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Background Sync on Android

Overview​

The Everdo Android app supports background sync, allowing your data to stay synchronized even when the app is not open. This page explains how background sync works, its limitations, and how to optimize it for your device.

How It Works​

Foreground Sync​

When the Everdo app is open and in the foreground, it automatically syncs every few seconds as long as network connectivity is available. This ensures your data stays up-to-date in real-time while you're actively using the app.

Background Sync​

When the app is not in the foreground, Everdo uses Android's WorkManager to periodically sync your data. The sync is scheduled to run every 15 minutes (WorkManager's minimum allowed interval) under the following conditions:

  • Network connectivity is available
  • Battery level is not critically low

Requirements​

Background sync only works when the Auto Sync setting is enabled in the app:

  1. Open Everdo
  2. Go to Settings
  3. Enable Auto Sync

If Auto Sync is disabled, background sync will not run, even though the background worker will still execute for other housekeeping tasks like scheduling repeating items.

Limitations​

Android's Battery Optimization​

Android devices aggressively optimize battery usage by restricting background work. Even though Everdo requests a 15-minute sync interval, Android may delay or skip background syncs based on:

  • Doze mode: When the device is idle and not charging, Android enters Doze mode, which defers background work
  • App Standby: If Everdo hasn't been used recently, Android may place it in a standby bucket that limits background execution
  • Manufacturer-specific optimizations: Some manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, etc.) add additional battery restrictions beyond stock Android

This means that in practice, background syncs may occur less frequently than every 15 minutes, especially on devices with aggressive power management.

Improving Background Sync Reliability​

You can improve background sync reliability by adjusting your device's battery optimization settings for Everdo.

Google Pixel and Stock Android​

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Everdo
  2. Tap Battery
  3. Select Unrestricted (allows background activity)

Samsung Devices​

Samsung devices have additional battery restrictions that can prevent background sync:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Everdo
  2. Tap Battery
  3. Disable Put app to sleep when unused
  4. Enable Allow background activity

Additionally, on some Samsung devices:

  1. Go to Settings → Battery and device care → Battery
  2. Tap Background usage limits
  3. Remove Everdo from Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps
  4. Add Everdo to Never sleeping apps

Other Manufacturers​

Many manufacturers (Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus, Oppo, etc.) have their own battery optimization systems. The general approach is to:

  1. Find the battery or power management settings
  2. Exempt Everdo from battery optimization or add it to an "always allowed" list
  3. Disable any "auto-start" or "background restriction" settings for Everdo

Verifying Background Sync​

To verify that background sync is working correctly, you can check your sync activity:

  1. Visit sync.everdo.net and sign in to your ESS account
  2. Check the Last Sync timestamp for your Android device
  3. If the timestamp updates periodically even when you haven't opened the app, background sync is working

Ongoing Improvements​

We are continuously working to improve background sync reliability and frequency on Android. The challenges are largely due to Android's power management restrictions, which vary across manufacturers and Android versions. We appreciate your patience and feedback as we work to provide the best possible sync experience.

If you experience issues with background sync, please let us know through our support channels.