When will you fix the iPhone app?

JCBrown
June 11, 2012, 09:03 AM posted in General Discussion

When will you fix the diaster that you call an iPhone application?  I will not renew if you don't fix it.  In fact, I'd like a refund already.  It's been over a year now since it actually worked.  Unbelievable.  The old version worked, and then you changed it.  Why?  It's garbage.  You said months ago that you were aware of the problems, yet you've done nothing to fix it.  How difficult can it be?  Please fire the middle schooler who currently does your IT work and hire someone who can actually design a functional application.  Who has time to sit behind a computer all day?  Make an app for on-the-go users that actually works and you will INCREASE your revenue.  Guaranteed.

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jennyzhu
June 11, 2012, 11:09 AM

First of all, l must apologize for the iPhone app. It has not been working very well, and quite often we can't even recreate the bugs that users report because the app was not very well built and maintained. But the good news is we're working on a new iPad app and taken all the lessons we've learned with the iPhone app. The first iPad version is scheduled to be completed in 2 weeks. The next version will also support the iPhone. They're major overhaul of the old version. We learn a lot from past work so do our developers. For example, the curent Android app works a lot smoother thanpast versions.Again, sincere apologies for the inconvenience! Maybe I could trouble you to let us know what problems you are having with the iPhone app now and we'll see if we can help you in any way.

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bicycle-repairman
June 11, 2012, 12:17 PM

Sometimes I don't get the new lessons and I have to 'clear my cache' to get the new lessons. Also, most often these days, I can only get the audio, the character part of the dialogue or vocab are just straight lines and the pinyin. About a year ago (in approx Nov 2011) I had trouble downloading anything, now it is pretty good.

On my wish list: I would love to be able to scroll through all the lessons I have bookmarked not just the ones on 'page one'. also I would like to be able to manage my flashcards through the app not the website.

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user37917
June 11, 2012, 01:58 PM

I have limited experience using the iPhone app but here are my main complaints so far:

I use the Self Study section, but the app does not allow me to mark lessons as 'studied' or otherwise bookmark the lesson.

When my phone rings, and I take the call, I am unable to return directly to the point in the lesson where I left off.

 

 

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JCBrown
June 12, 2012, 12:57 AM

I detailed the application's problems in an email to ChinesePod, but I never received a reply.  Also, if you were sincerely concerned about the development of the application, you would have already read its reviews on iTunes, where others and I have provided detailed accounts of the its shortcomings.  Thanks. 

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jennyzhu

We're very aware of the problems. That's why we are investing a lot in the new versions and hope to deliver a much smoother user experience.