Error Report: Synchronization Issue Between Web and Mobile Applications of ChatGPT
Problem Description:
There is a synchronization issue when using both the web application and the mobile application of ChatGPT. The issue occurs as follows:
- Context:
- A conversation is started on the web application (e.g., on a computer).
- The computer is left idle without refreshing the webpage, and the conversation continues on the mobile app.
- Action:
- Additional messages are sent from the mobile app, and these appear correctly on the mobile device.
- Problem:
- When returning to the web application and sending a message without refreshing the page, all the messages sent from the mobile app in the meantime are deleted. The messages sent from the mobile app effectively disappear and are no longer visible on either platform.
Impact:
- Data loss: Messages sent from the mobile app are permanently lost.
- User experience: This issue causes confusion and frustration, as the conversation history does not remain synchronized, which is a core expectation for a multi-platform service.
Steps to Reproduce the Issue:
- Start a conversation on the web application.
- Continue the same conversation on the mobile application without refreshing the webpage on the computer.
- Return to the web application, and without refreshing the page, send a message.
- Observe that all the messages sent from the mobile app in the meantime are deleted.
Proposed Solution:
- Implement a two-way automatic synchronization system to ensure that messages sent from any device are reflected in real-time across all platforms.
- Add a notification or reminder in the user interface when there are unsynchronized messages on a device, prompting users to refresh before proceeding.
- Create a temporary backup mechanism to prevent data loss in the event of synchronization conflicts.
Priority: High (this issue impacts conversation integrity and user trust in the system).