Why can't I find a user in a Segment or Journey, even though their events are being recorded in my application?

This issue typically occurs when a user's device (identified by a Hardware ID or HWID) is not correctly registered within the specific Pushwoosh application where you are trying to segment or target them, even if events associated with their User ID or HWID are being received by that application.

Here's a breakdown of why this happens and how to fix it:

1. Device Registration is Key: For a user/device to be included in Segments or entered into Journeys within a specific Pushwoosh application (e.g., your Staging app), the device itself must first be registered within that specific application. This usually happens automatically when the Pushwoosh SDK is initialized in your app build.
2. User Association: If you identify users with a User ID, you must associate that User ID with the registered device (HWID) using the setUserId (or registerUser) SDK method within the same application.
3. Event Tracking vs. Targeting: Pushwoosh can record events linked to a User ID or HWID even if the device isn't fully registered in that particular application (especially if events are sent via API or an integration like Amplitude). However, you cannot target that user via Segments or Journeys in that application unless the device (HWID) is registered and, if applicable, associated with the User ID there.
4. Common Cause (Staging/Production Mismatch): A frequent cause is using different Pushwoosh Application Codes across environments. For example:
   • Your test device might be registered with your Production AppCode.
   • You then test an event or Journey in your Staging app build, which uses the Staging AppCode.
   • The event might be sent to the Staging application (correctly), but because the device itself is only known in the Production application, the Staging application cannot find the device to include it in Segments or Journeys.

How to Resolve:

1. Verify SDK Initialization: Ensure the Pushwoosh SDK in your application build (e.g., your staging build) is initialized with the correct Application Code for that environment.
2. Confirm Device Registration: Check in your Pushwoosh Control Panel under the specific application (e.g., Staging) > Audience > User Explorer if the test device's HWID exists.
3. Confirm User ID Association: If using User IDs, ensure the setUserId / registerUser method is called after SDK initialization and uses the correct User ID for the test user within the correct application environment.
4. Check Integrations: If sending events from third-party systems (like Amplitude), ensure the integration is configured to send events to the correct Pushwoosh Application Code and that the corresponding device registration/user association is happening via the SDK within that same application.