Jorge Bernal 10:13 am on February 26, 2019
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The block editor is coming to the mobile apps

I’m proud to announce that we’ll be shipping the first public version of the block editor in the apps with their 11.9 release. This release will be available for beta testers today (learn more about testing the apps), and the general public in March 11th.

What to expect

For this first version, our main focus was to build a pleasant writing experience with support for the most basic types of content.

Our data showed that 90%+ of the posts created on the mobile apps consisted of basic text and images, so we decided to focus on supporting the Paragraph, Image, and Heading blocks on this version.

Within those limits, we wanted this to be functional and usable as a replacement editor from the start, so we did a lot of work on making sure the little things that you would expect to work on an editor were there: pressing enter would create a new paragraph block, support for undoing and redoing edits, basic formatting,…

Known issues

  • On iOS, using typing suggestions sometimes removes spaces between words.
  • On iOS, dictation doesn’t work at the moment.
  • On Android, when you insert a Heading block it initially shows no formatting.

How to test the block editor in the apps

Once you have version 11.9 of the apps, the block editor will be available, but not always used by default. When you edit an existing post, it will detect if it has block content and open it in the block editor, otherwise it will open in the classic editor. If you prefer to edit a post with blocks in the classic editor you can still do so by going to the editor menu (•••) and choosing “Switch to Classic Editor”.

When you create a new post, it will use the classic editor by default. To change that, you can go to Me > App Settings and enable the Use Block Editor option, and every new post will be created in the block editor.

What’s next

After the release, we will start working on some UX improvements and visual refinements that didn’t make it in time, and any major bugs that comes up. Shortly after that we’ll also spend time adding support for the most common blocks and use cases.

Get involved

You can follow along on the Gutenberg and gutenberg-mobile Github repos, and if you have any questions or want to get involved, you can discuss here or find us in the #core-editor and #mobile rooms in WordPress.org Slack.

elibud 3:30 pm on April 18, 2019
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Rachel 9:29 am on April 10, 2019  

Call for testing: WordPress for iOS 12.2

WordPress for iOS version 12.2 beta is available for testing on TestFlight.

Not part of the beta program yet? Please sign up for our TestFlight program (open the link on your iPhone or iPad) to join as a beta tester.

What to Test

  • Previewing a draft now autosaves local changes and shows the remote version of the post. To test, create a new post or open a saved draft, make changes to the post, and preview it without saving it first. The draft will be autosaved and display a preview of the post on your site. Note that this does not change the behavior for viewing/previewing published posts. (PR #11376)
  • Adds support for importing data from Bear and Ulysses (or any apps using the TextBundle and TextPack formats). Note that this does not include support for tags or images. (PR #11375)
    • To test in Bear:
      • From the notes list: Swipe left → More… → Export Note… → Text Bundle
      • Open in WordPress
      • Ensure the contents of the post are correct, and not quoted
    • To test in Ulysses:
      • Tap share icon
      • Tap the top to choose export format, choose Text and TextPack
      • Tap the … button, tap “Send to” or “Open in Another App”
      • Open in WordPress
      • Ensure the contents of the post are correct, and not quoted
  • Support for lists in the block editor. To test, create a new post using the block editor (you can enable it under Me > App Settings); add a list block to your post; try adding and changing the list content (add items, change the list type, split the list block, etc.). Confirm that your list appears correctly in the post on your site. (PR #11409)
  • Several UI details were polished in the Site Creation flow. This includes support for creating a blog with a .blog subdomain directly in the app. (PR #11413)
    Find all other changes/fixes in the related PRs targeting 12.2.

Bugs & Feedback

Did you find a bug or come up with a feature request while testing? You can discuss it here, ping one of us in the #mobile WordPress.org Slack room, report it using the TestFlight feedback link, or head straight to the iOS GitHub repository and open a new issue.

Thanks for testing!

Rachel 4:33 pm on April 8, 2019
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Call for testing: WordPress for Android 12.2

WordPress for Android version 12.2-rc-1 is available for testing on the Beta channel.

What to Test:

  • You can now create a site with a .blog subdomain directly from the app! Try it out by creating a new blog from the My Sites section of the app. (PR #9505)
  • Refreshed the color scheme used throughout the app. Please let us know if you run into any weird color issues! (PR #9495)
  • Fixed a bug where the unread badge would not disappear when swiping between unread notifications on the notifications screen. (PR #9467) Thank you to develric for contributing this fix!
  • Find all other changes/fixes and details in the related PRs targeting 12.2.

Bugs & Feedback

Did you find a bug or come up with a feature request while testing? You can discuss it here, ping one of us in the #mobile WordPress.org Slack room or head straight to the Android GitHub repository and open a new issue.

Thanks for testing!

Josepha 10:29 pm on March 29, 2019
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Rachel 6:18 pm on March 26, 2019  

Call for testing: WordPress for iOS 12.1

WordPress for iOS version 12.1 beta is available for testing on TestFlight.

Not part of the beta program yet? Please sign up for our TestFlight program (open the link on your iPhone or iPad) to join as a beta tester.

