The Field Guide

App Version 3

Welcome to version 3 of your app... and boy is it fast!

Today we are happy to officially announce the third version of the Yellowstone-powered mobile apps. This version includes so many improvements that it is a little hard to know where to start, so we’ll start with the most noticeable upgrade: these apps are fast.

From load time to user interactions, everything is faster with version three. As soon as you open up your app you will notice the difference. The splash screen hangs around for only a second before the app’s UI appears and your content begins to load. To keep your members’ informed about what’s happening, we have also introduced content loading animations that display while your content updates on their device. The other noticeable speed improvement is with interactions. Tap the menu button and your menu slides out instantly. Tap Actions and your Actions Screen slides back just as quickly. Everything in your app is faster.

To say we are plenty excited about the speed of version three’s interactions is an understatement.

The other major change you’ll likely notice right away is with the in-app browser. We have completely rebuilt the in-app browser from the ground up to better integrate with the app and display your web-based content. Gone is the browser-based navigation bar at the bottom and the confusing exit button at the top. Now there’s a simple branded bar across the top with a clear “Back” button. There’s also a unique animation when one of your members loads web content to differentiate it from app-based content.

Something you may not notice at first: we’ve also rebuilt the UI from the ground up. The biggest changes in the UI will be noticed if you put an Android and iOS device next to each other. Your app now utilizes platform-specific UI guidelines and icons in the app.

As you’ll notice above, on iOS, menu titles are in the center. On Android, those titles are on the left next to the menu button. The user and menu icons are also platform-specific. Play with the Android and iOS side-by-side and you will notice a lot of little UI improvements like that. Taken together, they create a better experience for your members.

The screens themselves have all been improved. Content on the screens renders sharper and crisper than in version two. We’ve spent time improving fonts, colors, layouts, icons, and animations to make your app faster and easier to use for your members.

As of today, all Yellowstone-powered apps are running on version three and an upgrade is available for your app in both the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store.

A final note about this update: this is the last of the major platform updates we have been working on since last fall. We are very excited to showcase the features that will be rolling out on version three of the apps soon.