Strange Signal background/notifications behaviour

xorbug

Posting in the General section as it might not be just a third party app thing.

So, I've been using Signal (the upstream non-playstore version) on GrapheneOS for years without Play Services. Every time the phone started I was getting the usual Background connection enabled notification, and the Singal app listed in Active apps in the swipe down (quick settings) menu, automatically activated, just the way it should be.

Today, after rebooting my phone, I noticed I didn't get welcomed by the usual background connection notification, and double checking the Active apps list I found out that Signal was not there, even after manually closing and restarting it again from the recent apps. So I asked a contact send me a message, and the notification got through normally. The app still not listed in background! Nothing to complain about maybe, but this made me wonder what is going on.

Now not to spread doubts, but incidentally I recently (couple weeks ago) installed the Sandboxed Google Play in a different profile (not the one running Signal). And at this point I'm getting concerned, as bold as it sounds, that Signal switched to GCM/FCM, which could explain why it's not listed as background app anymore and would be worrying per se, but especially since something could then be broken in the user profiles confinement and apps disabling. But again I know it's a very big assumption and most probably I'm missing something, but this is the only event I can relate this new behaviour to. But you know, better safe than sorry, so some ideas to better investigate it and some reassurance would be appreciated.

Also a couple additional details maybe worth mentioning: Signal was last updated on Feb 5, Play Services was installed on Feb 6, phone was then rebooted on the latest system update on Feb 11 or 12, and after that rebooted today again when I'm noticing this, which is strange too. (Also rebooted a couple more times today to confirm this behaviour). Also the profile where Play Services is installed is not allowed to run in background anyway.

In any case as a matter of fact, Signal is not listed among the background apps like before anymore (unlike another app I have which still is), yet it gets notifications. So something feels odd anyway.

Thanks.

fid02

xorbug Now not to spread doubts, but incidentally I recently (couple weeks ago) installed the Sandboxed Google Play in a different profile (not the one running Signal). And at this point I'm getting concerned, as bold as it sounds, that Signal switched to GCM/FCM,

No, Play services needs to be installed and running in the same profile as Signal. No need to worry about this.

So everything is working as before except for a missing entry in "Active apps"? Did you check if Signal still has unrestricted battery usage enabled? Perhaps it got disabled somehow. But in that case you'd probably experience delayed notifications. You could check though.

xorbug

fid02 No, Play services needs to be installed and running in the same profile as Signal. No need to worry about this.

Yes ofc this is what I would expect too.

fid02 So everything is working as before except for a missing entry in "Active apps"?

Yes which is odd anyway because how can an app sit in backround, actively pulling notifications (because -again- they actually work) without getting listed?

fid02 Did you check if Signal still has unrestricted battery usage enabled? Perhaps it got disabled somehow. But in that case you'd probably experience delayed notifications. You could check though.

I always used it with optimized battery usage without any issue, but for the science also tried enabling unrestricted to no avail. Also disabled/enabled the app but nothing.

Anyway did a few test reboots now and it inconsistently shows every now and then. Maybe is just how it works afterall and would show it anyway at some point, but again today never showed in hours after booting, and afaict I was never missing Signal background connection notification so far at boot. (The other background app I have keeps showing them regularly instead). All in all no big deal apparently, will probably mark this as solved at some point after observing it for some time.