Last Software Update = Super Buggy
Answered
I'm not sure what's up with the latest software update (or, indeed, my Karoo 2) but whenever I tap on a ride in the Rides app, the app crashes and I am dumped back into the home screen.
This is happening repeatedly after performing a factory reset. I've performed a factory reset three times now.
Steps to reproduce:
- Perform factory reset
- Set-up Karoo 2 as a new device
- Wait for offline maps to download
- Go into Rides app
- Tap on a ride
- Observe app crash and return to home screen
This follows issues last weekend with completed rides not being uploaded anywhere (not even your own Dashboard) and my ride this weekend where the Ride app crashed 15 minutes into my ride, causing the Karoo 2 to reboot and my ride data to be lost.
I want to love this thing but, honestly, it's driving me mad.
What to do now?
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OK, well it's good that you've identified the steps to reproduce this - and a potential fix - but it's not so good that I have to wait at least another 8 days before I see this issue resolved on my device, since I am not part of the beta group.
In the meantime, I guess I will have to expect random app crashes.
Whilst the software/hardware is so unstable, I think you should seriously consider more frequent software updates and an extension to the 45 day return policy. If you're only releasing software updates every two weeks, some of these software issues are likely to hang around for 28 days or more, which does not allow users like myself to see the best side of the Karoo 2.
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I would just like to add that I am having the same issues on my K2 with the Rides App, as well as Route and settings and I have not done hard reset (plus the phone disconnect issue). Also seeing similar issues on my K1 that my wife is now using. Really love my Karoos, but this latest super-buggy update is very annoying; looking forward to resolution.
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As someone who went out on a limb and just ordered a Karoo 2 to change from a Garmin, I find it super worrisome that #1 something as trivial as opening a ride within the unit could make it crash #2 a company that advertises that they release regular bug fixes and features updates still sticks to a two weeks schedule to ship what seems to be a major bug fix and worst of all #3 doesn't reply to follow up questions in this thread despite "priding themselves on support... available 7 days a week".
This has me quite worried about my Karoo 2 that I should receive by the end of the week... -
When you introduce a bug as critical as this (and - make no mistake - this is a critical bug since it causes data loss, causes ride data logging to be interrupted, and prevents the device from functioning reliably in the manner for which it was designed) it needs to be dealt with as the highest priority item in your backlog. No question.
Forget introducing new features (like enabling a small percentage of your user base to control their Ant+ lights - this is so trivial under the circumstances). Just deal with the issues that are preventing this £350 device from functioning reliably as a GPS cycle computer. Get the basics right. Until you start doing that, you are not "Building the World's Finest Cycle Computer". Please also understand that we have not paid £350 to become your extended QA team.
Nobody should be prepared to wait two weeks between updates whilst the software is as buggy as it is. If you're going to stick to your two weekly releases, you need to test them more thoroughly before you release them to thousands of devices and I strongly suggest you write some automated test cases that will check for basic things like an app crashing.
I appreciate that some bugs are harder to track down than others. My observation of this particular bug is that it can be a little difficult to replicate sometimes. Sometimes it's the Rides app that crashes. Other times, it's the Routes app. Rarely, it's the whole device (which is massively inconvenient when it happens mid-ride). Plenty of other folks here seem to have experienced it at some point or other.
I, for one, am looking forward to today's software update so that I can get back to enjoying using my Karoo 2 for what it was designed for. There is so much potential in your web app and device architecture. I hope you are able to maximise that potential and succeed in executing your vision.
Steve
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i don't think it's a community manger i am missing. I am missing a real vision from the product management and someone who takes care of this vision, don't change any behaviour because some community user want's it and communicate this vision to the community.
i had issues with the data fields several days ago and hh agreed too all things i mentioned (e.g. data fields should be on the bottom instead of the top because of the tbt and phone message). Randomly i looked at youtube about karoo2 and there was a competition between karoo and wahoo https://youtu.be/3cKx5lWGwUQ. And he told about things i want to have but don't get so far(he was able to create a map with datafileds below the map and he had a talk with the product management and he was so satisfied - to leaf the door open of course his wife prefers wahoo). i think they give hime a beta version which we maybe will see next weeks. His video was published on the 09.03.2021.
I don't have a solution because that's how it is today. Prepare youtuber's and facebooker's with a beta version and some visions ....
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There was no update yesterday, no. In my experience, the updates are usually pushed out every other Thursday during the early evening (UK time). I believe an update was due yesterday, and they have been sticking to the bi-weekly cadence pretty well up until now.
I can only hope that the delay is down to more rigorous testing than usual.
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@Frank B, case in point with Steve's message: good community management would be having someone here posting regular updates regarding the upcoming software release, and informing of potential delays. Instead we're left completely clueless and in the dark. That's not what I expected based on the marketing of their website making me think they have best in class customer support...
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Yeah...I was planning to keep the Karoo 2 to use alongside my Edge 1030 Plus as I have high hopes for the future of the product but Hammerhead's subpar way of interacting with the community is really making me reconsider.
I still have a good amount of time left to decide but feel like change has to happen sooner, rather than later. It is still beyond me how a development pipeline has not been made available on here.
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I received my Karoos 2 just over a week ago. I was actually quite happy with my Wahoo Elemnt Roam, but I thought the Karoo 2 was a more compelling offering. At least on paper that is. Saying I am disappointed with my first experience with the Karoo and it's support service is quite an understatement.
I can echo Steve's issues: crashing apps (incl its most essential Rides app), flaky wifi (more often off than on), and some UI inconsistencies. With the latter I can live, and I am sure they will be fixed over time. However, this product as-is feels rather unbaked, with software that is more like an alpha stage product. That is not what I signed up for when paying this € 399.
Hope a fix is on its way asap. Including some appropriate comms here...
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FYI - I have just come to learn (in another thread) that the software update that was originally scheduled for Thursday 11th March has now been pushed back to Thursday 25th March.
I have mixed feelings about this: On the one hand, I'm pleased that Hammerhead have extended this sprint and are taking the time to fix and test their buggy software. On the other hand, the issue of apps crashing has been hanging around for about a month now, which makes a mockery of the 45 day return period. I'm already outside my 45 day return period and I still don't have a cycle computer that works as designed.
Actually amazed you have a professional cycling team relying on this thing.
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So they're skipping one of their two weeks release they pride themselves upon yet haven't sent an email out nor dropped a message here?
I'm definitely sending mine back, if I ever get it though, seeing how the shipping service they've selected has had my package stuck for no known reason for several days…
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Customer service confirmed they postponed the March 11 update to give themselves more time to refine a new feature, sharing that the next update should be ready by the end of this month.
I am surprised to understand they are delaying an update in order to prioritize a new feature while feedback is clear how buggy the current version is, particularly with a crashing Ride app. The current issues make the device basically useless. This makes me question how they set their priorities, now and in the future, also with no proactive comms and transparency to this community.
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Hi Marcel, sorry for the confusion. The reason it was postponed was due to the issues identified within the Beta testers. These are rare occurrences when we have to skip the release, and it's for the benefit of all. We are sorry and agree that there could have been a communication sent out to address this, and we will ensure to pro-actively communicate such instances in the future.
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Hi David, you can find that typically being posted here: https://www.hammerhead.io/blogs/change-logs.
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