Weird ALPConnect for Android Behaviour

[citrus]

I'll be using the app in the background with another app in the foreground (EG: Waze) then the app will take the focus (as expected) but all it does is flash the Radar mode icon and sometimes also the speaker icon below it. There are no items displayed on the screen such as the radar band or strength and there is no audio either. I'll hit the back button to go back to Waze, then it takes the focus again. This repeats over and over until whatever it is that is triggering it to take focus goes away. When real alerts come in, they work normally and show the band, strength and I get the audio. Its these weird "no info" alerts that are unwanted. Watch video below to see it for yourself.

https://youtu.be/lJ6ZpFjSY-c

[BestRadarDetectors]

You are not running ALP Connect on an approved device. I have not seen any aftermarket car stereos that can run it properly. What version of Android does that device even use?

[citrus]

4.4.4 - approved or not it works just fine with the exception of this single problem. Given that this is a program design solely for automotive use it would make sense for the developer to try to fix the bugs so it runs perfectly on these Android head units as well. I know that it is AOSP and not true Android but the reality is quite a few people are using them as they are gaining popularity with their extremely low price point.

[BestRadarDetectors]

4.4.4 - approved or not it works just fine with the exception of this single problem. Given that this is a program design solely for automotive use it would make sense for the developer to try to fix the bugs so it runs perfectly on these Android head units as well. I know that it is AOSP and not true Android but the reality is quite a few people are using them as they are gaining popularity with their extremely low price point.

The App Designer makes the apps for Mobile Android devices. Your unit is having rendering issues and it could be due to various reasons but we cant have an engineer spend his time on trying to change a program to work on a single aftermarket device for a single customer. We have too many other various high pressing issues the developers are working on. If this platform grows and many users start to adopt it we can make a pitch for spending $1000's of engineering dollars but its not something we can do for one device.

[citrus]

I get that, but 90% of all these head units all run the same ROM with just a different launcher, so I don't it would be as difficult as you think to fix it.
In any case, If this could be requested it would be appreciated.

[RedLiner]

I'll be using the app in the background with another app in the foreground (EG: Waze) then the app will take the focus (as expected) but all it does is flash the Radar mode icon and sometimes also the speaker icon below it. There are no items displayed on the screen such as the radar band or strength and there is no audio either. I'll hit the back button to go back to Waze, then it takes the focus again. This repeats over and over until whatever it is that is triggering it to take focus goes away. When real alerts come in, they work normally and show the band, strength and I get the audio. Its these weird "no info" alerts that are unwanted. Watch video below to see it for yourself.

https://youtu.be/lJ6ZpFjSY-c


I have this same exact issue as you. I think the alerts that is causing this is for the blind spot filtering that the system in suppressing. I tested the app on two different android devices with two different version of android OS and I get the same result (oneplus 3 and google pixel). On both phones the app does exactly what you described. I too run the app in the background and Waze in the foreground and I have to continue flipping back to Waze just like you do. It does the same thing for signals that I manually suppressed alerts too.

[citrus]

I have this same exact issue as you. I think the alerts that is causing this is for the blind spot filtering that the system in suppressing. I tested the app on two different android devices with two different version of android OS and I get the same result (oneplus 3 and google pixel). On both phones the app does exactly what you described. I too run the app in the background and Waze in the foreground and I have to continue flipping back to Waze just like you do. It does the same thing for signals that I manually suppressed alerts too.
Interesting, and are you running the app on an Android head unit for a car or are you running it on a mobile phone or tablet? If it is the latter then I would hope that the developer will step in and fix this.

Edit: nevermind I just noticed that you wrote that you tried this on 2 devices which were both phones. Hopefully the developer can fix this.

[RedLiner]

Interesting, and are you running the app on an Android head unit for a car or are you running it on a mobile phone or tablet? If it is the latter then I would hope that the developer will step in and fix this.

Edit: nevermind I just noticed that you wrote that you tried this on 2 devices which were both phones. Hopefully the developer can fix this.

