mSecure Support
Windows / Android sync discrepancies
Mike - mSecure
Hi Robert,
The modified date you are seeing in Android is getting set correctly. It's actually the Windows version that is operating incorrectly. In v6, there are a few different modifications that can be made, but the one we now show in the app is when the record is "used" by the user. This is the date that makes it possible to filter records in the "Recents" filter. So the modified date should be updated when you edit a record or when you use it.
It is confusing that the date is called "modified," because the record isn't actually getting changed, so I'll let the developer know about that.
Hi Mike Reilley,
There is actually an issue here and I believe it is due to a recent update on the Android version as I only started noticing it today and came to the forum to see if anyone else had the same issue.
As mentioned by Robert, if I just access a field in the Windows version without modifying it, the record stays with the old modified date under Windows, but gets updated with the last used date under Android when synced. The modified dates on Windows and Android are no longer identical with the one on Windows dated months or even years ago.
But if I access a field in the Android version without modifying it, the record on Android stays unchanged with the old modified date. It is not updated to today's date. Both modified dates on Windows and Android remain identical.
This makes the Recents filter out of sync between the two platforms and rather confusing. If you say the Android version has been "updated" to, in fact, show the last used date, then shouldn't accessing a field in Android also cause the modified date to be changed?
Mike - mSecure
Hi JSeow,
Thank you for the information about the modified dates. This is a known issue and should be fixed after the next release of both Android and Windows.
Mike,
When are the fixes expected? You reply 23 days ago stated the known issue should be fixed after the next release of both Android and Windows.
I rely on the Android version and the dates are one of the fields I pay attention to.
Mike - mSecure
@Robert This issue has been resolved for some time now. Are you saying you have installed version 6.0.6.1626 for Android and 6.0.268.0 for Windows and you are still running into an issue with saving your records?
Hi Mike, Like Robert I had no idea anything was fixed. There doesn't seem to be any proper checklist that mentions which issues are fixed in which version, and there should be one if you wish your users to give feedback as to whether an issue has really been fully resolved.
So I did some testing on your versions 1626/268 and found that while the Android version has been fixed, the Windows version has not.
Copying to clipboard on Windows does not affect the modified date in the record and does not result in the record appearing under the Recents list on Windows. But after syncing (I am using Wifi sync), the same record appears on Android with a changed modified date and appears under the Recents list on Android. But on Windows the record remains with the original modified date after syncing. And this then results in the Recents lists on Android and Windows being out of sync.
Mike - mSecure
@JSeow Here is the link for the release notes: https://www.msecure.com/release-notes/
I'm not sure what is happening here, but everything is working correctly when I copy data in any field to the clipboard using the "clipboard" icon at the right of the field on my PC. I am running 1626/268, and if I click the clipboard icon to the right of any field on Windows, the record is immediately moved up to the top of the Recents list. Then after the sync takes place on Android, that same record is moved to the top of the Recents list on Android. If I do that in reverse, and copy the data in any field on my Android device, the record is moved to the top of the Recents list on both device.
To set up my test, I made sure I was using Wi-Fi syncing, I then clicked the Recents filter in mSecure on my PC, and I set the Recents filter from the menu in mSecure on my Android device. I then started copying data to the clipboard on each device. Every time, I copied data to the clipboard by either tapping the field data on my Android device or clicking the clipboard icon on my PC, the record moved up to the top of the Recents list on both devices. Also, the modified date was updated on both devices each time.
You may be running into a situation where things aren't working correctly, but in our testing, everything is working as it should. Are you sure Android is 1626 and Windows is 268? If so, are you running the test the same way I set it up in the above paragraph? If so, we just need to figure out how to reproduce the problem you're experiencing, because we haven't been able to do so until now after the fixes that were made over the last month.
Hi Mike,
Your description was detailed enough to help me figure out what's going on, so that was extremely helpful. In fact if I were to follow exactly the steps you took. I got exactly the same result as you. However, I'm afraid your test was just not generic enough since you had only tested the records that were found within the Recents list. Try doing the same to records that are outside of the Recents list.
