The Doze feature in Android 6.0 Marshmallow is assumed to cause Google Sync issues in Nexus phones. Users can try to resolve the problem by removing affected apps from Doze while Google works on the bug fix.
Several users that have the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow installed on their Nexus devices have experienced glitches with popular Google apps like Gmail, Google Now, and Inbox. A Nexus 6P user wrote on Nexus Help Forum that Gmail does not give notifications for new emails received even after many hours.
NDTV Gadgets reported that Android 6.0 Marshmallow's Doze mode could be causing the glitch. Doze, Android M's battery optimization feature, extends battery life of the device by eliminating apps running in the background. Some people believe that Doze could be suspending Google apps and services, causing users to miss out on notifications.
Disabling affected apps from Doze might solve the syncing issue. A Reddit user wrote, "This is the answer that needs to be at the top. Gmail is getting dozed, causing sync to get disabled. Just remove it from battery optimisation and all issues should be resolved ".
According to TechnoBuffalo, the bug affects a large number of users as evidenced by multiple posts of the same complaint on the Google Nexus Help Forum and AOSP-Issue Tracker. However, not totally all users experienced the sync problem.
Users can try to disable the problematic apps from Doze for a temporary fix. First, open app drawer, tap on Settings, and then select Battery. There will be a button with three dots which will bring up Battery optimization. Click on the affected app and tap on the 'Don't Optimize' setting. Other manual fixes that users can try include downgrading to previous Google software builds, erasing cache, and resetting their Google accounts.
Google Nexus has already been made aware of the issue, which they classified as low priority. PC-Tablet reported that Google is already working on a bug fix that could be rolled out soon to Nexus devices via an OTA update.
This problem that could possibly be caused by Doze adds to previous issues with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Other complaints about Google's latest software include slow device performance and missing 'Until Next Alarm' feature.
