BUG: Android 6.0.1 reboots after enabling VPN apps

[Jecht_Sin]

I have installed via USB and tested Block This (open source) and Adguard (not together. One per time) on my KD49XD8099 with Android 6.0.1 and they simply worked great! No more annoying ads (yes, I know. Companies don't like it, especially Google, but they are perfectly legal. Also we are allowed by Android itself to install whatever we like).

The only problem is that after turning the TV off (standby) few hours, when I turn it on the television starts rebooting. Uninstalling them the television (and rebooting just in case) Android becomes "stable" again (quoted because I've got reboots even without tampering with special apps). The apps were set to enable the VPN at boot. Not that it should matter, since the reboot happens just putting the tv in standby.

Now, I do understand that an external app, not made specifically for Android TV may not work (but as I wrote they actually do the job they are made for), but if the television/Android reboots there is a (very critical) issue with the OS, not the app. To test the issue the developers just need to install the apps mentioned (again, enabling the VPN at boot).

[robmello]

ExpressVPN is a mainstream (if not THE Legal VPN Android app).

To use this and have it f*** up a £1,000 TV is utterly unacceptable. We invest in the hardware for reliability. We've lived upto our side Sony, please do likewise.

Sent from my Huawei Mobile

[Luigi_R]

I would not hope on having the source-code from Sony. It would have taken "5 mins" with a debugger to solve it.

PS: I have mapped the Sony TV remote on raspberry pi to switch vpn server from the couch using the same remote controller :-P. 

[rapraprap]

PS: I have mapped the Sony TV remote on raspberry pi to switch vpn server from the couch using the same remote controller :-P.

Clever. Hmm I do have a spare raspi and a USB IR receiver... I have been using a bash script to SSH to my router from my phone and change the VPN when needed. But mostly I do this for other devices and just stick to openVPN on the TV and (mostly) remember to shut it off 😛

[robmello]

Found another work around as I (inevtiably) left the VPN running when I switched off before bed. 

Rather than go through another factory reset, I found that switching the router off allows the TV to boot normally and you can then turn on the VPN on safely. 

Resetting the router far speedier than a factory reset!

[makeitsimple]

Thank you all the answers (unfortunately bad news)! I hoped is a better way to remediate than the factory reset.
The ExpressVPN customer service was very prompt, but I believe they didn't really understood what's the issue...
I checked and clicked the setting to not connect at the boot, however the issue is still there.
For now I trained my 5, 8 and 10 years old to always unhook before switching the Tv off (sure immediately after even the 10 years old missed to do that... :o)).
Reading your comments I realize I can transform one of my phones in a wifi hotspot and run the VPN on that, not an elegant solution, definitely don't make it simplier, but works for now...

[Rob1980]

I've just found myself here by luck.

Basically my Sony Bravia KD55XE9005 kept getting stuck into a reboot loop, I had no choice other than to reset the whole thing and keep starting over.

Today I decided to sart again, one app at a time to see what caused the crashing, but I had a few installed before it did.

Then I found out how to restart the tv in safe mode, and remove one app at a time.. eventually finding out ExpressVPN was my isssue.

So although I dont have a fix for the issue yet, I at least have a method of getting the tv to boot again without losing all of my apps and settings.

Simply hold the Volume down button on the back of the tv during the boot loop until Safe mode is displayed on the bottom left of your TV, them remove the offending app (you may be able to force stop it and restart, Ive not tried yet)

To exit safe mode, hold the power button on the remote until it restarts.

[robmello]

Ron1980, you don't need to uninstall the app and go into safe mode etc.

You can use the app but just need to remember to turn it off before you switch the TV off.

However if you forget and the TV goes into the boot loop, just turn off your router. The TV will then boot normally and you can then switch on your router again.

[Rob1980]

Hi robmello, I was replying to the post above mine regarding having to rest everything, however I hadnt tried your suggestion with the router which I've just tried. I left the VPN enabled, put my Tv into standby, restarted for it to go into the boot loop as expected. I then switched off my router, it would still reboot over continuosly but I noticed it took longer, I was able to quickly open Express VPN app during that time and stop it from attempting to reconnect.

Is that how you would dexcribe it, or are you able to leave the TV on without it rebooting at all once your router is turned off?

In any case, it seems to me a simple option within the VPN application to not try to auto reconnect on a disconnect would resolve the issue but we at least have a rough fix without having to lose apps every time now and your router method is probably a bit quicker / easier that safe mode should we require it.

Thank You

[robmello]

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@Rob1980 wrote:

Hi robmello, I was replying to the post above mine regarding having to rest everything, however I hadnt tried your suggestion with the router which I've just tried. I left the VPN enabled, put my Tv into standby, restarted for it to go into the boot loop as expected. I then switched off my router, it would still reboot over continuosly but I noticed it took longer, I was able to quickly open Express VPN app during that time and stop it from attempting to reconnect.

Is that how you would dexcribe it, or are you able to leave the TV on without it rebooting at all once your router is turned off?

In any case, it seems to me a simple option within the VPN application to not try to auto reconnect on a disconnect would resolve the issue but we at least have a rough fix without having to lose apps every time now and your router method is probably a bit quicker / easier that safe mode should we require it.

Thank You

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Hi Rob1980,

I think it went through the boot loop once before rebooting with the router off.

At least we have a workaround  as you say, still poor from Express VPN and Sony though given the cost of the app/hardware.

[russdeebrown]

Found myself here after installing avast VPN from the play store.

TV was rebooting when I turned it on from standby. This would only happen once though. Didn't get stuck in a cycle. 

Has Sony commented on this? 

Do we know if installing android 8.0 will help with the issue. I'll side load it if it does as in the UK, auto update doesn't work at the moment. 

Cheers

Russ