Strange behaviour of FreeNow app on GrapheneOS

madkissTM

Folks,

I have just switched to GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel 9 Pro from an iPhone 16 Pro Max and am very happy with it -- thanks to everyone for the great work. I do have an issue with an app though that I don't know how to debug effectively. The affected app is FreeNow, a ride-booking app I mainly use in Berlin to book cab rides. Something is very strange with that app on GrapheneOS.

If I do give the app access to the current location, it will start but show a blank page where otherwise the map would be displayed. If I remove access to location for the app, the app comes up but I cannot book a ride (app tells me 'the current payment method is unavailable' even when choosing cash payment). I had a glimpse at adb logcat but didn't see anything obvious.

I tend to see problematic behaviour with other apps that try to use the location feature, too. Google Maps will often just hang, taxi.eu will correctly show my location on the map but still claim "unknown address" (at least I can correct it there, though). taxi.berlin, which is from the same manufacturer as taxi.eu, will show exactly the same symptoms but not allow me to manually set my address. And clues on what could be wrong? Thank you very much in advance.

Sandboxed Play Services are installed.

teezeh

madkissTM For taxi hailing, I have used the Taxi Deutschland app before switching to GOS. Right now, it shows the map with the correct location, but does not name the address and rather says "Unbekannte Adresse". Editing it manually is possible. I was also able to add PayPal as a payment method. I have not tried ordering a cab oder paying yet.

teezeh

Same here.for FreeNow. No map, just a blank page. Haven't tried taxi.eu yet.

Most of my micromobility apps (except for dott) work fine, just like OsmAnd~ and HERE We Go.

matchboxbananasynergy

Are you using the network location feature? If not, please try that.

Info: https://grapheneos.org/features#network-location
Steps to enable: https://grapheneos.org/usage#network-location

madkissTM

matchboxbananasynergy tried it, no difference unfortunately.

moss

Same problem here: I don't see the message about the payment method probably because I'm using a freenow account that was created on a different (stock android) phone and the payment method is already configured.
If I try to disable the location permission, after asking me to re-enable it, the home page brings up the form to request a new ride instead of freezing, but it doesn't really let me choose the pick-up and destination locations.
Have been messing around with settings like exploit protection and permissions, including network location, but haven't found a combination that works.

moss

Not sure if it's relevant but this is what I spotted in the logcat captured when running the freenow app:

04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService: system location request with no attribution tag
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.server.location.LocationManagerService.registerLocationListener(LocationManagerService.java:870)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at android.location.LocationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.java:1620)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.location.fused.FusedLocationProvider$ChildLocationListener.resetProviderRequest(FusedLocationProvider.java:310)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.location.fused.FusedLocationProvider$ChildLocationListener.-$$Nest$mresetProviderRequest(FusedLocationProvider.java:0)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.location.fused.FusedLocationProvider.updateRequirementsLocked(FusedLocationProvider.java:174)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.location.fused.FusedLocationProvider.onSetRequest(FusedLocationProvider.java:123)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at android.location.provider.LocationProviderBase$Service.setRequest(LocationProviderBase.java:331)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.server.location.provider.proxy.ProxyLocationProvider.$r8$lambda$7VMdFID5UKJaFx-7qHYncL9kLJk(ProxyLocationProvider.java:184)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.server.location.provider.proxy.ProxyLocationProvider$$ExternalSyntheticLambda1.run(R8$$SyntheticClass:0)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.server.servicewatcher.ServiceWatcherImpl$MyServiceConnection.runOnBinder(ServiceWatcherImpl.java:255)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.server.servicewatcher.ServiceWatcherImpl.lambda$runOnBinder$0(ServiceWatcherImpl.java:124)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.server.servicewatcher.ServiceWatcherImpl$$ExternalSyntheticLambda1.run(D8$$SyntheticClass:0)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:991)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:232)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:317)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:85)
04-02 08:34:23.795  1272  1459 W LocationManagerService:        at com.android.server.ServiceThread.run(ServiceThread.java:49)

mrjumbo

I am experiencing the same issue, unfortunately

user_2441

Same issue for me, an empty skeleton is shown on first app load.

Curiously, through trial and error, I found that

opening the app
switch to its GrapheneOS app settings
toggle native code debugging
switch back to app

made it work. It's the toggling itself, but neither of the states by itself left untouched, that work.

I have been able to rent a car like that.

user_2441

user_2441 This does not work anymore. FreeNow is fully borked.

Grapi

Hello, I have Pixel 8a with GrapheneOS.

I recently installed FreeNow App for the first time and tried to register with my mobile number. No chance - I got either "Unknown error" or "Network Issue".

It looks like the app cannot initiate its "cloud server" to send a SMS.

The same thing is with the Bolt App (also a taxi app). Bolt cannot send a SMS. But fortunately Bolt has an option to send SMS or WhatsApp, so you can register with a verification code being sent via WhatsApp.

On the other hand. the Uber App does not have any issues with SMS.

If I monitor network requests, Bolt and Freenow are using similar servers (if I am not mistaken), so I can suppose, the both apps possibly use the same development framework or SDK, which have a problem to initiate a SMS.

Ok, the issues above do not connect directly to the described problem in the first post, but it looks like it is a general problem with the FreeNow app on GrapheneOS.

other8026

Grapi This issue doesn't seem related. You should start a new thread instead of adding to this unrelated one. But since you've already posted here, here are some thoughts.

VPN might be interfering somehow (I've had this issue with a couple of apps). Try disabling the VPN while registering or allow the app to connect outside the VPN.
Install Google Play. You may need to grant Google Play Services SMS and phone permissions temporarily. This may be necessary if the app relies on some Google library to help with the sms verification flow.
Clear the app's storage and try again.

If those things don't work, feel free to open another thread.