983856 - Message to users when Sync is disabled globally or for the Firefox Account

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Firefox for Android Graveyard :: Android Sync, defect)

Description

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

So, Android has a master Sync switch:

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/ContentResolver.html#setMasterSyncAutomatically%28boolean%29

Upon creating an Android Sync account, we used to toggle the master switch on.  This is bad form: no one App should affect global state in this way.  So we don't flip the master switch on upon creating a Firefox Account.

Of course, this setting is synced across devices by your Google Account. (!?!)  So users can get very confusing behaviour when it's off.

We should consider messaging that Sync is globally disabled.  We should almost certainly do this on account creation.  I think we want to do this, periodically, on App start-up as well.  Or, perhaps we surface something like "Firefox hasn't synced in N days", and update the status screen to explain why we haven't synced (Sync is disabled globally / Sync is disabled just for this Account).

Comment 1

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

We should note this as an FAQ on SUMO.

Comment 2

[Roland Tanglao needinfo please :rolandtanglao, :mohnkuchen, :adobo, :sinigang, :roland]

adding joni savage to see which SUMO articles need to be written or modified, thanks :nalexander!

Comment 3

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

ibarlow: could we get mocks for how you'd like to inform users about these states?  I'm envisioning two new error states (the pink-ish box that is tappable), the first saying something like:

"Firefox is not Syncing because your Android device is not syncing.  Tap to start syncing."  I imagine that tapping would bring up a further dialog explaining that this is a global setting, and hopefully saying how to toggle it back off.  (This is a global setting, so it's important to inform the user about the ramifications of the decision.  It's weird 'cuz the toggle is hidden in Settings > Data usage > [menu] > Auto-sync data.)

The second would say something like:

"Firefox is not Syncing because your Firefox Account is not syncing.  Tap to start syncing."  I'm not sure we need to inform the user how to disable here because it's Account specific.

Comment 4

[Joni Chan]

Thanks for looping me in, Roland. I'll update our main Sync article (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-set-up-firefox-sync) as we know what this message will look like.

Comment 5

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

Attachment: github PR

I rolled with the following two strings, and no dialog of any kind.  Nothing happens if you tap the first.  If you tap the second, we toggle the setting for this Firefox Account only.

+<!ENTITY fxaccount_status_needs_master_sync_automatically_enabled '&syncBrand.shortName.label; is set up, but not syncing automatically. Toggle “Auto-sync data” in Android Settings &gt; Data Usage.'>
+<!ENTITY fxaccount_status_needs_account_enabled '&syncBrand.shortName.label; is set up, but not syncing automatically. Tap to start syncing.'>

Comment 6

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/fx-team/rev/998abc078711

ibarlow: we can bump strings as needed.

Comment 7

[Carsten Book [:Tomcat]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/998abc078711

Comment 8

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

To QA this:

1) Install a recent Nightly with the patch landed.

2) Connect a Firefox Account.

3) Verify that Sync is working correctly.

4) Go to Android Settings > Accounts & Sync > [Firefox Account].

5) Tap 'Configure Sync' and verify that no error is displayed.

6) Return to Android Settings > Accounts & Sync > [Firefox Account].  Select your account and toggle it's sync state.  Android should say syncing is disabled or similar.

7) Tap 'Configure Sync'.  You should see a message saying that Sync is set up, but is not syncing automatically, and an offer to turn sync on.  Tap the offer.

8) Return to Android Settings > Accounts & Sync > [Firefox Account].  Select your account.  Android should say syncing is enabled.

9) Go to Android Settings > Data usage and disable "Auto-sync data".  On many devices, this is hidden in a menu in the "Data usage" panel.

10) Return to Android Settings > Accounts & Sync > [Firefox Account].  Select your account.  Android should say syncing is completely turned off, or similar.

11) Tap 'Configure Sync'.  You should see a message saying that Sync is set up, but that Android is not syncing at all, and giving brief instructions for turning it back on.  You should not see a "Tap to ..." offer at all.

Comment 9

[Karl Thiessen [:kthiessen, he/him]]

I will verify this today.

Comment 10

[Karl Thiessen [:kthiessen, he/him]]

Nick, those QA steps were brilliant: easy to follow, very clear, concise, and unambiguous.  Thank you so much.

I'm pleased to report that this works exactly as advertised in your instructions in the Nightly dated 2014-03-28.

Shall I mark it VERIFIED, or does that fall to someone else?

Comment 11

[Karl Thiessen [:kthiessen, he/him]]

Since no one else has marked this, I will.  VERIFIED.  Thanks again, Nick.