Xfinity Connect Mobile App

[schulzmc]

Is there any plan to add push alerts to the app - specifically when I have a new voice mail message? 

[charvey · Accepted solution]

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schulzmc wrote:
Is there any plan to add push alerts to the app - specifically when I have a new voice mail message? 

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Yes we are working on that now. As you probably know Apple  doesn't allow background apps, so we are working on a push mechanism for email, voicemail, program reminders and anything else that is sensible.

[schulzmc]

That's great news! A push alert that I have a voicemail waiting would be awesome.

[charvey]

Agreed. We're trying to make this as functionally complete as we can.

[JimD18GE]

I want to add my request for this feature.  Having to open the app to check for new email/voicemail takes this app from a 10 on the useful to have down to a 5.  

I also want to say the voicemail app is great and far superior to the web application.  Thanks!

[charvey]

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JimD18GE wrote:

I want to add my request for this feature.  Having to open the app to check for new email/voicemail takes this app from a 10 on the useful to have down to a 5.  

I also want to say the voicemail app is great and far superior to the web application.  Thanks!

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Push notification is coming but remember Apple only released this capability with the 3.0 release so many app developers are pushing hard to add this feature which has always been exlusive to the iPhone core apps like the mail.app.

We agree push notification is a must have but the devil is in the details and it's not simple.

[Chip_Nashville]

For a temporary work-around for this issue, I am forwarding a copy of my Comcast e-mails to my phone as text messages.  You have to use phonenumber@txt.att.net instead of phonenumber@mms.att.net.  I was forwarding a copy of my e-mails to an att.net e-mail address and using the core iPhone e-mail app, but that is just too confusing and I have problems with the core iPhone e-mail app via WiFi.

[schulzmc]

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Chip_Nashville wrote:
For a temporary work-around for this issue, I am forwarding a copy of my Comcast e-mails to my phone as text messages.  You have to use phonenumber@txt.att.net instead of phonenumber@mms.att.net.  I was forwarding a copy of my e-mails to an att.net e-mail address and using the core iPhone e-mail app, but that is just too confusing and I have problems with the core iPhone e-mail app via WiFi.

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Thanks! This works really well. 

[Morac2]

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charvey wrote:

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schulzmc wrote:
Is there any plan to add push alerts to the app - specifically when I have a new voice mail message? 

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Yes we are working on that now. As you probably know Apple  doesn't allow background apps, so we are working on a push mechanism for email, voicemail, program reminders and anything else that is sensible.

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Any time frame for when this will be out?  

[charvey]

Yes, in the next release which we're testing right now. Hoping to have it out just before Christmas or if it doesn't make it, it'll be early January.

[zanary]

Hey Charvey,

Now that's it's 3 days before Christmas, can you give us a release schedule for the new version?  I keep checking every day, but it doesn't show that it's available.

Please let us know when the new release schedule is.

[zanary]

Hey Charvey,

Now that's it's 12 hours before Christmas, can you give us a release schedule for the new version?  I keep checking every day, but it doesn't show that it's available.

Please let us know when the new release schedule is.

[charvey]

Sure. End of Jan currently. It's a big update with some huge features such as remote DVR recording and push notification. We're going through testing right now.

[Morac2]

With January having come and gone, is the new version close to release?

[charvey]

Yep hopefully within the month of Feb depending on how long Apple takes to approve the app.

[Morac2]

Well the new Comcast 2.0 app with push is here, but push doesn't seem to work.  See my response to the announcement for the 2.0 app.

[charvey]

It's working, you just have to wait a little longer than you were.

[Morac2]

Yeah I noticed.  I guess I got spoiled by the instantaneous push email from Yahoo and MobileMe. 

[charvey]

Yep and we'll work to make it more instantaneous, but right now it's up to 5 mins for email and 10 mins for voice.

[Morac2]

I still don't think it's working 100%.  I got an email that I received a new voice mail 20 minutes ago, but I never received a push notification for it.