I am running the app on a mobile phone. I have tried it with two mobile phones, OnePlus 3 running android 6.0 and Google Pixel running android 7.0. I get the same result on both phones.

[shanetrainST]

What android head unit is it?
MTCD Intel
MTCD Rockchip
MTCB Rockchip (highly doubt)

Or

Other

[citrus]

Other - It is a Newsmy Carpad III with model NR5002. Runs Kitkat 4.4.4

Neither of the two rockchip units you mentioned will run this app because the internal Bluetooth adapter in them is not visible to Android. It's bound solely to the MCU. The new Intel one might, but I don't have one to verify that.

[RedLiner]

Hi, have you found a fix or work around for this issue? I am still having this problem.

[citrus]

No, the problem remains. I was hoping that the developer could be notified that this problem is not isolated to Android Head Units but I do not if that has happened.

[RedLiner]

No, the problem remains. I was hoping that the developer could be notified that this problem is not isolated to Android Head Units but I do not if that has happened.

Yeah, fingers crossed they will fix this. Its a problem, I have to fight with the ALP app to keep Waze in the foreground.

[BestRadarDetectors]

No, the problem remains. I was hoping that the developer could be notified that this problem is not isolated to Android Head Units but I do not if that has happened.

There is no support given or promised for support of android head units in vehicles. ALP Connect is only designed and supported on Android Phones.

[citrus]

I understand that however if you read the previous post another user is claiming that this is also occurring on mobile phones it is not only restricted to the head units.

[BestRadarDetectors]

Yeah, fingers crossed they will fix this. Its a problem, I have to fight with the ALP app to keep Waze in the foreground.

If you have an issue with running ALP Connect on a phone running in the background its not an ALP Connect issue but an issue with your phone. Check your power management settings because most phones reduce capability of background apps to save power and programs in the background can lose BT connection and even GPS connections.

[citrus]

I will check that on my head unit as well but I don't think that is what the problem is here. When this glitch happens like I showed you in my YouTube video the history logs show that there are K Band alerts when it is flickering the speaker icon and the Red Alarm icon in the corner however it is not making a sound and continues to steal the focus from the foreground app

[RedLiner]

If you have an issue with running ALP Connect on a phone running in the background its not an ALP Connect issue but an issue with your phone. Check your power management settings because most phones reduce capability of background apps to save power and programs in the background can lose BT connection and even GPS connections.

The issue is not with the app running in the background, the app does that just fine and I have made sure that all power management for this app is turned off or excluded. The issue is with the app bringing itself to the foreground for muted or suppressed alerts and you(the user) cannot put it back to the background until the alert is gone. The video at the beginning of this post shows the exact problem. I have the same issue and I am running to app on two supported android phones. I will be more than happy to make a video showing the same issue.

[citrus]

I think that is exactly what it is going to take to prove to the developer that this is not an Android head unit only problem and that it also affects phones. If you have the time please make the video so that there is no question.

[RedLiner]

I think that is exactly what it is going to take to prove to the developer that this is not an Android head unit only problem and that it also affects phones. If you have the time please make the video so that there is no question.

I will see what I can do as most of the time when im, driving im the only one in the car. Will see if I can get someone else to record it or setup a cam to record.

[citrus]

I know. It wasn't exactly safe for me to do it either.

[BestRadarDetectors]

The issue is not with the app running in the background, the app does that just fine and I have made sure that all power management for this app is turned off or excluded. The issue is with the app bringing itself to the foreground for muted or suppressed alerts and you(the user) cannot put it back to the background until the alert is gone. The video at the beginning of this post shows the exact problem. I have the same issue and I am running to app on two supported android phones. I will be more than happy to make a video showing the same issue.

If you have the app forward and you get a muted alert the app should stay open. I have never seen the app bring itself to the background when you are on the app. If the app is in the background and you pass a suppressed alert the app is not supposed to come forward because you suppressed it there is no importance to the alert. Please install a screen recorder and post a video of this occurring.

