app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml

@@ -8,10 +8,14 @@
 
     <!-- Opt-in push notifications (M7): the runtime notification permission (API 33+)
          and a foreground service that holds the persistent ntfy connection open — the
-         embedded UnifiedPush distributor, so no separate app is needed (PLAN.md §11). -->
+         embedded UnifiedPush distributor, so no separate app is needed (PLAN.md §11).
+         specialUse, not dataSync (PLAN.md M8, 2026-10-29): a held-open connection is not a
+         transfer, and Android 15 stops dataSync after six hours a day. RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED
+         restarts it after a reboot or an update. -->
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS" />
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />
-    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_DATA_SYNC" />
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SPECIAL_USE" />
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />
 
     <application
         android:name=".RunicGatewayApp"
@@ -70,11 +74,28 @@
         </activity>
 
         <!-- The embedded distributor's persistent ntfy connection (M7, PLAN.md §11).
-             dataSync foreground type; not exported — started only by PushManager. -->
+             specialUse foreground type, with the reason Play reviews in the property below;
+             not exported — started only by PushManager and PushBootReceiver. -->
         <service
             android:name=".core.push.PushService"
             android:exported="false"
-            android:foregroundServiceType="dataSync" />
+            android:foregroundServiceType="specialUse">
+            <property
+                android:name="android.app.PROPERTY_SPECIAL_USE_FGS_SUBTYPE"
+                android:value="Instant push notifications without Google services. When the user turns notifications on, this service holds one connection open to the push relay their community's server names, and shows a notification for each message from it. The ongoing notification shows the service is running; turning notifications off or signing out stops it." />
+        </service>
+
+        <!-- Restarts push after a reboot or an app update, if the member had it on and was
+             signed in when the phone went down (PLAN.md M8). Not exported: only the system
+             delivers these broadcasts. -->
+        <receiver
+            android:name=".core.push.PushBootReceiver"
+            android:exported="false">
+            <intent-filter>
+                <action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
+                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MY_PACKAGE_REPLACED" />
+            </intent-filter>
+        </receiver>
     </application>
 
 </manifest>

app/src/main/java/com/runicgateway/app/core/push/PushBootReceiver.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+package com.runicgateway.app.core.push
+
+import android.content.BroadcastReceiver
+import android.content.Context
+import android.content.Intent
+import dagger.hilt.android.AndroidEntryPoint
+import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
+import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
+import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
+import javax.inject.Inject
+
+/**
+ * Restarts [PushService] after a reboot or an app update (PLAN.md M8, 2026-10-29). Before
+ * this, push stayed off after either until the member next opened the app.
+ *
+ * It starts the service straight from the saved registration rather than through
+ * [PushManager], which re-registers with the backend first: at boot the network is often
+ * not up yet, and a failed registration would leave push off. The registration survives a
+ * reboot, the topic on the relay does not change, and the service's stream client already
+ * retries with backoff until the network arrives. A sign-out clears the registration, so a
+ * saved one also means the member was signed in.
+ */
+@AndroidEntryPoint
+class PushBootReceiver : BroadcastReceiver() {
+
+    @Inject lateinit var prefs: PushPreferences
+
+    override fun onReceive(context: Context, intent: Intent) {
+        if (intent.action !in RESTART_ACTIONS) return
+        val pending = goAsync()
+        CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.IO).launch {
+            try {
+                if (shouldRestart(prefs.snapshot())) {
+                    runCatching { PushService.start(context.applicationContext) }
+                }
+            } finally {
+                pending.finish()
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    internal companion object {
+        val RESTART_ACTIONS = setOf(Intent.ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED, Intent.ACTION_MY_PACKAGE_REPLACED)
+
+        /** Push was on, and a registration (so a signed-in member) is still saved. */
+        fun shouldRestart(snapshot: PushPreferences.Snapshot): Boolean =
+            snapshot.enabled && !snapshot.topic.isNullOrBlank() && !snapshot.ntfyUrl.isNullOrBlank()
+    }
+}

app/src/main/java/com/runicgateway/app/core/push/PushService.kt

@@ -25,7 +25,13 @@ import javax.inject.Inject
  * connection to the shard's ntfy open in the background — the price of Google-free,
  * self-contained instant delivery — and posts a notification for each tickle. It runs
  * under a low-importance ongoing notification and restarts sticky; [PushManager] starts
- * and stops it as the user opts in/out or signs out.
+ * and stops it as the user opts in/out or signs out, and [PushBootReceiver] starts it
+ * again after a reboot or an update.
+ *
+ * Its foreground type is `specialUse` (PLAN.md M8, 2026-10-29). It was `dataSync`, which
+ * Android 15 stops after six hours a day — and this service never stopped itself on that
+ * timeout, so the app would have crashed. `specialUse` has no daily limit; the manifest
+ * carries the reason Google Play reviews.
  */
 @AndroidEntryPoint
 class PushService : Service() {
@@ -51,7 +57,7 @@ class PushService : Service() {
 
     private fun startAsForeground() {
         val type = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.UPSIDE_DOWN_CAKE) {
-            ServiceInfo.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_DATA_SYNC
+            ServiceInfo.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_SPECIAL_USE
         } else {
             0
         }

app/src/test/java/com/runicgateway/app/core/push/PushBootReceiverTest.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+package com.runicgateway.app.core.push
+
+import android.content.Intent
+import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import org.junit.Assert.assertFalse
+import org.junit.Assert.assertTrue
+import org.junit.Test
+
+/** When push comes back by itself after a reboot or an update (PLAN.md M8). */
+class PushBootReceiverTest {
+
+    private fun snapshot(
+        enabled: Boolean = true,
+        ntfyUrl: String? = "https://ntfy.tld",
+        topic: String? = "upAbc123",
+    ) = PushPreferences.Snapshot(
+        enabled = enabled,
+        ntfyUrl = ntfyUrl,
+        topic = topic,
+        endpoint = topic?.let { "https://ntfy.tld/$it" },
+        deviceId = topic?.let { 7L },
+    )
+
+    @Test fun restartsWhenPushWasOnAndARegistrationIsSaved() {
+        assertTrue(PushBootReceiver.shouldRestart(snapshot()))
+    }
+
+    @Test fun staysOffWhenTheMemberTurnedPushOff() {
+        assertFalse(PushBootReceiver.shouldRestart(snapshot(enabled = false)))
+    }
+
+    @Test fun staysOffAfterASignOutClearedTheRegistration() {
+        // A sign-out keeps the opt-in but forgets the topic: no signed-in member to push to.
+        assertFalse(PushBootReceiver.shouldRestart(snapshot(topic = null)))
+        assertFalse(PushBootReceiver.shouldRestart(snapshot(topic = " ")))
+    }
+
+    @Test fun staysOffWhenTheServerNamesNoRelay() {
+        assertFalse(PushBootReceiver.shouldRestart(snapshot(ntfyUrl = null)))
+    }
+
+    @Test fun listensForBootAndForItsOwnUpdate() {
+        assertEquals(
+            setOf("android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED", "android.intent.action.MY_PACKAGE_REPLACED"),
+            PushBootReceiver.RESTART_ACTIONS,
+        )
+        assertTrue(Intent.ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED in PushBootReceiver.RESTART_ACTIONS)
+    }
+}