A7RIII GPS with Android not reconnecting

[quickster]

Hi guys,

Before I start: I've checked the forum and there were several threats around this but none that matched my question:

I'm using a OnePlus 6 phone which I got perfectly paired with my A7RIII if I leave both devices ON everything works as expected even if my phone's screen goes black however if I switch the A7RIII OFF and ON again the connection doesn't get reastablished until I unlock my phone again.

First I thought that this might be the best I could expect however with my BT headphones it works perfectly. My assumption was that it had something to do with the engerysaving settings but before I look into any solution:

Can anyone confirm that the A7RIII reconnects after it gets turned on again?

Thanks for your support!

Cheers,

quickster

 

[NumberOne]

Hi guys,

Before I start: I've checked the forum and there were several threats around this but none that matched my question:

I'm using a OnePlus 6 phone which I got perfectly paired with my A7RIII if I leave both devices ON everything works as expected even if my phone's screen goes black however if I switch the A7RIII OFF and ON again the connection doesn't get reastablished until I unlock my phone again.

First I thought that this might be the best I could expect however with my BT headphones it works perfectly. My assumption was that it had something to do with the engerysaving settings but before I look into any solution:

Can anyone confirm that the A7RIII reconnects after it gets turned on again?

As long as you have «PlayMemories Mobile» running with «Location Information Linkage» set to ON the "GPS Position" will be added to your photos every time you turn your camera On and take a picture. - Unless your OnePlus6 is different from my Samsung Galaxy S6 regarding Lock/Unlock it should work the same way, I believe...

Thanks for your support!

Cheers,

quickster

All the best,
Pedro

 

[quickster]

That was what I was expecting but it seems to be different with Oneplus: Connection stays active no matter if the screens are off or on, however if the phone's screen is off and the A7RIII gets turned on again it won't reconnect anymore until I unlock the phone again.

 

[NumberOne]

That was what I was expecting but it seems to be different with Oneplus: Connection stays active no matter if the screens are off or on, however if the phone's screen is off and the A7RIII gets turned on again it won't reconnect anymore until I unlock the phone again.

...We are always learning and discovering new things!

Leaving «PlayMemories Mobile» running with «Location Information Linkage» set to ON and shutting down the (my) phone and starting it again after just puts you back where you were before!

...So if you go and turn the A7M3 On (or if it was left On) everything is working as before and "GPS Positioning" is added/writen to your images!

...Thus it looks this is a well implemented solution/useful layout and Sony Software Developers had it right since the beginning - Maybe they are also users/photographers this time around?!

All the best,
Pedro

 

[quickster]

Well at least I've learned that there are setups that work as I would expect them to work. Right now I can confirm that it doesn't work for Huawei Mate 9 / 10 and OnePlus. I still have no clue why but I assume it has something to do with their energy-saving mode (which I guess can't be changed).

 

[Andy M]

If I remember correctly I had that issue on a Samsung S7, I think it was a re-setup that solved the issue. It was a real pain to set up on the Sony compared to the Panasonic method. However, my perception is that I’m seeing increased power drain when not in range of the camera so I need to determine if that is the Sony app causing it. If so the Panasonic method must be better as I’ve not noticed that during the last year of usage.

It’s also frustrating Sony see the need to keep a permanent notification in place, I don’t have that with the equivalent Panasonic app. I found turning off notifications for the Sony app causes it to break GPS logging. :-(

 

[quickster]

Thanks for your feedback!

I just went through the whole setup again and came to the exact same result.

It works perfectly until the connection drops for the first time. Then I can only reconnect by unlocking the phone.

I'm 99% sure it's applicable for every Oreo user. I just wonder why noone else has a similar experience.

 

[maartene]

I'm having the same/similar isue. I have a Samsung S7 and since the recent Android upgrade I have to switch the connection off and on again in the app to connect. If I leave the camera on it will reconnect for a couple of hours. If I turn the camera off it will not reconnect and I have to disable, re-enable.

All in all the app is a disgrace. I would have expected Sony to come up with something that actually works.

maarten

 

[Andy M]

Mine now hasn’t connected for a few weeks. I haven’t yet felt like clearing it all and starting again. It’s really poor compared to Panasonic’s implementation that just works for me and doesn’t leave crap in my notification window.

 

[NumberOne]

I'm having the same/similar isue. I have a Samsung S7 and since the recent Android upgrade I have to switch the connection off and on again in the app to connect. If I leave the camera on it will reconnect for a couple of hours. If I turn the camera off it will not reconnect and I have to disable, re-enable.

All in all the app is a disgrace. I would have expected Sony to come up with something that actually works.

maarten

...So, since the Android / Samsung S7 upgrade the connection doesn't work properly as before and it's Sony fault!?


All the best,
Pedro

 

[maartene]

...So, since the Android / Samsung S7 upgrade the connection doesn't work properly as before and it's Sony fault!?

All the best,
Pedro

Yes. Sony doesn't seem to keep up with Android upgrades.

Whenever there is an IOS or Android update you typically see many app-creators upgrade their apps for (minor) bugs with compatibility. Sony has to realize it isn't a matter of just creating an app once off. The maintenance is the part that comes with it. Sony still seems to live in the old desktop PC world where you'd have an upgrade every 1 or 2 years. Therefore it is my conclusion that Sony is not fit for the mobile world yet.

maarten

 

[NumberOne]

...So, since the Android / Samsung S7 upgrade the connection doesn't work properly as before and it's Sony fault!?

All the best,
Pedro

Yes. Sony doesn't seem to keep up with Android upgrades.

Whenever there is an IOS or Android update you typically see many app-creators upgrade their apps for (minor) bugs with compatibility. Sony has to realize it isn't a matter of just creating an app once off. The maintenance is the part that comes with it. Sony still seems to live in the old desktop PC world where you'd have an upgrade every 1 or 2 years. Therefore it is my conclusion that Sony is not fit for the mobile world yet.

maarten

Still strange as my up-to-date (Android) «Samsung Galaxy S6» continues perfectly working with my A7RM3!

...And - just out of curiosity - why not include Android in the blame, too?!


All the best,
Pedro

 

[quickster]

...And - just out of curiosity - why not include Android in the blame, too?!

All the best,
Pedro

Well, that's an easy one: Every other app-developer is able to keep up with the Android updates. And actually noone asked Sony for an app-driven solution. If they don't want to invest in app-updates they could offer a GPS hardware for the hotshoe and I would even pay for it.

 

[dfliss]

Thanks for your feedback!

I just went through the whole setup again and came to the exact same result.

It works perfectly until the connection drops for the first time. Then I can only reconnect by unlocking the phone.

I'm 99% sure it's applicable for every Oreo user. I just wonder why noone else has a similar experience.

Hi quickster,

I can confirm that I'm having exactly the same issue with my Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and my A7RM3.

Everytime I turn on my camera I have to try and remember to also tap the power button on my phone to reestablish the connection. Very frustrating.

 

[SMAW]

Same here with an OnePlus 5T with Sony a7III

Does anyone already found an workaround?

PS. I also found a way to turn off battery optimization for this app... Still doesn't help

 

[oxwald]

Same problem with Oneplus 5 with android 8 / 9.

There is another thread about this:

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