Merlin Bird App - Update Crashing Phone (3 Viewers)

[akwe-xavante]

This app has been great, so ok it gets things wrong occasionally but i love it given that i'm very deaf.

Yesterday 9th April 2025 i started to use the app, and it was struggling and crashed.

I was then aware that the app was downloading something. I waited.

Now it crashes within a few short seconds of starting a recording and even crashes the phone that then requires turning back on again.

I uninstalled the app, and reinstalled it along with the offline Western Palearctic bird pack, including all songs.

It now crashes my android smartphone within a few seconds, less than 10 seconds and the phone requires turning back on.

Is anybody else experiencing the same issue?

 

[TicoTyler]

I've been hearing some reports of the App being very buggy with the latest update.

 

[akwe-xavante]

What was a very useful tool for me to use has become a useless, potentially damaging app. I can find no way of going back to an earlier version and disabling updates, either.

Just as i was getting to grips with it etc and at this time of the year too, i'm going to have to dump it and try another app.

 

[delia todd]

It's working OK on my phone and not causing any issues.

There must be something else going on with your phone I would guess. Not that I can help, but someone here will possibly know, if you post the make and model of your phone and other techie stuff, like the operating system and which version it is.


.... and perhaps describe the problems and that information into the Computers, Birding Software And The Internet where more people are likely to see it.

 

[standardtroglodyte]

Its personally working fine for me on galaxy s22 ultra. Im plugging in a USB mic while the app is on and it connects fine too. You can see if there are any outstanding android or security updates that could be causing a weird conflict

 

[akwe-xavante]

Using an Android v9 Honor 8s with 64GB memory with a quad-core 2Ghz cortex-A53 Processor. Phone version launched in 2019 so possibly as old as 6yrs old and has been working perfectly and still does. No VPN software, no antivirus or anti anything software on it either. I bought it 2nd hand 3yrs ago from a friend for a tenner!

ALL apps are configured NOT TO run in the background or start when the phone is started. All the pre-installed crapware has been uninstalled. The battery still lasts (when not using the Merlin App) for 8 days before a recharge is required. The OS and apps etc are all up to date, in fact i don't think there will be any more to be had as i think support has come to an end. Unlike MS / Linux desktop and laptop computers, phones don't have event logs where errors etc are recorded for fault diagnosis, not as far as i can ascertain anyway.

When i start recording / listening for birds the sonograph is jerky, stops / starts moves along quickly then slowly erratically for a few seconds 10/15 seconds at most then crashes the app. Sometimes the phone actually switches off and requires starting again. Sometimes it simply asks for my SIM Pin then my access code.

 

[Jim M.]

Using an Android v9 Honor 8s with 64GB memory with a quad-core 2Ghz cortex-A53 Processor. Phone version launched in 2019 so possibly as old as 6yrs old and has been working perfectly and still does.

The Merlin website claims that the app works with Android 6 or newer, but yours is still a pretty old android version to be working with (9 came out in 2018 and the latest is Android 15), so unless you want to wait to see if an update fixes your problem you may want to consider getting a new phone. Unfortunately, all smartphones have built-in obsolescence because the manufacturer will only update the operating system for a limited time.

I have a Samsung tablet running Android version 9, and the Kindle app no longer runs on it and Amazon admits they don't support that Android version any longer. So I switched to Google books instead – but there's no good alternative to Merlin as far as I know.

 

[ahanelect]

This app has been great, so ok it gets things wrong occasionally but i love it given that i'm very deaf.

Yesterday 9th April 2025 i started to use the app, and it was struggling and crashed.

I was then aware that the app was downloading something. I waited.

Now it crashes within a few short seconds of starting a recording and even crashes the phone that then requires turning back on again.

I uninstalled the app, and reinstalled it along with the offline Western Palearctic bird pack, including all songs.

It now crashes my android smartphone within a few seconds, less than 10 seconds and the phone requires turning back on.

Is anybody else experiencing the same issue?

Same experience this week - worked fine a week ago. I have Android 9 phone, after a few seconds the app restarts and goes to background. Installled/uninstalled, it did not help. Might use more memory than before and it might be the issue.

 

[akwe-xavante]

As i was typing my last post, i knew that someone would say "Get a new phone" because that was what was going through my mind as i was typing away.

I think everything (literary everything!) is now being made with obsolescence in mind today, a deliberately engineered limited lifetime. I also think it's all gone far too far. I think i need to think about whether a new phone is good value for money at this time. I have a couple friends who change their phones as often as the wind changes direction, as soon as a new model or colour is available they change!!! Don't understand it myself. They may have one that i could have or buy cheap!!

