Call for Testing: WordPress for Android 6.4

WordPress for Android version 6.4-rc-1 has been released in the Google Play Store. You can join the betaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. from the Google Play Store on your device (under “Become a beta tester”), and comment here or join the Google Plus beta community for more discussion with other testers. (Note: If you see a message that the beta testing program is full, you’ll need to wait for space to open up before you can join the beta. Thanks for your interest!)

What to Test:

Updated: Refreshed Reader Design

Reader streams (the list view, such as “Followed Sites” or tags you follow) got a design refresh to match the current WordPress.comWordPress.com An online implementation of WordPress code that lets you immediately access a new WordPress environment to publish your content. WordPress.com is a private company owned by Automattic that hosts the largest multisite in the world. This is arguably the best place to start blogging if you have never touched WordPress before. https://wordpress.com/ Reader design. A couple big changes to note:

  • There are now five different layouts for posts in the list view. Here are the rules:
    • If the post has 0 images: Text card.
    • If the post has 1 or more images and less than 100 characters: Photo card (using featured imageFeatured image A featured image is the main image used on your blog archive page and is pulled when the post or page is shared on social media. The image can be used to display in widget areas on your site or in a summary list of posts. or first image).
    • If the post has 1-3 images and over 100 characters: Default card (using featured image or first image).
    • If the post has 4 or more images and over 100 characters: Gallery card (using first 4 images).
    • If the post has a video as featured image or a video as first usable media: Video card.
  • TagTag Tag is one of the pre-defined taxonomies in WordPress. Users can add tags to their WordPress posts along with categories. However, while a category may cover a broad range of topics, tags are smaller in scope and focused to specific topics. Think of them as keywords used for topics discussed in a particular post. streams now have a an image headerHeader The header of your site is typically the first thing people will experience. The masthead or header art located across the top of your page is part of the look and feel of your website. It can influence a visitor’s opinion about your content and you/ your organization’s brand. It may also look different on different screen sizes..

Feedback:

  • Does each post layout work on your device, for example in your Followed Sites list?
  • Do you notice any design issues while scrolling, rotating your device, or navigating through the Reader?
  • Look at a tag you follow: Does the image header load correctly? Can you tap to view the post the image came from?

(Related GithubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/ issue and pull request.)

New: Draft Reminder Notification

The app now sends you push notifications when you have a local draft that is more than 3 days old. (Local drafts are drafts saved locally on your device and not synced with your site’s server.) There are a few cases:

  • For a draft 3-30 days old, the notification includes the post title and age of the draft.
  • For a draft >30 days old, the notification includes the post title (but not the age).
  • If you have multiple drafts, the notification includes the number of drafts (but not the title/age).

These cases work independently on each site, so as you switch between sites in the app the notifications will adjust to the site you’re working on.

To Test:

  • Write a new draft and exit the editor to save the draft locally. (You’ll see the text “Local draft” in yellow on your draft in the list of posts.)
  • Go to your device settings and set the date to more than 3 days in the future.
  • Open the app again.
  • The notification should appear on your device.
  • Tap “Edit” to open a single draft in the editor or the post list for multiple drafts. Tap “Ignore” to dismiss the notification (it won’t appear again for that draft). Swipe to dismiss the notification, and receive the notification again later (after 24 hours).
  • Repeat these steps for different sites with different numbers/ages of local drafts.

Note: If you don’t have any local drafts on your site to begin with, the notification may not appear (Github issue). This is a known issue with this first beta release and is resolved for the next release.

Feedback:

  • Was the notification clear and compelling to you? What was your reaction to it?
  • Describe what you intended to do after seeing the notification. Were you able to complete the actions/flow you intended, or did you get stuck anywhere?
  • Please report any issues with the notification itself (the number of drafts, the age of the drafts, the timing of the notification, etc.).

(Related Github issue and pull request.)

Bugs & Feedback

Did you find a bug or come up with a feature request while testing? Did you try the additional flow testing? You can discuss it here, report it using the “Enter feedback about the app” form in the Google Play Store, or head straight to the Android Github repository and open a new issue.

Thank you for testing!

#android, #beta, #needs-testing, #wpandroid