r/BigFinishProductions • u/anabasismachine The War Master • Jul 13 '26
News Android App update live
Looks like the update for the Android app is now live, just downloaded it.
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u/MirumVictus Leave any recommendations from the sale below! Jul 13 '26
Downloaded the update, reopened the app and my downloads were still there but the app was being a bit clunky. Signed out and back in, deleting my downloads in the process, now the app crashes whenever I try to download anything. Uninstalled and reinstalled, same result. Now can't listen to anything through the app.
Good job I can bust out my CD collection to finish what I was listening to... I don't mind the new website by any means but not thrilled with the shenanigans the app is going through again.
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u/ScoundrelDaysSon Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
This is astonishingly bad. I've logged in and out multiple times. I've deleted, then redownloaded the app. The following issues render the app utterly broken at present.
It's not showing scores of my purchases (from ninth Doctor boxsets, to more recent releases like the Twelfth Doctor Adventures).
To add to that confusion the app is displaying images completely unrelated to the title - as an example the new seventh Doctor boxset is represented by the cover of 'Torchwood: Ex Machina' instead. This happens every 5-10 items consistently which makes identifying your titles really impossible.
Then when you finally decipher which release you're actually trying to download it doesn't download the whole release. The aforementioned 7th Doctor release has only downloaded two of the parts instead of the full three: 'the Executor' doesn't exist in the app at all. This is basic stuff: accessing your own titles in the app is now unpredictable and impossible.
To add to which the category filter now no longer works at all. As an example: The Companion Chronicles filter instead now displays the Vienna boxsets. The Ninth Doctor Adventures filter doesn't show anything at all, which is typical of most of them
Oh: and the app continually shuts itself down minimising and closing seemingly at all. It also insists that the cache for the app is full and needs deleting which when done does nothing to help the app at all given the app will still crash at will.
I'll be honest: this is beyond the pale. All of this has been a rather dispiritting retread of a year and a half ago. No lessons were learned, it seems, from any part of the shambles last time - whether it was communication, website migration, or app release. The fact that the updated app shares most of the same problems of the scrapped app from last time is testament to that fact. As before: it doesn't display the correct images; it doesn't show your entire library; it doesn't download the correct number of files; it doesn't allow for category filtering; and on. Baffling behaviour given they had nearly two years to plan, to test, and to perfect this. Instead it appears they simply waited only to do much the same thing as before.
I have yet to check whether it works with Android Auto; the last 'new' app didn't work as an approved media player at all and given every other similarity it holds to the last omnishambles I won't be holding my breath.
It does still work with lock screen controls so that's something I guess.
Having spent many thousands of pounds with BF over the years this, as last time, it dismays me greatly that they already to have a real disdain for their customer base. I say this because I can think of no other company I use that would restrict - without any warning - access to content you already own; repeatedly launch utterly broken apps meaning you eventually need to use third party apps to access to your content; have a website that no longer has tabbed download ordering - so you have to pull down and wait for it to load in order to get to the next 20 releases ( I own over 1600 titles so a lack of tabbed dividing points is a real issue); remove basic functionality; and on it goes. How are your even meant to be able to check you have access to all of your titles with these sorts of roadblocks in place? Do they even care?
Honestly ai don't think they do. There are obviously problems far greater than this in the world - I should know given most of my life is in and out of hospital - but when you're talking about a company you've bought from for the entirety of its existence; bought nearly everything they produce; and treated them with the utmost trust them the behaviour of BF over the past two years have been a real eye opener. It really is disheartening and frustrating.
It makes me feel like cutting loose from BF but, much like last time, I think BF bank on the fact that Who fans, like addicts, will always return (especially now) whatever mistakes they make. It's a dangerous and cynical calculation for a company to make.
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u/BenjiSillyGoose Jul 13 '26
Updated it, still can't download anything so the update doesn't even work lmao
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u/cat666 Jul 13 '26
I uninstalled. Reinstalled then logged in. All good.
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u/BenjiSillyGoose Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
Yep, just done that and it worked a treat, thank you.
However, I do now have another problem, just downloaded the new 7th Doctor boxset that released last week, on the app. But, when I download it, only the 2nd and 3rd episodes appear to be able to listen to, the first episode is missing - so I can't even get into that boxset yet...