[RedLiner]

If you have the app forward and you get a muted alert the app should stay open. I have never seen the app bring itself to the background when you are on the app. If the app is in the background and you pass a suppressed alert the app is not supposed to come forward because you suppressed it there is no importance to the alert. Please install a screen recorder and post a video of this occurring.

You are correct for the bold text above and that's what I expect and how it works for me(perfect). The part that I am having issue with is this "If the app is in the background and you pass a suppressed alert the app is not supposed to come forward because you suppressed it there is no importance to the alert." I could not agree more. However, the app does bring it forward for me, and that's the issue I am having.

[BestRadarDetectors]

You are correct for the bold text above and that's what I expect and how it works for me(perfect). The part that I am having issue with is this "If the app is in the background and you pass a suppressed alert the app is not supposed to come forward because you suppressed it there is no importance to the alert." I could not agree more. However, the app does bring it forward for me, and that's the issue I am having.

We can look into that but if you just hit the back button on your phone it should put it back in the background.

[RedLiner]

We can look into that but if you just hit the back button on your phone it should put it back in the background.

That's what I would think, but all it does is bring the app back forward as soon a I put it to the background. It will do this over and over until the alert is not longer being triggered, only then will the app stay in the background.

[BestRadarDetectors]

That's what I would think, but all it does is bring the app back forward as soon a I put it to the background. It will do this over and over until the alert is not longer being triggered, only then will the app stay in the background.

What model phone and what version of Android are you running?

[RedLiner]

What model phone and what version of Android are you running?

I have tried it with two mobile phones, OnePlus 3 running android 6.0 and Google Pixel running android 7.0. I get the same result on both phones.

[RedLiner]

If you have the app forward and you get a muted alert the app should stay open. I have never seen the app bring itself to the background when you are on the app. If the app is in the background and you pass a suppressed alert the app is not supposed to come forward because you suppressed it there is no importance to the alert. Please install a screen recorder and post a video of this occurring.

So I was able to install a screen recorder and here is the issue. You will see that the app brings itself forward with a silent alert (no sound, info as to what radar band, or what triggered the alert) and will not allow me to put it to the background until the alert is gone or I passed it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bp96g6f263nslhz/Alert1.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/eu8u2pjj2gc1fd4/Alert2.mp4?dl=0

[citrus]

Good job on the videos. Hopefully this proves that it is a legitimate issue for the developer to look into.

[BestRadarDetectors]

So I was able to install a screen recorder and here is the issue. You will see that the app brings itself forward with a silent alert (no sound, info as to what radar band, or what triggered the alert) and will not allow me to put it to the background until the alert is gone or I passed it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bp96g6f263nslhz/Alert1.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/eu8u2pjj2gc1fd4/Alert2.mp4?dl=0

That is not a suppressed alert, That is a real alert that is being silenced because of your City Level (This is why the City Icon is flashing). Lets say you want radar alerts on K band muted if under 3, If you get an alert at level 1 or 2 the app brings it to your attention because its not suppressed but just does not give audible alerts until your threshold.

[RedLiner]

That is not a suppressed alert, That is a real alert that is being silenced because of your City Level (This is why the City Icon is flashing). Lets say you want radar alerts on K band muted if under 3, If you get an alert at level 1 or 2 the app brings it to your attention because its not suppressed but just does not give audible alerts until your threshold.

I totally understand what you are saying about city mode and how it works, however the app does the same thing for me with suppressed alerts. I will do another run to see if I can get it to do the same thing for a suppressed alert, video to come. Also is the app suppose to fight me to stay in the foreground as it is doing in the video?

[citrus]

Than this is a problem. If it is an alert that is below the city threshold it should not be bringing the app forward. You know, this is really upsetting that he had to go through all this trouble to make that video when mine showed the same thing and you dismissed it as a incompatible device issue. We are trying to help make the product better here.

