Alarm clock (from EPIM) stopped working

MMMMMMMM

Hello, as a new GrapheneOS user (since 2 months) I am looking for help with my alarm clock sound settings (or maybe the notification settings).

For my calendar I am using EssentialPIM which syncs directly with my laptop. So far this has worked well, and I can set alarm clocks for my appointments. With these I also could use the phone to wake me up for the early appointments.

A few days ago the alarm sound stopped working. I found out that in the settings section of EPIM where I could previously set the alarm sound, this is now greyed out and with the comment: "Gemäß deinen Einstellungen unterbindet Android die Anzeige von Benachrichtigungen dieser Kategorie auf diesem Gerät."

After reading a few similar threads I think that it has to do with the Google play services. I checked this app and allowed notifications and unrestricted battery usage. (Network was already allowed.) Then I restarted the phone, but it did not help.

Now what can I do to solve the problem? Is it caused by the latest OS update? Is there a problem with allowing notifications after they had been disallowed for a short time? Ideas are welcome.

Regards,
Martin

Icecube

My alarm stopped working too. I'm using default app.

I checked:

Alarm volume level
Do not disturb mode (alarm is permitted)
The alarm is correctly programmed

I'm using latest build

de0u

Icecube When the alarm time comes, does the alarm app display something, even if it doesn't make a sound?

Is anybody else seeing alarms not working with the GrapheneOS stock Clock app?

Icecube

de0u

Didn't show anything
I have been testing it by setting short-term alarms and it works, I think it is during long periods when it fails, it excites me

de0u

Icecube I have been testing it by setting short-term alarms and it works, I think it is during long periods when it fails, it excites me

This might indicate that the kernel is having trouble coming out of sleep. Can you run a few experiments to try to narrow down what length of time, during which the device is idle while an alarm is set, is problematic? Also, once a "long period" elapses, do incoming calls/messages awaken the device?

de0u

Icecube If there is a problem with alarms not going off, it would probably be good to file an issue on the GrapheneOS issue tracker. For that to be productive it will be important to provide enough details that a developer can observe the problem. For example: "Using the standard GrapheneOS clock app, set an alarm for 9 hours in the future, put the phone down, and don't touch it. 50% of the time the phone will not display anything or make any sound at the scheduled alarm time".

So far I think your description is:

Icecube I have been testing it by setting short-term alarms and it works, I think it is during long periods when it fails, it excites me

...and:

Icecube last night alarm worked fine, about 8 hours idle and not incoming notifications.

I don't feel that it is clear what a developer could do to reproduce the alarm issue you are experiencing. Can you provide details that could lead to reproducibility?

Icecube

de0u

Sure, last night alarm worked fine, about 8 hours idle and not incoming notifications.
I never shutdown the phone.

MMMMMMMM

These seem to be two different problems. My problem is related to notifications, and it is occurring consistently, also with short-term alarms set in my organizer app EPIM.

de0u

MMMMMMMM My problem is related to notifications, and it is occurring consistently, also with short-term alarms set in my organizer app EPIM.

True. And the message from your app suggested a notification settings problem. What happens if you pull up the app's notification settings? (From the launcher, long-press on the icon, pick "App info", then "Notifications".)

MMMMMMMM

Can't do this because this is greyed out.

de0u

MMMMMMMM Can't do this because this is greyed out.

What is greyed out at which step?

If you long-press on the app icon in the launcher, does a menu pop up?
If so, what entries does it contain? Is there an "App info" menu entry? Is it greyed out?
If you can get an App Info screen, does it have a "Notifications" entry near the middle of the screen? If so, is it greyed out?

de0u

Icecube Sure, last night alarm worked fine, about 8 hours idle and not incoming notifications.

Were there instances where an alarm did not work where the device was idle for less than 8 hours?

MMMMMMMM

de0u

If you long-press on the app icon in the launcher, does a menu pop up?

Yes

If so, what entries does it contain? Is there an "App info" menu entry? Is it greyed out?

App info is available

If you can get an App Info screen, does it have a "Notifications" entry near the middle of the screen? If so, is it greyed out?

Yes, I can enter the Notifications section. Inside, there is a greyed out button for "all notifications".
Additionally, inside the EPIM app, I have a section where I could set the alarm tone. This is now also greyed out with a comment saying that Android is preventing notifications of this type.

2 weeks ago everything was working fine. What could be the problem? The latest OS update? Should I try to reinstall the app and/or the Google framework?

Icecube

de0u

instances?

Icecube

de0u

I will follow your instructions, it's easy for me to schelude an alarm at night and don't touch the phone.
Is it posible to record some logs? debug?

de0u

Icecube Is it posible to record some logs? debug?

Yes. But I personally have only a vague sense of how to do that. I can direct you toward "capturing a 'Bug report'" in this post for directions. But it is possible that won't reveal enough, or that the timing will be important in some non-obvious way. If you can reproduce reliably, that should be enough to file a GitHub issue; that might result in a developer giving you specific directions for capturing a bug report -- but if the developer can follow your directions and reproduce the issue then your telemetry might not be needed.

MMMMMMMM

Solved: Reinstalling both, first the Google Play Services and then the EPIM app, brought the notifications back. Nothing greyed out, and the alarm sound is working.

de0u

MMMMMMMM Reinstalling both, first the Google Play Services and then the EPIM app, brought the notifications back.

Thanks for reporting back! This information may be useful to other users.