Hello,

Since last quarter the WMF’s iOS team [1] (part of the Reading product group) has been working on a major version update to our iOS app [2]. Rather than adding new features to the existing app, the team took on the goal of re-thinking our mobile readers, and how we could provide them with a delightful, app-specific, experience that will keep them reading Wikipedia on iOS.

After an extended alpha period we’re ready to share that work with you, and we’re looking forward to your feedback!

Sign up for the Beta by registering here: https://goo.gl/forms/hNxPJah57p

Once we are approved by Apple, you will receive a notification to install the beta via the TestFlight platform.

I will also be giving a walkthrough of the app, as a lighting talk tomorrow at 11 PST. It will be one of several to the WMF’s monthly lightning talks for Dec, which will stream here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIqhGxtXFbg

==More info[3]==

What’s New?

Our aim was to give our users an easier and more inviting way to discover and read Wikipedia on iOS, and find experiences to keep them engaged. So, there are few new features or changes to the core features, but an all new look-and-feel, and many changes to navigation around that core. 5.0 is a complete overhaul from the ground up, but some major highlights include:

• New Explore screen, a mobile-friendly way to enable that Wikipedia moment of serendipity

• “First time user experience” that helps users get oriented and configure the app

• All new user interface look-and-feel

• Tab based navigation for one tap access to your History and Saved pages

• Redesigned reader experience, with new page information and table of contents

• Easy access to language switching while searching and reading

Why is the app so different than the previous one?

Although the existing iOS app is well reviewed, and has been featured by Apple, it has never been able to build a sizable audience. Compared to other content sites on the internet, our official apps have not been able to keep our iOS users engaged as they shifted from desktop browsers to mobile apps. In order to “try again” to see if we could engage readers, and also keep them engaged, we’re trying a totally new way of presenting ourselves on iOS. You can read a lot more about this on our project wiki [2] and in this product presentation [4].

What’s this Explore thing?

The app’s Explore screen is a new, mobile friendly, way to experience the joy of discovery on Wikipedia. It mixes community curated content (from the en.wikipedia Main Page and Commons) with personally relevant content (based on articles you’ve read and your device location). All this is compiled locally on device and presented in a UI paradigm that is friendly to short, touch based sessions for casual consumption of media. It is an attempt to find a new way to engage, and re-engage, readers on a regular basis, by providing them a wide variety of dynamically changing content, presented in a familiar format. We think it can be very powerful way to enable mobile users to have that magic Wikipedia moment of discovery.

Where’s my favorite old feature?

Many features that were previously part of the “W” menu are now included in the Explore page. Random articles and articles near your location can both be found by exploring your feed. Other parts of the app now live in the main tab bar (Recent and Saved pages), or in the upper bar (Settings). Not finding something you loved? Fill out our feedback form and let us know [5].

What’s missing? Known issues?

 - Feed language and site: Currently the Explore page takes its content from your current “site”, based on your current search language. We will need to add more nuance to our site and language controls. If you are a multilingual user of the app, we’re particularly interested to get your feedback.

- The app can be overly aggressive about updating/refreshing content. We erred on the side of getting the “latest” content.

- Some localizations and RTL language support are incomplete (especially on iOS 8). We are actively working on this.

- Navigation issues: although the tab based main interface has been well liked by users, the new navigation flows have introduced some inconveniences for longer sessions and quickly accessing some less frequently used but much loved features. We look forward to hearing from you about what you like, and don’t, about the new navigation.

How can I give feedback?

We have a feedback form you can fill out (anonymously) here [5] or on the project’s wiki talk page here [2].

The team will also be at the wiki dev summit, if you want to talk IRL!

[1] - https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/iOS

[2] - https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Why_5

[3] - Also available on wiki at https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/FAQ_about_5.0

[4] - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IOS_Wikipedia_App_5.0_Update.pdf