Are there Android Gospel Library issues?

My previously all-OK Gospel Library won't synch such things as magazines and videos. Message say that I must have Internet and wifi. I do lhave both, ALL other apps have no trouble with data. I tried wifi on and off. Android version 6.0.
I successfully synched LDS tools on it last night after the library issue was manifest..

I have another Android that I am using as a wifi only; no internet service. Again all data services, emails, web, everything is working on it via wifi, but..... I tried to install Gospel Library on it to see if it behaves differently. The install was fine. But when I clicked to open the newly installed Gospel Library on this phone, it simply said that I must have internet. I just successfully synched LDS Tools on this. Android version 7.1.1 on this.

Danielbaker2@yahoo.com

danielbaker2 wrote:My previously all-OK Gospel Library won't synch such things as magazines and videos.

When you say it won't sync do you mean notes or bookmarks will not sync or do you mean the magazines and videos will not download?

Magazines and videos will not download. There may be other things that won't download. To describe more fully, previously downloaded magazines February and older are there and do open. I lagged in downloading for a couple months. The newer ones will not download, and that message appears. Again, my internet and wifi are just fine on that phone.

And again, I could not open the newly installed library on the other phone that has wifi only, but it did install. LDS tools is fine.

What version of Gospel Library do you have?
Does your wi-fi network have any content blockers or filters on? Some filtering services block the Church's content servers.

I'm experiencing the same issues descriped by the original poster (e.g. can't download new content, can't sync annotations, app claims to not have an internet connection regardless of if it's using wifi or data--all other apps on the phone are working fine). I saw in the Google play store reviews for Gospel Library that someone was having this problem after the most recent update (July 5, 2019) but somehow fixed it. No details on the reivew about how he resolved the problem. As far as I can tell I'm on the most current version of the app, 5.2.3 using a Samsung Galaxy S 8, Android version 9. Any help resolving this issue would be much appreciated.

I'd check and see if you have any security apps or a filtered network that might be blocking access. I'm running 5.2.3 on Android 9 on a Pixel and it seems to work fine.

It seems to be randomly occurring on different devices. The current solution for the problem until it gets fixed in an update is to switch the language you are using by going to the main library screen and using the menu to switch to a language you do not have downloaded. (ASL would work just fine.) Then switch it back and that usually fixes the problem. That doesn't always work, and some people cannot even get to that point, i.e. the app does not even open. If you can though, that will hopefully help.

I also experience related problems.

Using the latest version of the Gospel Library app on Android 9 will cause problems when a VPN connection (using OpenVPN for Android) is present. In this case the app cannot connect to the Internet. All other apps however work just fine and have no connection problems. Disconnecting the VPN and using a native Internet connection solves this problem.

But this is obviously some kind of bug since no other app has any problem to connect to the Internet through a VPN.

Also noteworthy: This problem only occurs on Android 9. I tested it on Android 5 and 6 without seeing his bug.

sebastian.buck wrote:Using the latest version of the Gospel Library app on Android 9 will cause problems when a VPN connection (using OpenVPN for Android) is present. In this case the app cannot connect to the Internet. All other apps however work just fine and have no connection problems. Disconnecting the VPN and using a native Internet connection solves this problem.

I see the same behavior, also on Android 9, using the OpenVPN client, connecting to my OpenVPN server on my home network. When I try to download new content I get the message:

This action requires an internet connection. Please connect to a mobile or Wi-Fi network and try again.

Interestingly, while on the same VPN connection, the Member Tools app is able to connect and sync without issue.

I sync'ed gospel library early this morning with no issues. Then during Sunday School, the app crashed immediately upon opening and offered to send feedback for "Gospel Library keeps crashing" which I let it do. I have force-closed the app, tried it with and without airplane mode turned on, restarted the device, all to no avail. Still not working this evening at home. I suppose the next step is to delete and reinstall the app. I am set up as a Beta tester and have version 5.2.3 (52306.38).

The Google Play store shows it updated on July 5, 2019 so perhaps my problem is I don't really have it because it is not July 5th yet here in Oklahoma, LOL.

davesudweeks wrote:perhaps my problem is I don't really have it because it is not July 5th yet here in Oklahoma, LOL.

Oklahoma is a month behind??

russellhltn wrote:

davesudweeks wrote:perhaps my problem is I don't really have it because it is not July 5th yet here in Oklahoma, LOL.

Oklahoma is a month behind??

Got me, LOL. It has been one of those summers...

sebastian.buck wrote:I also experience related problems.

Using the latest version of the Gospel Library app on Android 9 will cause problems when a VPN connection (using OpenVPN for Android) is present. In this case the app cannot connect to the Internet. All other apps however work just fine and have no connection problems. Disconnecting the VPN and using a native Internet connection solves this problem.

