BUG: Android 6.0.1 reboots after enabling VPN apps

[Jecht_Sin]

I have installed via USB and tested Block This (open source) and Adguard (not together. One per time) on my KD49XD8099 with Android 6.0.1 and they simply worked great! No more annoying ads (yes, I know. Companies don't like it, especially Google, but they are perfectly legal. Also we are allowed by Android itself to install whatever we like).

The only problem is that after turning the TV off (standby) few hours, when I turn it on the television starts rebooting. Uninstalling them the television (and rebooting just in case) Android becomes "stable" again (quoted because I've got reboots even without tampering with special apps). The apps were set to enable the VPN at boot. Not that it should matter, since the reboot happens just putting the tv in standby.

Now, I do understand that an external app, not made specifically for Android TV may not work (but as I wrote they actually do the job they are made for), but if the television/Android reboots there is a (very critical) issue with the OS, not the app. To test the issue the developers just need to install the apps mentioned (again, enabling the VPN at boot).

[Anonymous]

Hi there

Unfortuantely this cannot be listed as a bug - Sony will simply say that the TV is functioning as per design and was never designed for these apps.  They arnt even listed in the Google Play TV Store.  So....  Besides, if its an OS issue, thats Google, not Sony.

If VPN is important to you on the TV, suggest adding the VPN settings in your router setup. 

Cheers

[Jecht_Sin]

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@Quinnicus wrote:

Besides, if its an OS issue, thats Google, not Sony.

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HI,

thanks (again) for your answer. But this time I have to disagree. The bug could be in the  proprietary code for Android made by Sony/Mediatek. Then if it is a bug in the Google code I think the manufacturers have better means to escalate it to Google.

I mean, technically this is also a security bug. One should be allowed to install any kind of app without the television ever rebooting. Simply because the OS must be protected enough for not giving any weird permission to user apps. Also troubleshooting this particular scenario may help to fix some random reboots occuring even having installed only certified apps (or nothing at all). I've got few reboots myself (with the system clean), the current version of Android TV doesn't seem really that stable to me.

[4KGOLD]

I have a similar issue with Opera VPN on my XD9305. I sideloaded it using ES Explorer and then had to use the Sony mobile app to use the mouse pointer feature to actvate the program (because Opera VPN is designed for mobile phone). I find that when I turn the TV off and then on again the TV reboots when the Opera VPN was on. If i force stop the Opera VPN before I turn off the TV, it will turn on as normal without rebooting. I may try Block This because I still get ads on my YouTube App (because it's not running through a browser)

[Michelasso]

Yes, I confirm the bug is triggered when the television wakes up from standby. I monitored it enabling "adb" in the developer settings, and checking the logcat via "adb logcat" (one needs first to do "adb connect <Television IP Addr>" to have adb working - still is stuff for experienced Android users in case).

It just takes few minutes in standby. I see quite some errors in the logcat after turning on the tv (with a nice "Mediatek" in front them, how surprising..), but my feeling is that it stops the adb connection before showing the Fatal Error related to it. Still the "reboot after waking up" seems quite common reading the forums, I don't believe it is related to unsupported apps only.

[Luigi_R]

I have the same problem with vpn too on the sony 49xd8077. I have tried two apps OpenVPN and PureVPN and in both case the tv crashes/reboot if the tv is turned off and on with a running vpn service. It is quite annoying since I have to remember eveytime to disconnect the vpn before switching off the tv.

Please fix this bug.

[Budhi108]

I use unlimited vpn from first day on my xd8077 and everything is fine.

no crash or reboting ever

[Michelasso]

@Luigi_R Thanks for confirming the issue is related to VPNs in general and not just the (VPN) ad blockers, as I suspected.

Are those two apps in the Play store for Android TV as well? In any case if anyhting causes an OS reboot the bug (in the OS) must be fixed.

[Luigi_R]

Thanks for replying to both of you! The first app is OpenVPN which is on Google Play store. I was about to enter a bug on that app when I thought to give a a try with another one first. I have installed PureVPN which is not there yet.

The behavior is the same, there no problem with the vpn itself, I can connect and use it without any problem.

But if I turn off the tv with a vpn service running (connected to a server), on the next usage the tv starts as usual but after few seconds reboots automatically showing the android startup logo (as if I had pressed the power off button more than 3 sec) 

[Jecht_Sin]

Yes, I get exactly the same behaviour when I use the two apps that I mentioned. More than few things are deeply wrong in the deep sleep. At least in my experience.

And thanks for confirming that OpenVPN in the Play Store for Android TV (I just doubled checked myself, now).