Users data deleted after update

Questions about Thunkable
1

I updated my App and had emails from users saying that their data stored had been deleted and it was like a fresh install. Although it did say UPDATE…
Does the Project name in Thunkable have to be the same every time?
You cannot load without the correct Bundle ID so I know that is correct.
The users that complained were Apple users…
I tested an update on my Samsung and the same thing happened…
I did make some code changes where I added some saving code, I removed a couple of fields that do not store data.
Please help urgent as the App has had a press release and if users update they will lose their data.

I feel it is something I have done as I also emailed the app to the wifes Iphone and it added it as another app then I emailed it again and it updated the new version of the app and did not delete data

2

@towball

No dude. I deal with the same issues. Do you store your data in variables?

I’m wondering if using local storage vs stored variables would fix that issue.

I have resorted to allowing clients to sync their settings to the cloud. My next update will allow the app to automatically update the apps settings on the first load after an update if they have saved them at least once.

3

Store in local storage. App been live for some time and only in the last month it has been a problem.

Can I put a message on the update screen to warn them to take screen shots before updating?

I have a great version now so I am thinking of just moving forward and forcing users to re enter their data.

I know that the new version updates itself as I have tested that

7

Please ignore above from Towball I have solved the issue

8

can you share your solution?

9

Sorry Jared
I was embarrassed to do so. Senior moment…
When I uploaded the APK to the store it had a different APK file name but the correct Bundle ID and Version.
So yes it updated and deleted data.
Still learning…

10

So you’re suggesting to upload the apk to the store without changing the version number?

11

No it seems there are 3 criteria
The name of the file that you upload to the play store
The Bundle ID
The Version number

I always use the same Bundle ID and I always increment the Version number
I think my mistake was that I sent the APK with a different name

Example first load 123.apk
Second load 1234.apk

12

I wonder if this is my issue. I will look into this. Thanks @towball

13

I have tried so many thing to fix this now I am not sure what APK’s I sent to the Stores.
I have emailed Apple and Android to see if they can tell me what my file name was…

14

Here is what I have tried

TEST 1

Project name - TEST
Bundle ID - com.test
Version number - 001
Version name - 001
Download an APK
APK name - TEST.apk
Load TEST.apk to NOX emulator
Enter data in App

Load the same project again no changes to project
Project name - TEST
Bundle ID - com.test
Version number - 002
Version name - 002
Download an APK
APK name - TEST.apk
Load TEST.apk to NOX emulator
It updates the original - SUCCESS no USERS data deleted

Remove App from NOX

TEST 2

Project name - TEST
Bundle ID - com.test
Version number - 001
Version name - 001
Download an APK
APK name - TEST.apk
Load TEST.apk to NOX emulator
Enter data in App

Copy the project in thunkable and it gets a new name. No changes to App
Project name - TEST COPY
Bundle ID - com.test
Version number - 002
Version name - 002
Download an APK
APK name - TESTCOPY.apk
Load TESTCOPY.apk to NOX emulator
It updates the original and DELETES the USERS DATA!!!

TEST 3 (Virtually the same as the TEST 1 but it deletes data

Project name - TEST
Bundle ID - com.test
Version number - 001
Version name - 001
Download an APK
APK name - TEST.apk
Load TEST.apk to NOX emulator
Enter data in App

Copy the project in thunkable and it gets a new name. No changes to App
Rename TEST COPY to TEST. You can have 2 with the same name in Thunkable
Project name - TEST COPY but renamed to TEST
Bundle ID - com.test
Version number - 002
Version name - 002
Download an APK
APK name - TEST.apk
Load TEST.apk to NOX emulator
It updates the original and DELETES the USERS DATA!!!

The only way I can get an update happening and not delete users data is to modify the original project, change the version number, and download apk. I do not want to modify the original.

I have put through a few updates but in March 2020 something has changed in Thunkable.

PS the same thing happens in APPLE as well…

To prove NOX emulator was n0t faulty I repeated this by emailing APK’s to my Android and got the same result

Anyone that can help, it would be greatly appreciated…

I am not confident to upload an update. I already have unhappy Apple and Android users who have lost data

Is there something in Thunkable that has changed???

15

Let me summarise my last post.
Using NOX emulator and emailing to Android for testing

Make a project in Thunk X and load it to an emulator or phone, enter some data in the APP
Copy the project in Thunk X, same bundle ID, same name, same version or greater version doesnt matter
Load it to the emulator or phone
It updates and deletes the data entered in the APP

16

Resolved
You cannot make a copy of a thunkable project, modify the copy and load that to the stores.

Make a copy of your original
Modify the original.
I know have a spreadsheet of every change
Load the modified original to the stores

1 Like
17

Hi Jared
I have just put a new version into TESTFLIGHT on the App Store. Had V156 on iphone, installed V157 and it asked if I wanted to update the current version and warned I may lose data.
I did lose Data…

The new version did have one small code change. Local Storage TBWA changed to TBW. They were storing the same info so I dont think that is the issue.