I then sent myself a test email and I got a push notification for that about 30 seconds later.

So, at least for me, push is working for emails, but not for voice mails.

Edit: 

I removed and reinstalled the application and now push notifications aren't working for emails either.  I'm waiting at least 15 minutes, but no notification.

Message Edited by Morac2 on 02-19-2010 11:34 AM

[charvey]

Thanks Morca.. we're looking at it. We're seeing an oddity too.

[Morac2]

Thanks. 

I'll just mention I tried some trouble shooting by deleting the app again, turning the phone off, adding the app and then turning the phone off again.

I just receive a push email notification for an email I sent a few minutes ago so email notifications seem to be working again (mostly).

I also just left myself a test voice-mail message.  I'm not going to open the app or check my voice mail until I either get a notification or a few hours pass.

Edit:

First succesful voice mail push alert!  Yay!  

Message Edited by Morac2 on 02-19-2010 11:59 AM

[charvey]

Thanks Morac.

We're still looking at something regarding push so be prepared for a little sporadity.

[kcft]

Push for voicemail is not working for me either.  I am sure I am using the correct settings.  And I tried deleting and reinstalling the app but it still does not work.  

[charvey]

Ok, we can look into that, but what do you mean it's "Not working". What have you done?

EDIT: In looking at the logs, it looks like we sent you a voicemail alert around 4pm EST yesterday. Can you confirm if you received it?

Message Edited by charvey on 02-21-2010 08:25 AM

[kcft]

Well, I don't get any kind of notification for my voicemail.  No sound, no badge, nothing.  I did not receive anything yesterday at 4 pm.  

Today I tried another test.  Left myself a voicemail at home, then waited 10, 20, 30 mins.  I did receive the email alerting me of a voicemail just 1 minute after I left it, but no push notification at all.  So I tried  to delete the app, reboot, reinstall the app, reboot once again.  Now I am in deeper trouble.  When I entered my login and pwd i got this message "Comcast Mobile encountered an error in initialization.  Please try again".  I tried several times and I just get the same message and/or the app crashes.  So I cannot get my voicemail at all now, not even manually.  I tried to login from my computer to get it that way and I get another error message "Sorry, we are unable to complete your request at this time. Please try again.    [Error DVC-111]".  Please help!

[charvey]

kcft, yeah you just got caught in an issue on another system that's causing syncronization and initialization errors with the app.

They are working on the other system that also is affecting Smartzone and DVC, once fixed you should be able to initialize.

As to the VM's I do see we pushed a badge to Apple yesterday at 4pm. When you are installed and running again, try your VM test again and let me know what time you leave yourself a message and I'll look in our logs.

One thing to note is that Apple doesn't guarantee the delivery of the push notification. We can submit it but they don't have to honor the delivery.

[Morac2]

I reliably get push notifications for emails (mostly), but I'm finding push notifications for voice mail to be more miss than hit.   I've only ever gotten 2 notifications and in both cases they were test messages I left myself.

Today I got a voicemail at 3:44 PM EDT.  I have SmartZone send me an email to my Yahoo address on a voice mail notification so I got the push mail notification on my phone instantly.  I waited until 4:00 PM EDT for the Comcast push notification, before opening the app to listen to the voice mail.  I never got the push notificaiton.  

I sent myself a test voice mail message at 4:20 PM EDT.  I sent it by calling into the voice mailbox, logging into my voice mail box and sending it that way (so I wouldn't have to ring my house).  Got the email immediately.  At 4:25 PM I got a push notification for the voice mail.

I understand that push notifications aren't guaranteed to arrive, but other than occasional blips here and there, I never have issues receiving them.   Other apps push reliably even at the times that the Comcast app fails to notify me of voice mails.

Like I said, the only times I ever gotten push notifications for voice mail are when I call myself as a tests.

I performed 3 addtional tests today.  I left 2 voice mail messages and 1 email (at different times).  No push notification was received for the voice mail, but it was for the email.  See this thread.