Dear Blokada Community,
We hope this message finds you well. We would like to provide an update regarding our recent release, version 23.3.4, which was rolled out on Android. We understand that some of you have experienced issues with this release, and we want to take a moment to address these concerns.
Firstly, we would like to extend our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience you may have faced due to the problems associated with release 23.3.4. We understand that this release did not meet our usual standards, and we are committed to rectifying these issues as swiftly as possible.
Here’s a summary of the key points related to release 23.3.4:
- New Flutter Engine on Android: This release marked the introduction of the new Flutter engine on Android, which had already been successfully implemented on iOS. Unfortunately, it encountered unexpected issues on the Android platform.
- Urgent Release: We were compelled to rush this release because Google Play imposed a strict 3-day deadline before delisting our app. To prompt a review from Google Play, a new update was required, leading us to proceed with version 23.3.4.
- Testing and Rollout: Prior to the release, version 23.3.4 was thoroughly tested within our beta group for a period of two weeks. Regrettably, certain issues went unnoticed during this phase. Additionally, the rollout to 100% of users was expedited, as opposed to our usual gradual approach of starting with 5%.
- Rollback: Due to the unforeseen issues, we have initiated a rollback to version 23.1.10, which has been renamed to 23.3.8 and is currently live.
Aftermath and Ongoing Investigations:
- Account ID Reset: Some users experienced a reset of their Account IDs due to code changes. We have taken steps to mitigate this issue, and the upcoming build will ensure proper retrieval of old account IDs if they existed.
- Notification Settings: Users encountered problems with enabling notifications, with the system settings switch being grayed out. This issue persists in the rollback version, but it is less impactful since the new version explicitly requests notification permissions upon startup. Investigations are ongoing, and this may be related to the new target API 33 or a specific bug on Samsung devices.
- Increased Crash and ANR Rates: We have observed an increase in crash rates and instances of the application not responding (ANR). The primary issue is related to Flutter rendering, and we are actively working to identify and implement a solution. Additionally, an easily fixable error related to permissions is being addressed.
We want to reassure you that we are dedicated to resolving these issues promptly and delivering a more stable and improved experience. Our team is diligently investigating the root causes and actively working on fixes.
We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging period. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we encourage you to reach out to our support team with any further concerns or issues you may encounter.
Thank you for being a part of the Blokada community, and we remain committed to delivering a reliable and secure ad-blocking solution.