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On/Off toggle to shut off network traffic #6194

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steerio opened this issue Feb 21, 2019 · 1 comment
Open

On/Off toggle to shut off network traffic #6194

steerio opened this issue Feb 21, 2019 · 1 comment

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@steerio
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steerio commented Feb 21, 2019

Problem

As part of its normal operation, Metamask makes a large amount of requests, at least one per second, even when it's not in active use. This raises the following concerns:

  • It might not be optimal for low-resource settings (metered mobile internet, intermittent connection).
  • When working with local RPC it can also be useful to be able to temporarily suspend the plugin.
  • It's also a strain on Infura without any benefits. 99+% of the average user's browsing activity is not related to dApps, they are not expecting incoming transactions, yet they are constantly polling for updates.

One can always go to the browser settings and disable/enable the plugin, but it's a hassle, reenabling the plugin requires a login, and so on.

Proposed solution

An on/off button in the header of the main MetaMask popup would allow users to quickly enable/disable the plugin.

Alternatives

  • A "None, plugin off" option in the network selector. Requires the user to remember which network to choose when reenabling it, though.
  • Progressively raising the polling interval after the last user/chain interaction, resetting it to 1 second when it resumes.
  • Making the polling interval configurable.

Further ideas

  • Keyboard shortcut (optional, configurable).
  • Reflecting the on/off status in the toolbar icon (with a grey fox or crossed-out fox).
@bdresser
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@steerio thanks for the feedback. We're putting lots of effort in to reducing our unnecessary traffic to Infura with the end goal of being network silent when the extension is idling. The most recent change (#6124) is at 5% and rolling out slowly over the course of the week.

Ideally you won't have to turn off MetaMask because it will only make requests when necessary. Thanks for your patience, will leave this open for now in case other users want to chime in.

cc @frankiebee

@bdresser bdresser changed the title On/Off toggle On/Off toggle to shut off network traffic Feb 21, 2019
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