Common Problems

Octopus Watch is a robust app compatible with numerous devices. Despite extensive testing, occasional issues may arise. This page provides solutions for common problems.

Credentials not Accepted

If you recently switched to Octopus Energy, or had a smart meter installed, the app might not yet recognise your API credentials. Octopus Watch can only verify credentials when they are correct and* initial consumption data is present. Make sure to verify that your API key is correct and that it includes sk_live_ at the start. If the app detects another issue it will give an explanation of what is going on and steps you can take to resolve the issue.

Data is Missing

Missing data in the History tab is one of the most common problems. A dedicated page describes what causes missing data and how Octopus Watch deals with missing and incomplete data.

Subscription not Loading

If you’re facing issues with subscription renewal, you may simply need to restore the subscription in the app. Apple fairly aggressively notifies an app when a subscription has lapsed, but Apple doesn’t always notify the app when the subscription period has been extended. To restore the subscription in the app go to the Setting tab, and tap on the “Subscribe” button at the top. On this subscription page there is a link below the two big buttons that reads “Restore Purchases”. Tap this link if you have an active subscription that isn’t working.

On iOS the subscription can be shared with others in your family. To set up Family Sharing follow the instructions outlined on this Apple support page. Similar as above, when making changes to your family the other family members can restore the subscription within the app.

Widgets not Updating

Widgets function independently of the main app, and can be frozen by iOS and Android to conserve battery. A widget can request an update but it isn’t guaranteed one. How much time the widget gets to run depends on the amount of time the main app is active. For example, if you never use the Octopus Watch app, the widget will eventually stop updating. To make sure the widget stays up-to-date make sure you user the app throughout the day.

Actively use the app!

Both iOS and Android freeze a widget indefinitely if the parent app is never used. The more you use Octopus Watch, the more the widget gets allotted time to pull in the new rates.

Certain Android versions and custom launchers aggressively optimize battery usage, potentially causing widgets to stop updating. For these cases, disable battery optimizations for Octopus Watch. This won’t drain your battery, as Octopus Watch is well-optimized.

Android: Disable battery optimisation

Some custom Android versions have overly aggressive battery optimisation which breaks widgets. Disable battery optimisation for Octopus Watch if you want to use the widget.