Keep tab alive on Android mobile mode

KB 1002

Android

1pm works best with a persistent connection to it’s server, to receive updates and be as responsive as possible. If it’s being used to replace printed paper runsheets, it needs to be as responsive (meaning - no delays when going back to the browser tab).

Chromium based mobile browsers on Android devices such as Chrome and Edge all have built-in ‘optimisations’ to suspend inactive browser tabs after a certain period of idle time, and depending on the environment (memory and battery levels).

Although the technical term is discard, what’s actually happening is that the tab is being suspended.

They are doing this for a noble reason, to maintain battery life and reduce power consumption.

But there is no easy way to disable this feature (at least on mobile devices). This may change in the future, but for the time being there is a workaround which actually improves the overall experience of using 1pm.

At the bottom of the Shareable Agenda and Shareable Runsheet you will see a small switch called Keep Tab Alive that activates an audio player. We did think about playing ‘Staying Alive’ by the Bee Gees but the good news is that the audio doesn’t have to be audible, so the track that plays to keep the browser tab alive is completely silent ;)

You may notice the track lasts 30 seconds, and then repeats to ensure the track is playing all the time while you are in this mode so the runsheet should be immediately responsive on your return to that browser tab. That means it won’t need to refresh. Please do not mute the audio, as the track is not audible and this will defeat the purpose.

On Android there may be a link on your home lock screen which you can just tap at any time to return to the live runsheet once unlocked. We think this could be pretty helpful if you are using other apps, and just want to quickly navigate back to the live runsheet. This appears because we are playing a silent track in the background of the tab.

Note: In general terms it is advisable to maintain a higher battery level on your mobile device too, to discourage aggressive browser tab suspensions.

Please note that your particular environment (hardware, software, operating system, battery level etc.) will be entirely unique. Therefore, we can only make generalisations, but using the

Windows

If you are using a desktop based computer or notebook the Chrome browser has more direct options for affecting tab suspending.

In most cases tabs are not suspended unless memory is running low.

The good news is that you can easily make Chrome not suspend 1pm tabs (including the home screen, and live runsheets).

The option to do this in Chrome in under Settings, Performance.

Timeout

Switching this on will last 8 hours, after which a normal refresh of the page is required, if the tab is suspended (and the switch should be activated again).

• What about desktop browsers?

  Most desktop browsers such as Chrome, Safari and Edge run 1pm absolutely fine without using the 'Stay Alive on Mobile Mode'. Desktop browsers. There is also an option within both Chrome and Edge to disable discards for a particular tab, but in most cases you shouldn't need to use this (unless your notebook gets low on batteries or memory - for example).

  See the advice and screenshot for Chrome above for more information.

  Please note that individual desktop browsers will have different screens/options for keeping tabs active.

• Are there any other options?

  Yes you can just refresh the page once you get back to your mobile browser tab. 1pm will then reload, but this could take several seconds. During a busy event, most people just don't have seconds to spare - so we recommend activating the 'Stay Alive on Mobile Mode'.

• Will this change in the future?

  Yes it could change in the future as browsers change their behaviour, but we will update 1pm and this support article to provide relevant, up to date advice. For example, Chrome might provide a way for the user or developer to easily override the auto discard tab feature.

• How do I know if my browser tab was discarded?

  Every browser will behave differently and we haven't tested every browser available, but common signs will include having to reload the 1pm page, or waiting a few seconds will 'Reconnecting to 1pm' appears on the top left hand corner of the page. Another common sign in Chrome is 'You are viewing an offline copy of this page' with a RELOAD PAGE button. Using the 'Stay Alive on Mobile Mode' should avoid these situations and allow you to continue using 1pm without delays.

• What if I am using an iPad?

  Our testing in July 2024 has revealed the 'Staying Alive on Mobile' mode is not needed when using an iPad or any iOS device, as the built-in reconnection logic is much more sophisticated. Your experience may vary depending on your environment and hardware.

• What about battery usage?

  Going into 'Stay Alive on Mobile' mode by starting the silent audio track will not use significantly greater battery.

  We have tested this on a Pixel 7 Pro and the runsheet remained fully live without any refresh required for 12 hours, and used approximately 30% of battery. It was used intermittingly during this period.

  So playing the audio track alone will not cause excessive battery drain or cpu usage on your mobile device.