[BestRadarDetectors]

I totally understand what you are saying about city mode and how it works, however the app does the same thing for me with suppressed alerts. I will do another run to see if I can get it to do the same thing for a suppressed alert, video to come. Also is the app suppose to fight me to stay in the foreground as it is doing in the video?

Yes, The app is designed to come forward during alerts so when you push it back and the alert is still present it will come forward again. If you dont want it to come back you can press the mute button first and it will ignore it unless the alert stops and starts again it will see the new alert as a new threat.

[BestRadarDetectors]

Than this is a problem. If it is an alert that is below the city threshold it should not be bringing the app forward. You know, this is really upsetting that he had to go through all this trouble to make that video when mine showed the same thing and you dismissed it as a incompatible device issue. We are trying to help make the product better here.

For City low level alerts the app is doing what it was designed to to. Bring it to your attention but not give verbal alerts until the threshold is reached.

[citrus]

In my opinion, the app shouldn't bring itself forward until if/when the alert reaches the verbal threshold. If this can be added as an option for user preference, it would be great.

[BestRadarDetectors]

In my opinion, it shouldn't bring itself forward at all UNTIL if/when the alert reaches the verbal threshold.

You are entitled to your opinion and if a majority of users decide the same we can look into changing it but a large majority of our Beta group wanted to be informed when an alert is present so that it gives them a heads up while the signal ramps up stronger but they just dont want the verbal alerts until their set level.

[citrus]

As I said, I'm asking it to be a user configurable option. I wouldnt ever ask for something that is a personal preference to be changed for everyone.

[RedLiner]

Yes, The app is designed to come forward during alerts so when you push it back and the alert is still present it will come forward again. If you dont want it to come back you can press the mute button first and it will ignore it unless the alert stops and starts again it will see the new alert as a new threat.

I understand this and I get why some users would want to see these alerts, however since this system is intelligent enough to know when to sound an alert or when to silent one, It would be nice if there was a way to tell it not to get my attention unless there was an alert above 3, as in your example ("Lets say you want radar alerts on K band muted if under 3, If you get an alert at level 1 or 2 the app brings it to your attention because its not suppressed but just does not give audible alerts until your threshold"). Also after the app first notify the user of an alert and the user dismisses that alert by putting the app back to the background, it would be nice if the app say in the background for that same alert and only brings itself to the foreground when there is a new alert. These are just some ways where I thinks this system could improve. Systems such as the ALP is meant to sound a real alarm for the driver. If it gives too many false alarms, the user will more likely get accustom to not paying attention to alerts even when they are real. All of the above are just suggestions on how I think the app could improve to better tailor to it's users. Thank you for your time and for trying to help us.

[BestRadarDetectors]

I understand this and I get why some users would want to see these alerts, however since this system is intelligent enough to know when to sound an alert or when to silent one, It would be nice if there was a way to tell it not to get my attention unless there was an alert above 3, as in your example ("Lets say you want radar alerts on K band muted if under 3, If you get an alert at level 1 or 2 the app brings it to your attention because its not suppressed but just does not give audible alerts until your threshold"). Also after the app first notify the user of an alert and the user dismisses that alert by putting the app back to the background, it would be nice if the app say in the background for that same alert and only brings itself to the foreground when there is a new alert. These are just some ways where I thinks this system could improve. Systems such as the ALP is meant to sound a real alarm for the driver. If it gives too many false alarms, the user will more likely get accustom to not paying attention to alerts even when they are real. All of the above are just suggestions on how I think the app could improve to better tailor to it's users. Thank you for your time and for trying to help us.

I have added the suggestion of adding another toggle for bringing the app forward for muted alerts to the long list of user requests. I cant make any guarantees at this time.

[citrus]

All we can do is ask and I greatly appreciate that that has been done.

[RedLiner]

I have added the suggestion of adding another toggle for bringing the app forward for muted alerts to the long list of user requests. I cant make any guarantees at this time.

Thank you.