Background Location - SDK39 & 38 crashing app

[eltan.tell]

SDK: 38 & 39
System: Android

Background-location was working in SDK37.

In SDK38 it started crashing on devices with system older than android 10.
Some folks from expo assured, that it will be fixed in SDK39.
After SDK39 release it’s even worse, because now background-location is not working also on android 10.

To upload new app build to Google Play Store, we need to use SDK38 or 39, because older versions are not compatible with android api29 (or sth like this).
Background-location is crashing on SDK38 and 39 (works only on 37).

There are a lot of topics related to this issue and there are assurances, that it will be fixed in SDK39.

What we have to do right now?
I have been waiting for more than month for SDK39, but now i’m hopeless…
The new version of my app has to be released by the end of August and so far I have trusted that it’s gonna be fixed, and now I don’t know what to do.
Client is mad, i’m not sure I can config whole app in bare workflow, I’m totally crushed

Expo docs still says it works

Is it possible just to say ‘ok we can fix this’ or ‘nah it won’t be fixed in managed workflow’ or sth like that?

Topics about this issue
#9288
#9570
#9241
#9188
#9083
expoforum#42035

[menendezone]

I’m using SDK 39 but 38 worked too. I have no crashes (so far) and have successfully tested on iOS (Xr) and Android (Pixel 4a). On iOS I had to build a custom Expo client with my iOS developer credentials. My app is designed to track the user’s location while they are running Google Maps in the foreground and getting turn-by-turn directions. In this mode my app is in the background and I am able to upload position updates to my server as I drive around town. Do note that your app must have the “Always” location permission to get background updates. The “while using” setting will not work.

I’m in the process of getting my app on Google Play in Internal release mode. iOS is next. Hopefully it will work too.