Article persistence issue when app is backgrounded or device sleeps
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Authored By

	ABorbaWMF
	Jul 23 2021, 8:39 PM

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Referenced Files

	F35045238: 62855A99-1F32-426F-9323-D9FB4A11BD56.png
	Apr 9 2022, 10:56 PM

	F34574322: feedback 46.json
	Aug 3 2021, 1:41 AM

	F34561841: IMG_2561.MP4
	Jul 23 2021, 10:02 PM

	F34561777: RPReplay_Final1626481108.mov
	Jul 23 2021, 8:39 PM

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Description

Reported on Znuny - https://ticket.wikimedia.org/otrs/index.pl?Action=AgentTicketZoom;TicketID=11868238

List of steps to reproduce (step by step, including full links if applicable):
Note - I have not been able to reproduce this so far

Search for article, navigate to the article
Switch to another app or allow the device to sleep
Return to the wikipedia app

What happens?:

Article appears briefly and then disappears showing the previous screen

What should have happened instead?:

Article should persist

Software version (if not a Wikimedia wiki), browser information, screenshots, other information, etc: WikipediaApp/6.8.1.1815 (iOS 14.6; Phone)

Video from the user who reported this -

RPReplay_Final1626481108.mov3 MBDownload

Event Timeline

ABorbaWMF created this task.Jul 23 2021, 8:39 PM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: • Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptJul 23 2021, 8:39 PM

Flicky1984 subscribed.Jul 23 2021, 8:47 PM

Hi. I'm the original bug reporter. I can reproduce this pretty quickly on demand.

Just now I was reading Wiki app, switched to Safari clicked a link to a new page and read that, then started recording my screen before switching back to Wiki app.

You can see the previous state of wiki app as I use the app switcher view. Then as the app is switched to we see the wiki logo and the article is lost.

Here's the screen recording

LGoto triaged this task as Medium priority.Jul 26 2021, 6:35 PM

LGoto moved this task from Needs Triage to Bug Backlog on the Wikipedia-iOS-App board.

I'm using iPhone SE 2020 and latest iOS 14.x

OTRS thread with some more details: https://ticket.wikimedia.org/otrs/index.pl?Action=AgentTicketZoom;TicketID=11868238#

Here's some TestFlight details from another user with the same problem.

feedback 46.json688 BDownload

Another potentially related report: https://ticket.wikimedia.org/otrs/index.pl?Action=AgentTicketZoom;TicketID=11908723

Hi. This is still happening for me on the latest version of the app, and the latest version of iOS 15, and drives me crazy daily.

Has anybody on the development team attempted to reproduce it on a matching device?

Wow, I found a workaround!

If you switch off everything on the explore tab, other than "continue reading" then the problem doesn't happen. As a bonus the app starts much, much faster.

Screenshot of my settings:

62855A99-1F32-426F-9323-D9FB4A11BD56.png (750×1,334 px, 207 KB)

With those changes, when coming back to the app the page reloads/refreshes, but reading position is maintained and the article remains visible. Woohoo!

Thankfully I don't use any of the other explore features, so I won't miss them.

I'm unfamiliar with the code or internal logic of the app so I can't explain why this workaround is successful. I'm guessing there is some erroneous behaviour when multiple explore options are selected it shows Explore tab rather then the article that was being read.

It would be great if other people who have reported this bug could be alerted to the workaround. And I hope the bug is fixed soon for the sake of all those affected who don't know how to report it.

Flicky1984 awarded a token.Apr 9 2022, 11:06 PM

• JMinor added a project: iOS-app-v6.9.1-Carp-On-A-Moon-Lander.Apr 11 2022, 6:15 PM

LGoto edited projects, added: ios-app-v7.0; removed: iOS-app-v6.9.1-Carp-On-A-Moon-Lander.Apr 26 2022, 8:09 PM

LGoto edited projects, added: ios-app-v7.1; removed: ios-app-v7.0.Aug 16 2022, 9:25 PM

ARamadan-WMF subscribed.Sep 13 2022, 8:19 AM

LGoto lowered the priority of this task from Medium to Low.Oct 4 2022, 8:24 PM

LGoto removed a project: ios-app-v7.1.

I've just updated to a newer iPhone with a lot more RAM so I thought I'd try this out just to see if it was the app being flushed in some way. But, no, it is surely by surely by design: the article that's currently being read is jettisoned for reasons I can't figure out. This is really disrespectful to users of the app to have their reading interrupted.

I'll continue to use my workaround of disabling everything on the Explore tab other than Continue Reading.

I have just submitted results of "Export User Data" from app, total a minor 6.5MB, to Wikimedia Mobile team by email.

HNordeenWMF added a project: iOS-Bug-Backlog.Feb 12 2025, 5:46 PM

Seddon edited projects, added: Wikipedia-iOS-App (Bug Backlog); removed: Wikipedia-iOS-App.Aug 15 2025, 9:23 AM

Restricted Application edited projects, added: Wikipedia-iOS-App; removed: Wikipedia-iOS-App (Bug Backlog). · View Herald TranscriptAug 15 2025, 9:23 AM

Seddon edited projects, added: Wikipedia-iOS-App (Bug Backlog); removed: Wikipedia-iOS-App.Aug 15 2025, 9:32 AM

Seddon removed a project: iOS-Bug-Backlog.Aug 15 2025, 9:40 AM

Article persistence issue when app is backgrounded or device sleepsOpen, LowPublicBUG REPORTActions

Description

Event Timeline

Article persistence issue when app is backgrounded or device sleeps
Open, LowPublicBUG REPORT
Actions