Redesigned 'Wikipedia' iOS App Brings 3D Touch, Handoff Support

[MacRumors]

Wikipedia yesterday released a major update to its iOS app, offering an all-new interface and several new features designed to enhance content discovery.

Wikipedia Mobile 5.0 brings several optimizations to devices running iOS 9, featuring Spotlight Search integration, Handoff support, and 3D Touch enhancements for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 Plus users.

Previous updates to the app added features like offline access and mobile editing, but with the latest version Wikipedia has changed tack by aiming to make navigation simpler and developing an interface that's more focused on personalization and tailored content.

The Explore feed now populates based on previous interests, local surroundings, and featured articles and images, with support for navigating using a wider range of multi-touch gestures.

3D Touch support has also been extended to the Wikipedia icon, with Quick Actions like "Random article" and "Nearby articles" accessible from the home screen.

Wikipedia Mobile for iPhone and iPad is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Redesigned 'Wikipedia' iOS App Brings 3D Touch, Handoff Support

 

[farewelwilliams]

wonder how annoying it's going to be when they ask for money again.

 

[Evan Davis]

Clicking a Wikipedia link in Safari now opens the app

 

[SBlue1]

There is an app for Wikipedia? Why should I use it instead of the website?

 

[2013.1]

- still no text search inside articles

 

[ILikeAllOS]

Great but it would be better to redesign their site instead, especially on the desktop.
Wikipedia's design is too noisy/cluttered.

 

[orbital~debris]

There's also a nice new Wikipedia app called Viki. I bought it a couple of days ago (only 79p) and it's very nicely designed with some thoughtful features. The article map with ribbons is particularly nice.
Worth checking out - I think Apple have featured it as 'Editor's Choice' in the App Store at the moment.

 

[TruthWatcher412]

I've always used Wikipanion

 

[Vanilla35]

There is an app for Wikipedia? Why should I use it instead of the website?

Looks prettier

 

[michaelant]

- still no text search inside articles

Seems like it looks nice, but if there's no text search on articles, that's a nonstarter for me. Wikipanion works well for my use.

 

[naeS1Sean]

Very nice...

 

[l00pback]

There is an app for Wikipedia? Why should I use it instead of the website?

Nobody is saying you should. It's personal preference. Try it out, see for yourself if you like it better than using the website. One advantage the app offers that the website doesn't is the ability to locally save articles to read later. Whether or not that's important to you, well, that's up to you.

 

[manu chao]

There is an app for Wikipedia? Why should I use it instead of the website?

See it as a way to deal with too many open tabs in Safari (particularly on the iPhone) and a quicker way to get to Wikipedia. With Safari, one would start with:

1. Tap the Safari icon, then
2. Tap the tabs icon (possibly first activate the bottom bar), then
3. Tap the + icon, then
4. Tap the Wikipedia favourite icon (if one has Wikipedia as one of the first 20 favourite icons)

With a separate Wikipedia app this reduces to one step:

1. Tap the Wikipedia icon

 

[Jessica Lares]

There's nothing wrong with the website. The benefit of using a client for me is having the list of things I've looked at in the past that is more visual (and lets me save stuff for later so I don't have to pile it with other stuff in my Reading List). That might not be valuable for someone that doesn't use Wikipedia constantly though.

Saying that, I've played with it for 30 minutes now and don't like it in comparison to Curiosity/Inquire (Heard about Viki, but too late now). They waste a lot of space with the cropped images, and most of the pages they're recommending to me aren't relevant at all. IMO, the Saved tab would be better if it was more like the History one too. But that's why we have choice.

 

[Peeetski]

wonder how annoying it's going to be when they ask for money again.

Way better than ads though man.

 

[therockyroad]

I've always used Wikipanion

Me too. I wonder how this App compares.

 

[kds1]

Me too. I wonder how this App compares.

Wikipanion is really poor at displaying images, tables, and some of the pages slide around while others do not. It's really annoying when they slide like that.

 

[TruthWatcher412]

Me too. I wonder how this App compares.

I downloaded the Wikipedia app and I really like it. It is actually much better than Wikipanion I think. I like the history tab and that it suggests articles for me based off what I've read previously. Plus the 3D Touch is a nice feature

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

Clicking a Wikipedia link in Safari now opens the app

Good to know. Will definitely not be installing the app now.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Way better than ads though man.

not really, adblockplus didn't catch the banner asking for money. (talking about the web)