My Vodafone app doesn't work following Nougat upgrade

[aadshead]

I've just upgraded my Nexus 5X to Android 7 Nougat and since the upgrade I can't get the My Vodafone app to work.

I get a couple of seconds of splash screen then a page with a message saying "We're having a few technical difficulties at the moment. We're working hard to get things sorted." Underneath is a big 'retry' button.

I've tried clearing cache, resetting the app and uninstall/reinstall but none of these change anything.

Any similar experiences

[PW80805]

Tks but it's been 2 months already plus prior notice. Clearly not world peace but quite a pathetic stance from a company of Vodafone standing. Again suggest you send internal note to all client facing staff as they appear clueless as to the issue

[aadshead]

Thanks, but I don't think great justification for MyVodafone not working. I'm very familiar with the differences between iOS and Android.

Vodafone also sells sim only deals so it would be nice if they provided support for these customers.

I have 122 apps installed on my Android 7 phone and MyVodafone is the only one that doesn't work 😕

[hrym]

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@aadshead wrote:
Vodafone also sells sim only deals so it would be nice if they provided support for these customers.

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And they don't offer support for phones they don't sell.  That's not to say they won't work but, if you have issues, you may need to sort them out with the manufacturer.

It's not unreasonable that a network app would only be expected to provide full functionality with network branded firmware - ie Nougat compatibility will come once the network starts selling devices with it installed.   It's not a universal app that you'd expect to work anywhere anytime (though even some of those take a while to catch up with OS updates).

There are all kinds of advantages to buying phones SIM-free (and therefore unbranded), but there are also some downsides.   You have to balance them.

[bobpullen]

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@hrym wrote:

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@aadshead wrote:
Vodafone also sells sim only deals so it would be nice if they provided support for these customers.

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And they don't offer support for phones they don't sell. 

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*sigh*

Vodafone directly sold both the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 6p. Both now have official Android 7.0 builds pushed out to them.

Even so, 'not offering support for phones they don't sell' is an utterly shoddy stance to take anyway (as far as the app is concerned).

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@hrym wrote:

That's not to say they won't work

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They don't work. I think we've established that already haven't we?

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@hrym wrote:

It's not unreasonable that a network app would only be expected to provide full functionality with network branded firmware.

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I beg to differ. If you can't expect one of the largest *mobile* network operators in the country to ready their *mobile* app for a major OS upgrade, then who can you expect to do it?

None of the developers for any of the other 200+ apps I have installed seem to have struggled. Even if they had, I'd be far more forgiving on most of them because they're not major corporates/*mobile* network operators.

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@hrym wrote:

Nougat compatibility will come once the network starts selling devices with it installed.

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You sound very confident about that, so in the absence of any firm commitment from Vodafone, let's hope it does.

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@hrym wrote:

It's not a universal app that you'd expect to work anywhere anytime.

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Then Vodafone can stop sending me emails etc. promoting competitions that rely exclusively on having the app installed (and it working).

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@hrym wrote:

There are all kinds of advantages to buying phones SIM-free (and therefore unbranded), but there are also some downsides.   You have to balance them.

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This is not the consumers fault/responsibility. It is entirely Vodafone's.

[smids]

Sorry, hyrm, but with the greatest respect this is a ridiculous position to take.

Vodafone are a mobile network provider. As Vodafone are quick to remind us, when you take a contract out, you are contracting for a connection, not for a device. This app lets you access your account which is what customers are measured on with regards to the contract.

The app is a way for customers to manage their usage under the contract. It should be available for all customers, especially those who use the two most popular mobile operating systems out in the market. It is not about what devices, it is about supporting customers. 

The reason that Vodafone are losing traction in the market is due to poor network coverage (which they are trying to fix, commendably) and also due to customer service issues, widely reported the media. 

Vodafone can take the position of "we'll only support what we want" but in fact the updates to the app are not that complex for an android developer to fix, especially with about 6 months of beta to test on.

It's the latest operating system. iOS is supported quickly, as should android be, unless Vodafone want to lose more customers for issues that really are small and easily fixed. 

[PW80805]

Agreed. Pathetic by Vodafone, such a disjointed firm!!

[bobpullen]

I have 200+ apps and Voda is the only one that doesn't work. It's flabbergasting that some people see the need to justify why the necessary hasn't been done by Vodafone to ensure that their app was ready for Android 7.0.

The difference between iOS and Android really has nothing to do with it, neither does the fragmentation of the OS.

Google allowed anybody with the necessary device access to Nougat months in advance of it becoming publicly available. If there was a conscious decision by Voda not to prepare for the inevitable, and leave (tens/hundreds?) of thousands without access to the app, then that sucks. I honestly struggle to see how anyone can have a different opinion.

Not the end of the world, but come on, it's a pretty poor show from a mobile telco!

A simple 'sorry, we dropped the ball, but we're working on it' would be much better received compared to some of the shallow excuses given so far. Even if a timescale can't be shared.

[MPK222]

Yes. App update on 27 October 2016 and still not working on either Nexus 5X running 7.0 or Pixel with 7.1. Considering that Carphone Warehouse are selling the Pixel with a Vodafone plan, one might have thought that a functioning Vodafone app would have been developed for it.

Coincidentally, I received an SMS from Vodafone today stating "time is running out to enter The Big Prize Grab with the My Vodafone app."

Well played Vodafone.

[sdvl80]

Confirmed. The newly updated app still NOT working on Google Pixel... Neither does Wi-fi with Virgin on London Underground

[sdvl80]

Dear hrym,

The way I see it is a matter of full and transparent disclosure of the services offered by the carrier to customers.

Lack of support of My Vodafone app results in my phone not being correctly identified by the Virgin Media Wi-fi service on London Underground and so me being unable to use the Wi-fi. Vodafone widely advertises this service for all customers, on both phone and sim only plans: it doesn't say that the Wi-fi service is only offered to Sim only customers with certain versions of Android installed on their phones.

As far as I'm concerned, Wi-fi in the Underground was a determining factor of my decision to use Vodafone rather than a cheaper carrier - say Lebara or Giff gaff - that doesn't offer this service.

So, as far as I'm concerned, Vodafone provides misleading information about the services offered. In the absence of full and correct information, how am I supposed to balance upsides and downsides of going Sim free, as you say?

Thanks