But this is obviously some kind of bug since no other app has any problem to connect to the Internet through a VPN.

Also noteworthy: This problem only occurs on Android 9. I tested it on Android 5 and 6 without seeing his bug.

Several VPNs and web filtering services block access to the Church's content servers (there are likely automated scripts that decide what to block). Lookout, OpenVPN, and Norton have had an uptick in reports recently, so I think their blacklists were recently updated. T-Mobile Web Guard has had issues for a few years. Many filtering services contract with third parties to manage their whitelist and blacklist (so if one is updated, the others will be too). There's nothing the Church can do to fix this directly – your best bet would be to send feedback to your VPN provider requesting that the Gospel Library content servers be whitelisted.

sbradshaw wrote:Several VPNs and web filtering services block access to the Church's content servers (there are likely automated scripts that decide what to block). Lookout, OpenVPN, and Norton have had an uptick in reports recently, so I think their blacklists were recently updated. T-Mobile Web Guard has had issues for a few years. Many filtering services contract with third parties to manage their whitelist and blacklist (so if one is updated, the others will be too). There's nothing the Church can do to fix this directly – your best bet would be to send feedback to your VPN provider requesting that the Gospel Library content servers be whitelisted.

In my case, at least, I'm not using a VPN provider, but rather my own OpenVPN server, running on my home network. But I experience the same problem. See my earlier post in this topic.

I'm not using any VPN or web filtering services at all. I get the same result via WIFI, data, or airplane mode. Odd that Gospel Library opened fine yesterday about 8:30 am and has hung on open ever since (including today).

sbradshaw wrote: Several VPNs and web filtering services block access to the Church's content servers (there are likely automated scripts that decide what to block). Lookout, OpenVPN, and Norton have had an uptick in reports recently, so I think their blacklists were recently updated. T-Mobile Web Guard has had issues for a few years. Many filtering services contract with third parties to manage their whitelist and blacklist (so if one is updated, the others will be too). There's nothing the Church can do to fix this directly – your best bet would be to send feedback to your VPN provider requesting that the Gospel Library content servers be whitelisted.

I use a VPN server that does not block anything ... except for port 25. No blacklists, no URL filters, nothing.

I can only guess here, but it pretty much seems that the Gospel Library app has problems as soon as a VPN connection is present on Android 9.

IMPORTANT: Same VPN, same app version but Android 6.0.1: No problems.

sebastian.buck wrote:Same VPN, same app version but Android 6.0.1: No problems.

Are you sure the VPN is configured the same on the Android 6 device and the Android 9 device? Maybe there's an Android 9 issue with VPNs. It'd be interesting to know what the difference is.

I haven't been able to even use the gospel library app on my Samsung j7 prime (android 8.1.0) phone for the past month. I keep getting the same problem with it popping up saying an internet connection is required. So I uninstalled it and reinstalled it since that typically worked in the past. Now it won't even go to the library main screen. Now It pops up saying, internet connection required for setup.... click "OK". I click ok and it closes the app. So I uninstalled it again and now I cannot even find it in the Google play store. So I just Googled it, found it and install it that way. Same popup shows up and I click ok and it closes it.


Are there issues with the Gospel Library app? I can use it perfectly fine on my tablet, but not my cell phone.

sebastian.buck wrote:I also experience related problems.

Using the latest version of the Gospel Library app on Android 9 will cause problems when a VPN connection (using OpenVPN for Android) is present. In this case the app cannot connect to the Internet. All other apps however work just fine and have no connection problems. Disconnecting the VPN and using a native Internet connection solves this problem.

But this is obviously some kind of bug since no other app has any problem to connect to the Internet through a VPN.

Also noteworthy: This problem only occurs on Android 9. I tested it on Android 5 and 6 without seeing his bug.

You were right! Switched off my VPN and it immediately started syncing. Thank you!

I have had the same issue after adding Nord VPN to my new Samsung Galaxy 9. Gospel Library says there is no internet connection when there is a connection. It happens both on Wifi and mobile data. I have to shut the BPN down to download any new content. It does seem to work ok when saving highlights to existing content. I do not have such issues with other programs, including ldstools.

I just updated to version 5.3.0 (53041.16) BETA and can now update Gospel Library content while on a VPN connection.

Having the same problem with VPN connection on Android 9. Since the beta program is full, I can't use the current fix yet. Any timeframe for the general release of 5.3.0 that fixes this?

There has been a bug with certain devices that were using a VPN connection. The latest update of the app (version 5.3.0 updated on Sept 30th) has fixed this issue.

I'm a system administrator myself. I know that no software will ever be free of all bugs. So bugs and defects in any software are absolutely normal. However I would wish the Church's tech department would be a little bit more forthcoming about such issues. It would save users a lot of needlessly spend time while searching for a fault on their devices although it is a well known bug.