Cause

Due to the latest policy requirements from Google, we needed to release an updated version.

The app itself didn’t undergo significant changes; we simply recompiled it using the latest version of Google’s Android libraries and updated the version number.

But, as we all know, the most important part of life is that “But.” This time, Google’s own library caused the issue.

In a place where our code shouldn’t have been blocked, an unexpected event was triggered that terminated the normal code execution.

This issue only occurs on Android 14 (Tiramisu) and above. Versions below Android 13 are not affected.

Solution

After identifying the issue, we simply removed the problematic code.

If we were to follow the proper solution, we would need to raise the minimum supported version to SDK Level 33, which is Android 13. However, that would render many users’ phones, including mine, incompatible.

So, between two undesirable options, we chose the lesser evil and removed the problematic code. This won’t impact the overall functionality.

New Version

The new version, which has been fixed, is already available. The version name remains V1.8.5, but it’s now based on a version that doesn’t have this issue.

So, if you’ve encountered a crash right after opening the app, please update again, and the issue should be resolved.

Although we’ve been “once again” let down by Google, it’s still our app’s issue, and we sincerely apologize to everyone. (Why did I say “again”?)

A Few Thoughts

In my opinion, there’s no need to make significant changes to a stable app, especially one that needs to be consistently reliable, like this one that’s often used while traveling. Any bugs introduced by changes can lead to disaster.

I’ve always believed in the philosophy of the Tatung rice cooker: as long as it can cook rice, it’s a good rice cooker.

But our great Google seems to feel uneasy unless they give developers something to do. Every now and then, they introduce policy changes, and we have to upgrade our API Level accordingly, or else we’ll be blocked from future updates.

This forces us to update every so often. If Google’s own software hasn’t been rigorously tested, issues like this can arise.

Users don’t know whose fault it is, so they just blame the app developers.

And we can only accept that.

That’s why I can never sleep well the night after releasing an update, fearing a flood of crash reports, only to find out that, once again, it’s Google’s fault.

Thank you for your understanding. The new version is up, and we wish you a pleasant trip!