Fix: Mobile App Stuck Indexing Tezos Address

Is your Feral File mobile app stuck in an endless "Indexing" loop after importing your Tezos address? You're not alone! This article dives into a critical issue affecting Tezos collectors using the Feral File mobile app. We'll explore the bug, its impact, and potential causes. Let's get those digital artworks displaying correctly!

Overview – Why This Matters

Tezos collectors are facing a significant hurdle with the Feral File mobile app. The onboarding flow is completely blocked because, after importing a Tezos address, the app frustratingly remains stuck in the "Indexing" state. This occurs even when the backend indexer has fully completed its job. Imagine the frustration: you're ready to view your prized digital artworks, but the app refuses to budge. This isn't just a minor inconvenience; it's a major UX blocker preventing users from accessing their collections. For users eager to engage with their digital art, the inability to view their artworks renders the app virtually unusable.

The impact of this issue extends beyond mere user frustration. It directly affects the perceived value and usability of the Feral File platform for Tezos users. A smooth and intuitive onboarding experience is crucial for retaining users and encouraging further engagement with the platform. When new users encounter such a significant roadblock right from the start, it can create a negative impression and deter them from exploring the platform's offerings. Moreover, existing users who encounter this issue may become discouraged from actively using the app, leading to a decline in overall platform activity. Addressing this issue promptly and effectively is, therefore, essential to maintain a positive user experience and ensure the continued growth and success of the Feral File platform within the Tezos community.

The "Indexing" state issue can also lead to increased support requests and negative feedback, placing a strain on the development team and potentially impacting the platform's reputation. Resolving this bug not only improves the user experience but also streamlines the app's functionality, reducing the likelihood of future issues. It is not only a technical fix but also an investment in user satisfaction and the overall health of the Feral File ecosystem. By prioritizing this issue, the development team can demonstrate its commitment to providing a seamless and enjoyable experience for all users, fostering a strong and engaged community around the platform.

Bug Details

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of this pesky bug. Here's a breakdown of how to reproduce it, what should happen, and what actually happens.

Reproduction Steps:

1. Open the Feral File mobile app (version v0.64.2(2)). Make sure you're running the specified version to accurately replicate the issue.
2. Import the Tezos address einstein-rosen.tez. This is the specific address that triggers the bug, allowing for consistent testing and replication.
3. Patiently wait several minutes for indexing to complete. It's important to allow sufficient time for the indexing process to run its course.
4. Observe that the app UI stubbornly remains stuck on "Indexing…" without displaying any artworks. This persistent "Indexing" state is the core symptom of the bug.
5. Verify backend indexing by directly querying the indexer API. You should see that it reports 281 total tokens indexed for this address. This confirms that the backend has completed its work.
6. Inspect Temporal to confirm that the workflow for this address shows "Completed." This provides further evidence that the backend processes have finished successfully.
7. Try restarting the app or using pull-to-refresh. Despite these attempts, the app remains stuck in the "Indexing" state, indicating a deeper issue.

Expected Behavior:

The expected behavior is quite straightforward. Once the backend indexer has finished its job and indexed all 281 tokens, the mobile app should seamlessly transition out of the "Indexing" state. Specifically, the app should cease displaying the "Indexing" message and promptly showcase all artworks associated with the imported Tezos address. This smooth transition would provide users with immediate access to their digital collections, ensuring a positive and intuitive user experience. When the Temporal workflow is marked as "Completed," it serves as a final confirmation that all backend processes have been successfully executed, triggering the app to update its display and present the user's artworks. This expected behavior aligns with the intended functionality of the app, providing users with a clear indication that their data has been processed and is ready for viewing.

Actual Behavior:

Unfortunately, the actual behavior deviates significantly from the expected outcome. Instead of transitioning out of the "Indexing" state, the UI remains stubbornly stuck, displaying the "Indexing" message indefinitely. This persistent state prevents users from viewing any of their artworks, effectively blocking access to their digital collections. Even though backend systems, such as the indexer and Temporal, confirm that all work has been completed and all 281 tokens have been fetched, the mobile app fails to recognize this completion and update its display. This discrepancy between the backend and frontend states strongly suggests a client-side state transition bug, indicating a potential issue with the app's ability to detect workflow completion, handle subscriptions, manage polling, or utilize cached data. The inability of the app to move beyond the "Indexing" state despite the successful completion of backend processes creates a frustrating and confusing experience for users, hindering their ability to engage with their digital artworks.