I too still have the same problem and yes I'm on the latest of both apps (Windows and Android).
The following is based on my experience and Mike's reinforcement of the behavior in his last reply, "Every time, I copied data to the clipboard by either tapping the field data on my Android device or clicking the clipboard icon on my PC, the record moved up to the top of the Recents list on both devices. Also, the modified date was updated on both devices each time."
Copying a password (or any data) to the clipboard on any device should NOT change the modified date. This is changed behavior from v5, which did not do this. VIEWING data or COPYING to clipboard are not a "last modified" action. They are "last viewed" actions. This is bizarre to say the least. If you want to show when a record was last viewed/used (for "most recent" functionality to work) it shouldn't be a trade-off of the last modified date field definition.
Mike - mSecure
@Robert Be sure to read the following information carefully, because things can be confusing with the modified date. In short, copying data from a record is not a modification, so you should not be seeing the modified date get changed when you copy data to the clipboard in any of your mSecure apps.
There's actually two bugs here, and the developer knows about them both of them so they'll be fixed soon. The first bug is that the Android version is getting it's Modified Date changed when it shouldn't get updated. It's functionality in relation to the Recents filter is working correctly, but when you copy data to the clipboard on Windows or on Android, or any other device, the modified date you see in the record should NOT be getting updated. So the confusion here is that you're seeing the modified date get updated at all. The modified date should only get updated when you make an actual change to the data in the record. To clarify, the record should get moved to the top of the Recents list when you use the clipboard icon to copy data to the clipboard, but the modified date should NOT get updated.
The second bug is on Windows. When the record is not already on the Recents list, it will not show up on the Recents list after you copy data to the clipboard. It will only get on the Recents list after you modify a record.
In the end, this is what should happen:
- When data is copied to the clipboard in one mSecure app, the record should be moved to the top of the Recents list in that app and any other mSecure app signed in to the account.
- After data is copied to the clipboard, the record's modified date should not be changed in any mSecure app. The sync to get the record to the top of the Recents list will take place, but the user should not see the modified date get changed.
Mike, thanks for the reply. I am relieved hearing the expected "last modified' date field behavior. Now, I wait for the fixes.
Hi Mike,
From your message, I gather that your intention is not to mix up Last Used with Modified. If a record is used but not modified, only the Last Used date is updated. But if the record is modified, both the Last Used and Modified dates are updated. The Recents list on all platforms is supposed to display the list of 20 Last Used records.
It may be easier to troubleshoot if you could have the apps display all relevant dates: Created, Modified, and Last Used (instead of just the first two). So then you would be able to tell easily if the app is updating the dates incorrectly. Just a suggestion.
Mike - mSecure
@JSeow You are correct in what you're describing. Though it's not called "lastUsedDate," there is another modified date in the system that is used for the purpose of finding out whether the record has been used, and that is not exposed to the user. Only the 'userModifiedDate" is exposed. Our thinking is that the last used date doesn't really need to be exposed, because it's really only used in connection with the Recents filter. I suspect that if the bug we're running into here didn't exist, then the questions of the two different dates probably wouldn't come up. That being said, I do appreciate the suggestion and agree that would definitely not hurt to expose the last used date to the user.
@Mike, you mentioned earlier of a couple of bug fixes to Android and Windows. Is there an ETA? I've been patiently waiting. Thanks.
Robert
I have mSecure v6 on Windows 11 and Android. I am using Wi-Fi sync between the two devices.
I have a few issues that I will post in this thread.
Issue 1: On Windows I selected a login record. Windows shows a modified date of 10/10/21. I clicked on the clipboard button to copy the password to paste into a form. The modified date still says 10/10/21. Which is what I expect. I don't consider copying the password a "modify" action. I then sync to Android. On Android the record shows a modified date of 4/5/22.
Two problems. I don't expect Windows should bump the modified date when copying to clipboard.
Also, now the record in Windows still shows a modified date of 10/10/21 and Android shows a modified date of 4/5/22. I know a sync occurred, but now the records show different (mod date) values.