Bug: Android background mode shows device as disconnected even though status says connected, and transcription stops until manual reconnect

[hugoaap-code]

Summary

When using Omi on Android in background mode, the device can appear disconnected in the app even though the device light is blue and the device status page says it is connected.

In that state, transcription does not work. The only way to recover is to disconnect the device manually and reconnect it.

Environment

• Omi Android app
• Device in Background mode
• Observed on Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Problem

The app and the device status become inconsistent:

• The app shows the device as disconnected
• The device LED remains blue, indicating an active connection
• If I tap to view device status, it shows as connected
• Despite that, transcription does not happen

Expected behavior

• Background mode should maintain a stable connection state
• The app should show the real connection status consistently
• If the device is actually connected, transcription should continue normally
• If the connection is broken, the app should detect it correctly and recover or prompt the user

Actual behavior

• In background mode, the device appears disconnected in the main app state
• The device status view shows it as connected
• The blue LED also suggests it is connected
• Transcription stops in this state
• To fix it, I have to disconnect manually and reconnect

Impact

This makes background mode unreliable.

The user can think the device is still active because the LED is blue and the status page says connected, but transcription is silently not working.

Reproduction

1. Use the Omi Android app with the device in Background mode
2. Let it run until the app shows the device as disconnected
3. Open device status and observe that it still shows connected
4. Note that the device LED is blue
5. Try using transcription and observe that it does not transcribe
6. Manually disconnect and reconnect the device
7. Transcription resumes only after reconnecting

Suggested investigation

• Check connection-state sync between the Android app UI, device status page, and actual device session
• Check whether background mode leaves the app in a stale or partially disconnected state
• Check whether transcription service/session is dead even while the BLE or device connection remains active
• Add recovery logic when the connection appears alive but transcription is no longer functioning
• Add a user-visible warning when transcription is not working despite an apparent connection

Notes

The main issue is not just disconnecting. It is that the app reports conflicting connection states and fails silently until the user manually reconnects.