FAQ

If a device does not receive message or call notifications

Learn what to do if your device or the one of your contact does not receive Olvid message or call notifications when connected to a network.

Solving this problem at the beginning of using Olvid often solves many others.

Change your device’s operating system settings when they prevent Olvid from receiving notifications or running in the background.

iOS

Change the Focus settings

You can customize Focus settings (introduced with iOS 15) and choose when you want to receive alerts and notifications. They can therefore limit the reception of Olvid alerts and notifications and its proper functioning.

  1. Go to  Settings >  Focus.
  2. Turn off the focus modes or adjust their settings to let Olvid run on your device.
  3. In each focus mode, add Olvid to the Apps whose notifications remain allowed.

Apple Support

Use Focus on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

Change the Energy saving mode settings

Low Power Mode reduces the amount of power that your device uses when the battery gets low. But some tasks might not work until you turn off Low Power Mode, or until you charge your battery to 80% or higher.

Disabling this mode allows you to update apps in the background and receive the Olvid system messages necessary for its proper functioning.

  1. Go to  Settings >  Battery.
  2. Disable Low Power Mode.
  3. Re-launch Olvid.

Apple Support

Use Low Power Mode to save battery life on your iPhone or iPad.

Change the Background App Refresh setting

This case is similar to the first one since Background App Refresh is essential for Olvid to work properly. Here is why.

To enable Background App Refresh,

  1. Go to  Settings >  Olvid.
  2. Enable  Background App Refresh.

  3. Tap  Notifications, and enable Allow Notifications.

    Sounds, Badges and Show Previews are recommended.

Apple Support

Use notifications on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Android

Enable Use foreground service

Using a foreground service prevents Olvid from being stopped by the system. A small icon is displayed in your notification area and can be hidden via the system settings.

  1. In Olvid, go to > Settings >  Notifications.
  2. Enable Use foreground service.

Reset all warnings

Olvid can detect and warn you about Android settings that could prevent it from working properly. For each warning message, you can choose to “Don’t show this message again” and the message will never be shown again.

So you can choose to reset these automatic checks and restore these dialogs to easily know which Android settings you should change first.

  1. In Olvid, go to > Olvid Settings > Other settings.
  2. Tap Reset all dialog warnings.

Change Android settings

Android settings vary depending on the brand of the device and its operating system. But overall, in the Android settings:

  1. Allow Display Notifications for Olvid.
  2. Enable Background Data to allow Olvid to run in the background.
  3. Make sure that Battery Optimization does not apply to Olvid.

Make sure that push notifications are received on Android

  1. Check that the Google APIs are installed. They are if you have access to the Play Store and can post a comment there.

  2. Two Android settings can forbid Olvid to download messages (even during the secure channel creation):

    • Data usage and
    • Battery saver.

Change the Data usage settings

Android 6 and higher

  1. On your Android device, open the Settings app (gear icon).
  2. Press Apps & notifications or Applications > App info.
  3. Scroll down the list of applications & tap Olvid. This takes you to the “App info” screen.
  4. Press Mobile data & Wi-Fi or Data usage.
  5. Enable Background data.
  6. Enable Unrestricted data usage.
  7. Press Back to return to App info.

Change the Battery saver settings

Android 10

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Settings app (gear icon).
  2. Press Battery. Battery saver is displayed On or Off.

Turning it off will solve all problems immediately. Then press Turn off now.

If you don’t want turn off Battery saver, you will have to exclude Olvid from this feature, in order for Olvid to fully work properly. Olvid is really not battery hungry. Here’s how:

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Settings app (gear icon) > Apps & notifications > App info.
  2. Find Olvid in the list and press its icon. App info screen opens.
  3. Press Advanced and then Battery.
  4. Press Battery optimization.
  5. Press Not optimized drop-down menu at the top and select All apps. The apps list is refreshing.
  6. Scroll down the list of applications & tap Olvid.
  7. Choose Don’t optimize (App will no longer be restricted from using background battery), then Done.
  8. You have returned to the previous screen. Check that Not optimized is displayed under Olvid.

Android 9 (Pie)

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Settings app (gear icon).
  2. Press Battery.
  3. Check under Background Activity Restriction to see if it says Background Battery Allowed, otherwise if it says Limited, press Remove Restriction.
  4. Press Power Save Function.
  5. Choose the Apply tab.
  6. Find Olvid and check the box.
  7. Backward and check that Exception is indicated under Power Usage Function.

Android 8 (Oreo)

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Settings app (gear icon).
  2. Press Battery > Battery Optimization.
  3. Select All apps.
  4. Find and press Olvid.
  5. Select Don’t optimize.

Android 7 or earlier

Nothing to do.

Android Help

Control notifications on Android.

Why is Background App Refresh required?

Olvid implements cryptographic protocols that sometimes require some system message exchanges that are invisible to the user. This is for example the case of the cryptographic messages allowing the creation of the secure channel between you and your new contacts.

Allowing background updating allows your Olvid application to perform these message exchanges in an optimal way, both in terms of bandwidth and battery usage. The latter is especially important. Background updating allows Olvid:

  • to never search for new messages without being sure that it is necessary.

  • and to finalize the cryptographic protocols (and thus the secure channel creation) even if you (or your contact) switch Olvid to the background.

This way, the next time you launch Olvid, the secure channels will be established, and you can chat with your contacts without waiting. Otherwise, read If the secure channel creation never ends.

For network administrators

  • Read the recommendations for network administrators.

  • Some firewalls and connection filters, or some VPN configurations may block the expected use of Olvid, like with any VoIP application.

    Pausing them sometimes does not change anything. They have to be turned off. When they are disabled, calls work fine.

iOS

Apple Support

Android

Android Help

Manage advanced network settings on your Android phone.

Interventions of third party applications

Applications that filter your network connections (such as Blokada, AdGuard and others) may block some connections and prevent Olvid from working properly.

  • The easiest way is to stop them, or even uninstall them, to see if this solves the problem.