution. It worked fine for me.
You may wait for the new update Joao will release soon. He promiced to have fix for this problem in the next release.
Thank you
John

[João Dias]

The fix is the one you mentioned. There's no other fix. Are you sure you also enabled reliable alarms and all the tips mentioned here?  https://tasker.joaoapps.com/userguide/en/faqs/faq-problem.html#00

Hope this helps!

[Jim Becker]

Hi Kabir,
Is your phone still on the beta? Android 10 has had a very limited release so far.
Jim

[Kabir Ahmed]

Yes, i followed each of the settings and all are enabled accordingly, which in turns made me believe that its the android background settings which disabled the task.

@Jim: Yes my OS is still on beta.

I am waiting for the arrival of full version and confirm accordingly.

[Kabir Ahmed]

Thnx John. Will keep my eyes open and will confirm if things get fixed

[Kabir Ahmed]

Thanks and

I have received the official update of android 10.0.1 for my OnePlus 7 pro but unfortunately, the issue remains same :-(

[João Dias]

thanks. Are you sure you went through everything here?  https://dontkillmyapp.com/?app=Tasker

[Kabir Ahmed]

Yes and through my research I believe below is the issue

https://developer.android.com/guide/components/activities/background-starts