Android UI improvements are here
Hi all,
Hope you're having a great new year so far. I wanted to post a quick note here (in addition to our release notes) to talk about a few changes that we're making to Android UI. These are currently available on the Beta version (you can join the beta and download immediately on our play store listing: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.logos.androidlogos&hl=en_US.
Refreshed/improved dark mode: We've heard you loud and clear. Dark mode is important to many of you, and we're taking time to improve it on iOS and Android. Note we've toned down the brightness of the text relative to the background color, we've adjusted colors to be a bit warmer and more consistent with our styling elsewhere in the app.
We added a "Sync your data" button to the More menu. You can now sync your data at will within the Android app. Tapping "Sync" will update ensure you have the most updated sermon documents, notes, highlights, and other user data.
We moved the Bible button from the main nav bar to the Tab editing view. Relatively few people used the Bible button on the main nav bar. We found that most people opened their Bible from the upper right kebab menu (via "Change Resource") or through opening it in the tab browser. For those of you who enjoyed using the Bible button, we have left a similar functionality. Simply long press the center tabs icon and we'll open your preferred Bible. It works in the same way as the Bible button. You'll also find a new Bible button in the tab editing view.
We moved the More menu to the main nav bar: You can find the More menu (used to be in top right of the UI) in the bottom right on the nav bar.
We moved the verse-picker to the top left. You'll find the verse/chapter picker in the top right on the toolbar. This is to be more consistent with how desktop and web handle table of contents and verse navigation.
We made the verse input box more discoverable and less, well, blue. 
The verse input box is now explicitly tappable/editable. This makes it easier for new users to know how to navigate through the Bible or to specific verses and ranges.
We've added a Store button to the main nav bar. This links directly to Logos.com and is a great way to pick up new books and resources when out and about and away from your desktop computer.
We've made the the toolbar in the reading view more tappable and light weight. There's a bit more breathing room up top which should cut down on accidental button taps and make it easier to do the things that you want to do.
We've improved the landscape reading experience. When reading in landscape mode, UI in the reading view becomes more compact, making more space for your content.
We've improved the experience for users with notch phones. Our app did weird things with the keyboard on phones with notches (such as the Pixel 3). We have fixed that issue.
To conclude: Android is important to us. We have more improvements to search, library, and more coming later this year. Let us know how you like this beta!
Comments
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Has any improvement been made to the issues users have been asking about for quite a while now:
- The order of resources in searches.
- The speed of searches, esp. offline.
- The ability to do more offline.
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Are the new Android changes making their way to iOS? I use both apps, so I'd like the user experience to be as similar as possible.
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How about the issue many of us have raised with the font. In the PC app, no problem, but reading on Android with the current font is a pain. Any thoughts?
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We've added a Store button to the main nav bar. This links directly to Logos.com and is a great way to pick up new books and resources when out and about and away from your desktop computer.
Please don't. Did users ask for this? "Yes please make it easier for me to spend money." I'd prefer the store link to remain in a menu and have the buttons on the main nav bar be dedicated to helping me study the Bible or other resources. It's not like it's currently difficult to access the store. Make your UI (User Interface) changes User-centric and not profit-centric, and you'll find that you'll still make a profit.
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How about the issue many of us have raised with the font. In the PC app, no problem, but reading on Android with the current font is a pain. Any thoughts?
Many of the Android specific font issues are with the font files we've licensed from a 3rd party. We are communicating with this vendor and hope to have better font files soon.
Changing fonts on Android and iOS is on our roadmap for this year.
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Are the new Android changes making their way to iOS? I use both apps, so I'd like the user experience to be as similar as possible.
Hi Bill. I too use both iOS and Android in my daily work. A wider trend we're seeing is more unified design across Android/iOS. Look at many major consumer apps and you'll see this trend.
These UI changes unify Logos on Android and iOS more than ever before.
Our approach is simple: we want to design and ship the best design for the job rather than pressing in to platform specific UI paradigms. You'll see that each platform will maintain iOS/Android conventions when it makes sense, but over time I think you'll see our mobile apps on iOS and Android look more like brothers than cousins.
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For reporting issues in the beta, should we use the report a problem item on the main menu?
No beta forum for Logos 8 mobile that I see
Mike Measley
Using Logos Desktop Software, Proclaim, Faithlife Groups, Faithlife Apps (Android), app.logos.com
Windows 10, Android 7, Chromebook (app.logos.com/Chrome Desktop Remote)
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We've added a Store button to the main nav bar. This links directly to Logos.com and is a great way to pick up new books and resources when out and about and away from your desktop computer.
Please don't. Did users ask for this? "Yes please make it easier for me to spend money." I'd prefer the store link to remain in a menu and have the buttons on the main nav bar be dedicated to helping me study the Bible or other resources. It's not like it's currently difficult to access the store. Make your UI (User Interface) changes User-centric and not profit-centric, and you'll find that you'll still make a profit.
I notice Daniel carefully forgot your issue.