What to Test

  • Improved text import from other apps, such as Bear or Ulysses. 🥰
    • To test in Bear, open a note in the Bear app, tap the “i” information button in the top right, and export the note; then, share it to WordPress.
    • To test in Ulysses, select the text you want to share and use the contextual toolbar to share it to WordPress.
    • Confirm that the text appears in the post without a blockquote, and HTML has escaped HTML entities. See the PR for additional details about other text editors and behavior. (PR #11288)
  • Block editor now supports the creation of posts with pre-inserted photos and the 3D Touch action of starting a post with photo. (PR #11317)
    • Test 1: Enable the block editor in the app. Then, go to the Media Library, upload one or more images, and when the uploads finish select “Write Post” on the upload notification. Confirm that the images are preloaded in the new post.
    • Test 2: On the device home screen, force touch the WordPress app icon and select New Photo Post. Confirm the block editor opens with the media picker visible. Select the media you want and confirm it is uploaded and added to the post correctly.
  • Classic Editor: Added support on the editor for video elements that use the source elements. (PR #11296) For example:
    <video alt="Another video with bunnies"> <source src="https://videos.files.wordpress.com/kUJmAcSf/bbb_sunflower_1080p_30fps_normal.mp4" type="video/mp4"> </video>
  • Improved messages when updates to WordPress.com user account details fail because of server logic. To test, go to Me > Account Settings and try to make a change that you know will fail, e.g. update the account email to an email address already used on another account. Confirm that the error message matches the expected failure. (PR #11229)
  • Find all other changes/fixes in the related PRs targeting 12.1.

Bugs & Feedback

Did you find a bug or come up with a feature request while testing? You can discuss it here, ping one of us in the #mobile WordPress.org Slack room, report it using the TestFlight feedback link, or head straight to the iOS GitHub repository and open a new issue.

Thanks for testing!

Rachel 4:52 pm on March 25, 2019
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Call for testing: WordPress for Android 12.1

WordPress for Android version 12.1-rc-1 is available for testing on the Beta channel.

What to Test:

  • Editor: Sharing pictures to WordPress now opens the block editor. To test, select a photo in the Photos app and share it to WordPress. Select a test site and choose “Add to new post” to start a new post with that photo in the block editor. (PR #9442)
  • Stats:
    • Refreshed posts stats details screen. To view it, go to Blog Posts > Stats for an individual post or Stats > Posts & Pages > Select a post or page. (PR #9435)
    • Refreshed View All stats screen. To view it, go to Stats, find a stats module with a “View All” button, and select it (this is more likely on stats screens with more views, e.g. the Years tab). (PR #9448)
    • Visual update to Today’s stats, All-Time stats, and Most Popular stats blocks on Stats Insights tab. To view it, go to Stats > Insights and confirm the 2-column layout in these blocks displays your stats correctly. (PR #9453)
  • Notifications: You can now swipe between tab filters (All, Unread, Comments, etc.) in notifications. (PR #9421)
  • Design improvements for the site creation flow. (PR #9410)
  • Find all other changes/fixes and details in the related PRs targeting 12.1.

Bugs & Feedback

Did you find a bug or come up with a feature request while testing? You can discuss it here, ping one of us in the #mobile WordPress.org Slack room or head straight to the Android GitHub repository and open a new issue.

Thanks for testing!

Josepha 2:05 pm on March 13, 2019
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Rachel 3:04 pm on March 12, 2019  

Call for testing: WordPress for iOS 12.0

WordPress for iOS version 12.0 beta is available for testing on TestFlight.

Not part of the beta program yet? Please sign up for our TestFlight program (open the link on your iPhone or iPad) to join as a beta tester.

What to Test

New Features

  • Block Editor: The block editor for the apps is still in beta. Check out the block editor announcement post for details about what to expect and how to test it.
    • Dictation now works with the block editor. Try dictating text in the editor (using the built-in iOS dictation) and confirm it works as expected.
    • Fixed an issue in the block editor where images could not be uploaded to private sites.

Bug Fixes

  • Redesigned Notices: To test, trigger a notice and confirm it appears with a dark background and light (readable) text. Notices you can trigger include: uploading media to the media library, unfollowing a site in the Reader, and navigating the app while offline. (PR #11118)
  • Offline: Changed offline error messages to be less disruptive (a notice instead of an alert). To test, turn off your network connection and navigate to the Reader, My Site > Comments/Pages/Blog Posts, or Notifications. (PR #11171)
  • Find all other changes/fixes in the related PRs targeting 12.0.

Bugs & Feedback

Did you find a bug or come up with a feature request while testing? You can discuss it here, ping one of us in the #mobile WordPress.org Slack room, report it using the TestFlight feedback link, or head straight to the iOS GitHub repository and open a new issue.

Thanks for testing!

Rachel 3:58 pm on March 11, 2019
Tags:   

Call for testing: WordPress for Android 12.0

WordPress for Android version 12.0-rc-1 is available for testing on the Beta channel.

What to Test:

New Features

  • Block Editor: The block editor for the apps is still in beta. Check out the block editor announcement post for details about what to expect and how to test it.
    • When a heading was inserted in the block editor it would show with no formatting. We have now fixed this.
  • Stats: We have made some small improvements to stats, including adding a new section to show your site’s posting activity. (PR #9330)

Bug Fixes & Enhancements

  • Editor: New posts are now created as drafts to make sure they won’t be published accidentally. To test, go through the steps in the original issue and the test cases in the PR to confirm they work as expected. Also, get creative and test any other cases around creating, saving, scheduling, publishing, and updating posts to confirm the fix hasn’t introduced any unintended changes. (PR #9322)
  • Editor: The block editor now opens faster with large posts. To test, create a post with a lot of content in the block editor and open it in the app. Possible cases to test include older devices and Android versions, rotating the device while the post loads, losing the internet connection while the post loads, or putting the app in the background while the post loads. (PR #9370)
  • Notifications: The Notifications screen now uses tabs to filter different types of notifications. To test, navigate around the notifications tabs and your notification details and confirm the tabs work as expected. Confirm the tabs work as expected on different device sizes/orientations and UI languages. (PR #9355)
  • Find all other changes/fixes and details in the related PRs targeting 12.0.

Bugs & Feedback

Did you find a bug or come up with a feature request while testing? You can discuss it here, ping one of us in the #mobile WordPress.org Slack room or head straight to the Android GitHub repository and open a new issue.

Thanks for testing!

Josepha 10:39 pm on March 1, 2019
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