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If you enjoy using our Android app to stay abreast of all the latest Android news you’ll want to pay attention to this particular story: the Phandroid app has gotten an upgrade!
What you’ll be treated to once you take the download won’t be sweeping changes or an awesome new redesign that you’ll immediately notice, but the changes that have been made all go toward providing a much more solid experience overall. Here’s the full list in case you’re curious:
- Added new UI effects and tweaks
- Replaced DataDroid (deprecated) with Retrofit
- Updated about and open source licenses
- Improved speed of endless listView
- Improved comment layout stability and speed
- Fixed tablet layout for portrait mode
- Fixed Disqus token bug, now will warn of expiring token
- Fixed notification showing with app in foreground
- Fixed inline YouTube url bug
- Fixed all other reported bugs
You’ll definitely want to update your app as soon as possible if you’ve been annoyed by any of these bugs. While you’re at it, why not consider joining the Phandroid App beta community right here?
You’ll get all these updates sooner and it goes a long way toward helping our awesome developer Steve Albright create the best app possible (it helps that you’re reporting bugs without even having to submit a bug report). Be sure to let us know how the new changes are treating you in the comments below!
I installed this app and my wife showed up moments later with a 6 pack of beer. Coincidence? You decide.
Wife? There is a shocker…
Funny… the opposite happened to me. I drank a 6 pack of beer, woke up with the app on my phone and some girl leaving my house, but don’t remember any of it.
This app is magical.
Funny… I started working on this app and now I have four kids.
Hopefully it’s so magical it stops crashing every 10 seconds. Now that would be a cool trick!
Are you talking about it crashing currently on the latest build or before the update?
I still use the old app LOL
What do you like about the old app? We understand users still prefer the old and maybe that is why it’s still available. We love getting feedback!
Look forward to seeing the new app.
Now can someone tell me how to get rid of the “Recommended for you” popup that constantly shows OLD items in my Google Chrome desktop version? I know how to dismiss, but I dont want to see them at all. Thanks…
If this feature is universally hated we can remove it. I kind of like it as a little suggestion for cool content but I can see how it’d be annoying, too. I actually enjoy those little popups on other sites myself…
If we incorporated them with different content would you find it useful or interesting? Or do people hate them altogether? I see a lot of sites have it… we haven’t really seen any complaints besides this one.
I don’t so much mind the pop-up itself, per se, but what is off-putting is that the content is almost always dated and thus irrelevent.
For example, the one on my screen right now points to this link:
http://phandroid.com/2013/10/31/download-and-install-the-new-google-experience-launcher/#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=53cfead9d2f58058&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=0&at_tot=1
There are times when it is more current, like this:
http://phandroid.com/2014/07/18/cool-tricks-every-android-phone-user-should-know/#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=53cfebaef31a712d&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=0&at_tot=1
I guess my point is that as an almost daily reader of the site, I most likely have already seen these recommended articles.
In all honesty Rob, in their current format, they’re utterly pointless.
I could potentially understand if there was any rhyme or reason to what popped up, but they seem to link back to the same 10-15 articles all the time (If I wanted to read a 3 year old article about why Task Killers are a bad idea, I’d search for it myself).
It might be a good idea, but it’s very, very poorly executed at the moment as the articles being linked to have no relevance to the articles they’re popping up on. Reading this, I’m currently seeing the “Google confirms kill switch etc.” appear for about the 30th time.
Also, why is this “recommended for me”: http://phandroid.com/2009/11/27/android-porn-market-from-mikandi/
If you want an example of this sort of thing done well, take a look at how Androidpolice do it. Links at the bottom of their articles which are at least semi related to the articles they’re appearing on.
I also agree with Jeff Saul, as a daily reader of the site, I’ve read most of the stuff anyway. If there was an option to turn them off, that’d be great.
Yep – hate it. Please give us an option to turn it off.
I emailed the other day about this feature. Always old articles. I am giving up on desktop until those go away. Distraction while trying to read other articles.
I hate it with a fiery passion. Anything that pops up or moves while I’m trying to read is a major annoyance.
Still force closes when I comment
I will push a patch today that will fix this and a few other miscellaneous bugs. Sorry about that.
EDIT
I just published a beta… you can get this version if you join our beta community. (it will be production by end of day)
https://plus.google.com/communities/111336304998284946329
The Phandroid app is still horrible. Force closes and doesn’t update the latest comments. Mobile site it still is
Please see my reply below (http://phandroid.com/2014/07/23/phandroid-app-update/#comment-1499962400) regarding the FC. Minor issue and is already fixed. As for the “doesn’t update the latest comments”, you are most likely referring to the delay with Disqus API (unless we would fork out some serious money for a pro account).
If you have a more specific example of the comments not showing the latest, please let me know so I can personally take a look and determine the root cause of the issue.
Hmm, this is the first time I’ve had to ask to join an app beta. Now just waiting for a response to my request.
*EDIT* I’ve been accepted!!!
Apparently my posts are banned because they are never posted can I at least get a response.
Apparently my posts are banned because they are never posted, can I get a response.
Well seems that it has been fixed
I’ll be happy when I don’t have to open the app 3 times to get around the blank black page, then the blank white page, then the force close.. then random freezing while reading an article… love phandroid, but been having a hellova time with the app on my last 2 phones (DROID Bionic and Note3)
Updated the other day. Not bad at all. Only problem I encountered yesterday was not being able to log in to comment where it gives you the option to log on with Disqus, Google+ or Facebook. If I tried to choose either Google or Facebook, I’d just get a blank white screen or it just remained on the standard login screen. Took about 10 mins before a menu finally popped up to enter login details. But apart from that it’s been fine!
I just typed a lengthy reply with a minor issue, then the app forced closed the moment I went to comment……. Which reminds me, force closes galore!!!!
The other is login issues with Google or Facebook. The menu for login details never appears unless you try at least a dozen times.
Sorry to spam your comments section guys, didn’t realize my comments were getting posted, as it kept force closing on me, apologies!
No worries. Join the beta for the comment post fix. This version will be published by tomorrow. Thanks for the feedback and let me know if any other issues pop up.
Will do, thanks :)
So much better. Thanks
Better..