This behavior points towards a potential client-side state transition bug. It could be a failure to detect workflow completion, a subscription not firing correctly, a polling mechanism getting stuck, a stale cache interfering with the update, or even an unexpected status code causing the issue.

Environment:

• Platform: iOS
• Mobile App Version: v0.64.2(2)
• Network: Wi-Fi, no VPN

Logs/Screenshots:

Potential Causes and Solutions

Delving into the potential causes of this frustrating "Indexing" issue, it appears that a client-side state transition bug may be the culprit. Several factors could contribute to this bug, including the app's failure to accurately detect workflow completion, a malfunctioning subscription mechanism, a polling process that gets stuck, a stale cache that interferes with updates, or even an unexpected status code that disrupts the transition. To address these potential causes, a multifaceted approach is required, involving meticulous code review, debugging, and testing. One potential solution involves examining the app's logic for detecting workflow completion and ensuring that it correctly interprets the completion signal from the backend systems. Additionally, the subscription mechanism should be thoroughly investigated to confirm that it is properly subscribed to the relevant events and that it is accurately receiving and processing updates. The polling mechanism should also be scrutinized to ensure that it is functioning as intended and that it is not getting stuck in an infinite loop. Furthermore, the app's cache management should be reviewed to prevent stale data from interfering with the update process. By systematically addressing these potential causes, the development team can effectively identify and resolve the underlying issue, ensuring a seamless and frustration-free user experience.

Another avenue to explore involves examining the communication between the mobile app and the backend indexer. It is possible that there is a discrepancy in the data being transmitted or received, leading to the app's inability to correctly interpret the indexing status. To address this, the development team should carefully analyze the API requests and responses exchanged between the app and the indexer, ensuring that the data format and content are consistent and accurate. Any discrepancies or inconsistencies should be rectified to ensure seamless communication and accurate status reporting. Moreover, it is essential to investigate the app's error handling mechanisms to identify and address any potential errors that may be occurring during the indexing process. By thoroughly examining the communication channels and error handling procedures, the development team can gain valuable insights into the root cause of the issue and implement appropriate solutions to resolve it.

To further enhance the app's reliability and prevent future occurrences of this issue, it is crucial to implement comprehensive testing and monitoring procedures. Automated tests should be developed to simulate various scenarios and ensure that the app correctly handles different indexing states and completion signals. These tests should cover a wide range of edge cases and potential error conditions to identify and address any weaknesses in the app's logic. In addition to automated testing, real-time monitoring of the app's performance and resource usage can provide valuable insights into its behavior and identify potential bottlenecks or performance issues. By continuously monitoring the app's performance and proactively addressing any issues that arise, the development team can ensure that the app remains stable, reliable, and user-friendly over time. This proactive approach to testing and monitoring will not only prevent future occurrences of the "Indexing" issue but also improve the overall quality and robustness of the Feral File mobile app.

Next Steps

This issue requires immediate attention to unblock Tezos users and ensure a smooth onboarding experience. The development team should prioritize investigating the potential causes outlined above and implementing the necessary fixes. Thorough testing is crucial to ensure that the fix resolves the issue without introducing any new problems. Clear communication with users about the progress of the fix will also help manage expectations and maintain user trust.

Conclusion

The "Indexing" bug in the Feral File mobile app is a critical issue that significantly impacts the user experience for Tezos collectors. By understanding the bug's details, potential causes, and proposed solutions, the development team can effectively address this issue and restore a seamless onboarding experience for all users. Resolving this bug is not only essential for maintaining user satisfaction but also for ensuring the continued growth and success of the Feral File platform within the Tezos community.

For more information on Tezos and its ecosystem, visit the Tezos Foundation website.