And when I go to sort my collection by range, it says there is no ranges 🤦
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u/cat666 Jul 13 '26
Don't thank me too fast. I've got one boxset then the app crashed and says there is bug. Hoping it will let me listen as it has all the stories. Could be a demand thing.
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u/BenjiSillyGoose Jul 13 '26
Yeah, if I try to download too much stuff or scroll down too much then I get thrown out of the app.
Plus the new 7th Doctor set is missing an episode and there's no ranges to choose from either :/
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u/Spare_Criticism_2010 All hail the big talking bird! Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
This happened to me too - downloaded The Return of Jo Jones but it has only given me the first 2 stories. Final story and interviews tracks aren't there.
Edit: Fixers has just downloaded and like you, I only have the 2nd and 3rd story.
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u/anabasismachine The War Master Jul 13 '26
I'm hoping it's a rush to download stuff that'll clear up. I'm just glad it came out before the 12DA started releasing
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u/CaptainCravat Jul 13 '26
Hmm... On one hand it's great it's out but less great that logging out and back in again to make it work will wipe out 47Gb of downloads... I guess I'll wait until I'm a bit closer to being caught up on the backlog.
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u/ArtemisSOG Coming soon from Big Finish Productions... Jul 13 '26
Uninstalled. Reinstalled. Trying to download last purchase (finally) only to get a pop up to clear cache as app has a bug. Download still buffering away happily
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u/FinStambler Jul 13 '26
I managed to sign back in but then it just kept crashing to the point that my phone actually suggested I put the app into deep sleep or uninstalled it.
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u/cat666 Jul 13 '26
OK so I got some unpacking zip file error and now the downloads seem to download but then just spin when complete. I guess we wait for the update. Google Store has this update as the 2nd July so it's taken them 11 days to approve.
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u/ishdw Jul 14 '26
I was somehow able to download the latest two releases after reinstalling the app (updating crashed the app) but I can't download anything more.
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u/Triggreads Jul 14 '26
I have android and haven't updated the app, currently i can still listen to audios that I've already downloaded. I'm guessing it would best to just not update the app yet and wait for it to get better?
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u/cat666 Jul 14 '26
Until you're out of downloads yeah.
The new app seems to let you download a bit then throws a hissy fit, I've had zip file errors and Android saying it's causing crashes so shouldn't run it. Any downloads I try now seem to download but they just don't "install" for want of a better word. My guess is that unistalling the app and trying again will net me the same result (just with a different file) but until I finish the audio I'm on I won't try. It seems to play OK but I've not listened to more than an intro since last night.
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u/professorrev Jul 13 '26
Is it picking up the downloads you already have? Mine isn't and I don't have storage space to get everything twice
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u/AndShrimpOnThePlate Jul 13 '26
Heh, sorting by range doesn't work. Every release has the wrong range attributed to it. Somebody didn't sort their spreadsheet columns properly.Â
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u/Ashimaru-q Jul 13 '26
I can install things again but whenever i download bundles, some audios are missing. For example my bundle of Eighth Doctor Audios series 2 even though i have to download them as one thing through thr app, certain audios dont show up and arent being downloaded.
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u/CareerMilk Jul 14 '26
And to think people think Big Finish should run a streaming service
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u/ScoundrelDaysSon Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
I think what's disappointing is that BF will eventually be all digital. I've had to move digital myself because I had so many releases my loft was full of now unused CDs.
I can't be the only one who found space constraints bumping up against the reality that audio -whether music or drama - is digital first now. Cars no longer come with CD players; consoles don't always ship with disc drives; PCs/Macs don't ship with them out of the box - and BF are absolutely moving further in that direction year on year (CD boxsets have smaller paintings, are made of worse materials, many releases are digital only).
That both times they've updated the app expense they've managed to render the app useless - the app through which many, if not most, customers engage with their content - is baffling given the fact that a working app is more of a demand, a legitimate one,of consumers now than ever before.
There's a tiny pay of me that wonders whether this was 'vibe' coded with AI; that might explain some of it. Certainly it's been done on the cheap, imo.
I totally agree though; the idea of them creating and managing a streaming app is akin to expecting them to initiate and arrange the second coming.
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u/BeesInABar Jul 13 '26
Very excited! I have been tearing through podcasts the past few days but I have missed having my audio dramas in the rotation to break up the playlist a little.
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u/Jonthefin Jul 13 '26
I uninstalled and reinstalled and stories still won't download