 

[twitcherf]

As i was typing my last post, i knew that someone would say "Get a new phone" because that was what was going through my mind as i was typing away.

I think everything (literary everything!) is now being made with obsolescence in mind today, a deliberately engineered limited lifetime. I also think it's all gone far too far. I think i need to think about whether a new phone is good value for money at this time. I have a couple friends who change their phones as often as the wind changes direction, as soon as a new model or colour is available they change!!! Don't understand it myself. They may have one that i could have or buy cheap!!

It strikes me that IF you can be sure the issue is the version of Android, then being able to run an app you need is a very good reason to change phone (wherther to new or a more recent 2nd hand). It would be the ulimate push factor...!

 

[akwe-xavante]

Can't be sure at all as theirs no way on a phone to self diagnose faults like you can on a computer.

No diagnostic or error logs to look through.

The phone still works perfectly in all other ways, i need to decide whether changing the phone is a worthwhile risk. Is this specific app worth spending hundreds of pounds for, not knowing if it will resolve the problem!

 

[Jim M.]

As i was typing my last post, i knew that someone would say "Get a new phone" because that was what was going through my mind as i was typing away.

I think everything (literary everything!) is now being made with obsolescence in mind today, a deliberately engineered limited lifetime. I also think it's all gone far too far. I think i need to think about whether a new phone is good value for money at this time. I have a couple friends who change their phones as often as the wind changes direction, as soon as a new model or colour is available they change!!! Don't understand it myself. They may have one that i could have or buy cheap!!

I don't like to change phones either. By googling, I found a site that gave information about how long new phones are supported. A current good deal in that respect is a Samsung Galaxy A16 5G, which is reasonably priced but supposed to receive updates for 6 years if I recall correctly. Several sites recommend it as the best budget android phone, and I recently purchased one.

 

[delia todd]

need to decide whether changing the phone is a worthwhile risk. Is this specific app worth spending hundreds of pounds for, not knowing if it will resolve the problem!

I've never spent "hundreds of pounds" on a phone LOL I've always had a PAYG one and they're available for less than £100.

What I'd do is go where-ever you want (sure a decent assistant in the likes of Tesco would do) discuss the issue with them and when you've found a phone you like say I'd have it if it works with Merlin. Get them to download Merlin onto the phone and if it works fine, if it doesn't reject it.

A non-tech savvy friend had to get a new phone and the guy in Tesco set it all up for him, including downloading What'sApp onto it.

I had rather similar help from a guy in the O2 shop.

 

[Mike Crawley]

There’s an alternative to try (unless you already have ) it’s called BirdNET, I got mine from the Apple App Store but presumably it’s also in Google Play

 

[TicoTyler]

Using an Android v9 Honor 8s with 64GB memory with a quad-core 2Ghz cortex-A53 Processor. Phone version launched in 2019 so possibly as old as 6yrs old and has been working perfectly and still does. No VPN software, no antivirus or anti anything software on it either. I bought it 2nd hand 3yrs ago from a friend for a tenner!

ALL apps are configured NOT TO run in the background or start when the phone is started. All the pre-installed crapware has been uninstalled. The battery still lasts (when not using the Merlin App) for 8 days before a recharge is required. The OS and apps etc are all up to date, in fact i don't think there will be any more to be had as i think support has come to an end. Unlike MS / Linux desktop and laptop computers, phones don't have event logs where errors etc are recorded for fault diagnosis, not as far as i can ascertain anyway.

When i start recording / listening for birds the sonograph is jerky, stops / starts moves along quickly then slowly erratically for a few seconds 10/15 seconds at most then crashes the app. Sometimes the phone actually switches off and requires starting again. Sometimes it simply asks for my SIM Pin then my access code.

That seems to me like your phone just doesn't have the available resources to handle sound ID. It's done on device, not in the cloud, and is I imagine a fairly processor intensive program considering it's doing live, continuous image pattern recognition. It drains my battery quite fast when using it. So I'm guessing their updated sound ID is just too heavy for your older hardware to be able to lift so to speak.

 

[Pompey Girl]

This app has been great, so ok it gets things wrong occasionally but i love it given that i'm very deaf.

Yesterday 9th April 2025 i started to use the app, and it was struggling and crashed.

I was then aware that the app was downloading something. I waited.

Now it crashes within a few short seconds of starting a recording and even crashes the phone that then requires turning back on again.

I uninstalled the app, and reinstalled it along with the offline Western Palearctic bird pack, including all songs.

It now crashes my android smartphone within a few seconds, less than 10 seconds and the phone requires turning back on.

Is anybody else experiencing the same issue?

Yes. As soon as it starts listening, it crashes.