It's interesting ... I'm on the iOS side. On an iPad, the Bible was relegated to his quiet dusty corner out of the way of the busy user. After Daniel pointed out where he went, I clicked on him. A message appeared, no can do. You have to be online. I checked my library (a single Bible automatically downloaded by the app). Sigh, he lost out to the Walmart shopping cart, and can't even find the Bible.
But I definitely agree with your points.
EDIT: I gave the Bible icon a second chance. And he delivered! A blank screen New American. I don't recall using the New American in the last few years, but who knows. I'd think a blank screen NABRE would have been the better choice.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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We've added a Store button to the main nav bar. This links directly to Logos.com and is a great way to pick up new books and resources when out and about and away from your desktop computer.
Please don't. Did users ask for this? "Yes please make it easier for me to spend money." I'd prefer the store link to remain in a menu and have the buttons on the main nav bar be dedicated to helping me study the Bible or other resources. It's not like it's currently difficult to access the store. Make your UI (User Interface) changes User-centric and not profit-centric, and you'll find that you'll still make a profit.
I notice Daniel carefully forgot your issue.
Yeah please rethink going this direction. Sometimes the mobile store is slow to load, and it would be real annoying to tap on that by mistake regularly. Also, like many users I'm sure, I've never purchased anything from the mobile store or even looked at it much. For that sort of thing I much prefer using my desktop, for many reasons that should be readily apparent.
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Well it should not been on the roadmap to change it for last year.
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I would like to check for the sync feature will the sync feature work between multiple android phones. What i mean is if i have a android tablet and a phone and i read up to a certain page of a book on the tablet, i would like for the phone to also be able to sync to that specific page so that i can continue reading from the phone at a later time and do not have to flip around finding out which page i have read until. Also would appreciate if the tabs can be synced also so that the switching between multiple android devices can be seamless.
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i would like for the phone to also be able to sync to that specific page so that i can continue reading from the phone at a later time and do not have to flip around finding out which page i have read until
This should work - assuming the book is only open on one device at a time.
A design choice was taken that says if the book is open on multiple devices the position should not sync.
And different users have different views as to whether that is the right choice!
Also would appreciate if the tabs can be synced also so that the switching between multiple android devices can be seamless.
This doesn't happen - and again different views have been expressed as to whether it should or not
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Please don't, rethink going this direction. I don't want to buy! I want to study the Scripture...
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I buy new resources every month, but never through the iOS app's store button - it's (understandably) far more limited than the website and the prices are generally higher (e.g. Amplified Bible is £9.99 in the app or $9.99 on the website - the latter is over 20% cheaper).
I can understand it being there if it works to drive sales, but given that the store is overpriced and limited in range, it feels like a bad representation of the "real" online store, and as a constant presence in the app it feels a bit in your face - especially given that it's also visible in the bottom right menu and on the home-page.
It might bug me less if it opens the website like (I think) the Android app does and I appreciate that the difference functionality there is down to Apple's standards rather than Logos, but it does make it less appealing.
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We've added a Store button to the main nav bar. This links directly to Logos.com and is a great way to pick up new books and resources when out and about and away from your desktop computer
Sorry, Logos. You are wasting time and resources giving us something we really don't want or need and is in an awful position on the screen. Move it to the home screen but please get rid of it! It does not belong on the navigation bar.
Give us something that would actually improve the reading experience: a decent font.
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Thanks to the FL team for working on improving the app. It's reassuring to know that there's active development.
I find it confusing to have similar-looking icons, and some repeated. The verse picker, library and menu icons are all 'groups of lines'. If you tap 'more', the library icon repeats on top. 'More' and 'menu' share some items, but not others. I won't be able to recall which is where.
It's also disorienting to have the menus slide in from the right, now. I guess we might get used to it, but other apps (e.g. Google's) have the menu on the left. Maybe it's one of today's 'format wars'.
Too many steps are needed to find and switch to dark mode. Compare with YouVersion, Olive Tree, even Google Play Books.
I purchase resources from Logos, but not from mobile. I like, though, that from mobile, you get the desktop version of the Logos site, rather than the practically useless mobile site. But the landing page is not responsive, so it's not easy to use on mobile. So far, I'm not sold.
The line spacing for LEB with verse references is still inconsistent.
The toggle for 'Bible text only' mode is not clearly identifiable. It also doesn't work properly - failed to change the view until I reopened the resource in a new tab.
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We moved the Bible button from the main nav bar to the Tab editing view.
We've added a Store button to the main nav bar.
Given its a Bible app - I would really appreciate the Bible being the main thing, front and centre!
גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹֽא־יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה
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Daniel,
Although none of the new changes you described were things that were on my wish list for the app, I am thankful that active development is being done, and I look forward to further improvements. Thank you for your hard work, and thank you Faithlife for allocating resources towards improving the app!
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We made the verse input box more discoverable and less, well, blue.
The verse input box is now explicitly tappable/editable. This makes it easier for new users to know how to navigate through the Bible or to specific verses and ranges. We've added a Store button to the main nav bar. This links directly to Logos.com and is a great way to pick up new books and resources when out and about and away from your desktop computer.
