Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduling & Timing

How often will my jobs run?

iOS: It depends on the user’s usage patterns. iOS uses a predictive scheduler — it pre-emptively runs background tasks when it thinks the user is about to open your app. Give it a few days to learn.

Android: Roughly every 15 minutes, unless Doze mode is active. Doze considers battery level, time of day, and usage patterns. The first run can take several hours after registration.

My iOS job ran once but isn’t repeating

This is expected behavior early on. Even with Repeat = true, iOS needs several days to learn when the user typically uses your app. If you need precise timing control, jobs aren’t the right tool — consider push notifications instead.

How do I schedule periodic jobs?

All jobs are inherently periodic — they re-run automatically based on OS scheduling. You don’t control the exact interval; the OS determines timing based on user behavior and device state.

Can I control the next run time?

Not directly. However, inside your job you can check when it last ran and skip execution if it’s too soon:

public class SampleJob : Shiny.NotifyPropertyChanged, IJob
{
    DateTime? lastRunUtc;
    public DateTime? LastRunUtc
    {
        get => this.lastRunUtc;
        set => this.Set(ref this.lastRunUtc, value);
    }

    public async Task Run(CancellationToken cancelToken)
    {
        if (this.LastRunUtc != null && DateTime.UtcNow < this.LastRunUtc.Value.AddHours(1))
            return; // Too soon, skip this run

        // Do your work here...
        this.LastRunUtc = DateTime.UtcNow;
    }
}

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Limits & Constraints

How long does iOS give my job to run?

30 seconds. No exceptions. If your job doesn’t complete within that window, iOS will terminate it.

How many jobs can I run?

Technically unlimited, but remember: all registered jobs share the same OS-granted time slice. On iOS, your entire job set must complete within 30 seconds. Keep individual jobs fast and focused.

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Error Handling

Should I wrap my job code in try/catch?

It’s not required. Shiny automatically catches and logs exceptions from your job code, just like all other Shiny delegates.

However, note that background logging doesn’t write to the console or debug output. Use a file-based logger or a remote logging service to capture background errors.