Does anyone else have this issue. I cant update my App and users lose their data!!

Is it possible that if a different mobile provision was used that could cause the issue???

Regards

Barrie

18

I think that changing the name of the dB would cause the issue. Unless you explicitly instruct the app to copy the data to the newly named dB, it would try to copy any data to the previous dB I would imagine. So it thinks the old dB doesn’t exist anymore.

@Steven @paulmw. Do you guys have any input on this, by chance?

1 Like
19

The Thunkable project name is XXX and the update to the App store was also XXX.
The Bundle ID was the same, I checked in App Store Connect.
The Version was a higher number.

I have just gone back to the last successful load to the App Store which is the same as on my wifes Apple phone and have changed a couple of fields to a different height and loaded that to the App Store. Will have to wait a couple of days for Apple to review before I can run it through testflight. If successful I will make a few more small changes and upload again.

I have a lot of formatting changes but I will do it over a few updates if the latest upload to the App store is successful.

I did mess around on my Android and emailed a new project, then made a change and emailed again and it updated and didnt lose data.
Then I changed the name of the project in Thunkable, same Bundle ID, later version number and emailed that and it updated the app on my android and I didnt lose any data.
So it seems that the project name doesnt matter as long as the bundle ID is he same and the Version is higher.

Would be great if Thunkable was able to simulate an update to an App Android or Apple doesnt matter. That is copy a project, modify it, check in thunkable if will update successfully before loading to the stores to TEST.

Regards Bazza

2 Likes
20

Did Thunkable change to new servers this year. I read that this could be an issue with updates

21

I have started a chat with thunkable. Waiting for a reply, time differences so should get a reply soon.
Thought I would post it here to share the issue…

Hi Guys and others. I am having all sorts of issues getting an update to display the user data. It is updating but not showing user data in local storage. Old issue and now I cannot update my App on the stores… Is it possible to reload the file to thunkable x that was uploaded to the Android store on the 28th June 2020. I actually have the APK downloaded from the Android store but I cannot load it into thunkable…
Does the number in the thunkable URL have any bearing on a successful upload. e.g./5febefc8f4244600117c069a/f694713f-341a-4709-afbd-???**

Just to let you know I loaded an updated version to the apple store and put it in TESTFLIGHT. It updated on the phone and did not retrieve the user data. I uninstalled the testflight update and reloaded the original off the store and of course all the data is back.

from Thunkable: Thanks for the update on this Barrie - wondering if this is an issue with Testflight? Are you seeing the same behaviour on Android too?

Yes same behaviour in Android. Have taken out all changes and will try again in Android. Apple takes too long. Lol. Happy new year to the Thunk Team

It seems it doesn’t recognise local storage. Another test i did change the bundle ID, emailed to Android, installed the new version, entered data, uninstalled it, emailed it again and it found and displayed what i had saved in local storage

Hi Guys Latest test is
Live app on my Android V156 contains user data
Uploaded a new version to the Play Store
Put it in TEST on the Plat Store
Updated my LIVE version (V156) with the new version (V158)
User data (Local Storage) not displaying
I need help. Am I the only one???

By the way I paused the TEST on the Play Store, uninstalled the TEST off my phone and reinstalled the current LIVE version and of course my data is there…

22

Hi! Sorry you’re having some issues with this! I want to make sure I’m understanding correctly so we can identify and resolve the issue. I’ll type up a summary of my current understanding below, can you please let me know if it is accurate?

  1. You are storing some user data inside of Local Storage.
  2. Users reported data was not correctly being accessed after updating to a new version of the same app.
  3. As far as you are aware, nothing in your blocks would have changed the way the data was stored or accessed to cause this issue.
  4. You suspect that there is some issue in the process of uploading the file to Google Play and/or the App Store which is causing the inability to access the stored data.

Is this correct? It seems like the very last line of your comment (re the TEST/LIVE versions) has it working as intended.

I believe you should just need the bundle id to match and the version number to be incremented. I do not think the file name or app name should have any impact on whether the local storage is accessible or not.

I took a quick peek at your app and it looks like you are doing a lot of operations in a row which I don’t expect to cause a problem but it would likely be easier on you to have an object with all of the relevant values and then just store that single object rather than 10+ key object pairings.

1 Like
23

Thanks Steven for the response.

Jane and Domhnall are looking at this ATM.
But what you said is correct.

This was my first app and i realise there are better ways to write it now. But a lite too late now as there are a few hundred users and rising.

I agree that all that is required is Bundle ID and incremented version.

Point 2 I tested this myself before releasing. On both Android and Apple.

What block changes do you think could impact this?

Steven please speak to Jane so I am not wasting too many peoples time.

Regards Barrie

1 Like