To conclude: Android is important to us. We have more improvements to search, library, and more coming later this year. Let us know how you like this beta!
Yes! The new look in beta is great! I'm thankful for the new minimal look that matches the ios version. Very clean and easy on the eyes. Overall great update. Great job guys.
My only disagreement is with the changes is what other have said regarding the store button. I use the App to read my Bible and books, write notes, highlight, search, and sometimes do word or passage studies. In my mind the best icon added to the main bar is the notes tool with the search tool coming in a close second. Also, the Logos mobile store is a really bad experience. It shows all the books I already own and is very hard to navigate and find the books you want. If you wanted to have more people buy books, it seems that a better way to put it in their face would be through homepage advertisement, related search results, suggested buys in Library, passage guide suggestions...etc. But, those are my opinions! Go ahead and do some more analytics after the change and do what's best.My #1 request for the Andriod app would be a fast 1 tap word lookup (BDAG, LOUWNIDA, Strongs etc...). Click a word (or long press) and it quickly opens a half screen resource lookup pane that can be swiped away without leaving my Bible. But anyways, great job FL team!
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We moved the Bible button from the main nav bar to the Tab editing view.
We've added a Store button to the main nav bar.
Given its a Bible app - I would really appreciate the Bible being the main thing, front and centre!
Exactly.
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We moved the Bible button from the main nav bar to the Tab editing view.
We've added a Store button to the main nav bar.
Given its a Bible app - I would really appreciate the Bible being the main thing, front and centre!
Exactly.
Well... *center [:D][;)]
- Don't miss a FREE Book, COUPON, or OFFER! Join the Free Faithlife Books Group
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I also think the Store button should be moved to the bottom of the menu. The app is first and foremost a reading tool. I don't mind that you feel the need to give us access to the stoes, but I'd like it out if the way of the tools that enhance the reading experience. I do not need regular access to the store.
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We moved the Bible button from the main nav bar to the Tab editing view.
We've added a Store button to the main nav bar.
Given its a Bible app - I would really appreciate the Bible being the main thing, front and centre!
Exactly.
Well... *center
I’m English... we spell correctly! [:P]
גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹֽא־יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה
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I also think the Store button should be moved to the bottom of the menu. The app is first and foremost a reading tool. I don't mind that you feel the need to give us access to the stoes, but I'd like it out if the way of the tools that enhance the reading experience. I do not need regular access to the store.
I agree - the Store button is unnecessary on that bar. I rarely use it and if I want to purchase resource I tend to user a browser outside of the app.
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We moved the Bible button from the main nav bar to the Tab editing view.
We've added a Store button to the main nav bar.
Given its a Bible app - I would really appreciate the Bible being the main thing, front and centre!
Exactly.
Well... *center
I’m English... we spell correctly!
Sorry...I couldn't help it. [:D] [;)]
- Don't miss a FREE Book, COUPON, or OFFER! Join the Free Faithlife Books Group
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lol no worries 😉
גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹֽא־יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה
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Well, my mobile app just updated. It looks like the feedback of multiple people on this post to NOT put the Store button on the main navigation bar was ignored.
I would ask, beg, plead, with Faithlife once again to please remove the Store button from the homepage and return it to the side menu. It was very accessible there, there is no need except for greed to put in on the navigation bar. (As if Logos/Verbum users don't already spend plenty of money in your store as it is.) Smh
EDIT: Correction, there is now a store button in two places. On the nav bar and still in the side menu. However, they removed the very handy button that quickly got you back to your preferred bible (especially helpful if you have a lot of resources open), to make room for the store button. So what took you one tab now takes you two taps. Think about that. They removed the button that helps you easily get to your preferred bible with one tap to make room for the store button. Priorities. Smh
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I really don't see the point in this decision... there is room on even a 4 inch screen to put both... lets have the Bible in pride of place please!
גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹֽא־יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה
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Don't like all the new updates. If I had known it was going to happen I would have turned my automatic updates off. I now have issues with the audio. Tap for audio and when it pops up, you have to tap to get the full screen. Depending on where you tap, it either does nothing or flips to the next page. Is there not a way to lock the screen so it doesn't move unless you want it to. This app is a pain, if I hadn't spent so much money on it, I'd never use it again.
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Hi Diane, I'm Daniel. I help lead our mobile app efforts at Faithlife.
I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble. I'd love to help if I can.
With our most recent update on Android, there should be no changes to audio behavior. When you say "you have to tap to get full screen", what do you mean by that? What are you trying to make full screen?
By design, each book, resource, or tool in Logos opens in a "tab". Think of it like a tab in your web browser. You can open multiple things and navigate around them very quickly. Swiping allows you to switch between them.
If you would like to disable this behavior, you can set your application you can uncheck "scrolling view" in the settings. Swiping with one finger in that scenario will turn the page. You would then use two fingers to swipe between the tabs.
-Daniel
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