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Official Wikipedia App for iOS Introduces Dark Mode and iMessage Sticker Pack

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The official Wikipedia app for iOS [Direct Link] has been updated this week with an all-new dark mode, letting users adjust the app for better Wikipedia browsing and reading in low-light environments. Aside from expected darker colors, the new dark mode is said to include "image dimming," so brighter pictures aren't as harsh when scrolling through Wikipedia entries.

wikipedia-dark-mode.jpg

A separate option in sepia colors is available now as well, and Wikipedia said that users will also be able to adjust text size in appearance controls.
Dark mode! Read in comfort with new Appearance controls, including dark colors and image dimming. Make those late night Wikipedia sessions easier on the eyes. Choose between sepia, dark or white themes to read Wikipedia your way!
Click to expand...
The version 5.6 update also introduced an iMessage sticker pack for Wikipedia users, and a few new ways for readers to explore and discover new articles. In the Explore feed, an "on this day" card will highlight interesting events that happened on the day in question throughout history, with a timeline that users can scrub through to see other events on the same day.

Standalone iOS apps have been gaining support for dark mode individually over the years, although a system-wide solution introduced on Apple's part remains omitted from any version of iOS. The upcoming launch of iOS 11 will include a new "Smart Invert" feature in accessibility options, reversing the display's colors with an overall effect that's similar to what users want out of dark mode. But the feature doesn't extend to all UI elements in iOS 11, including exceptions related to images, media, and some apps.

The official Wikipedia app is available to download for free from the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Official Wikipedia App for iOS Introduces Dark Mode and iMessage Sticker Pack
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/08/wikipedia-ios-dark-mode/
more and more apps doing this. lets hope Apple introduces an API to pull timezones when it intros OLED dark mode.
 
silvetti said:
What is the big advantage of using a specific app for Wikipedia (for example their own app) vs Safari and just visit Wikipedia website ?
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Ease of access? I wikipedia everything, and the idea of going to safari, going to bookmarks, choosing wiki... it's just too cumbersome. Most wiki apps also have neat features like saving favorite articles, which I do when I'm watching a TV show on cable and want to keep up with what number episode it's on and how far there is left to go in the season.
 
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earthTOmitchel said:
Ease of access? I wikipedia everything, and the idea of going to safari, going to bookmarks, choosing wiki... it's just too cumbersome.
Click to expand...


Have you ever considered just saving the front page of Wikipedia to your home screen? You end up with an icon just like an app, and you go right to the page, all without the storage overhead of an app.
 
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Yellowbean12 said:
Great news! Every app which focuses on reading NEEDS a dark mode.
Click to expand...

As a workaround, in iOS 10, you can enable a triple-click of the home button as a shortcut to an inverted grayscale mode. Follow the instructions here, and choose "Grayscale Inverted" as the filter for Zoom mode.
 
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Chris97 said:
As a workaround, in iOS 10, you can enable a triple-click of the home button as a shortcut to an inverted grayscale mode. Follow the instructions here, and choose "Grayscale Inverted" as the filter for Zoom mode.
Click to expand...
That is a terrible solution I'd never use and enabling triple click on the home button delays all double click home button actions because it has to wait for a potential third click.
 
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Sill said:
Have you ever considered just saving the front page of Wikipedia to your home screen? You end up with an icon just like an app, and you go right to the page, all without the storage overhead of an app.
Click to expand...
I guess I'm not worried enough about storage to do that, but I have done it before for websites that don't have apps.
 
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Sill said:
Have you ever considered just saving the front page of Wikipedia to your home screen? You end up with an icon just like an app, and you go right to the page, all without the storage overhead of an app.
Click to expand...

Even easier is to pull down from top of the screen and enter "wiki xyz" in the search box. After the suggested websites (from Wikipedia), you get a brief paragraph from Wikipedia about your specific search phrase and a direct link to the Wikipedia page.
 
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Timster83 said:
Even easier is to pull down from top of the screen and enter "wiki xyz" in the search box. After the suggested websites (from Wikipedia), you get a brief paragraph from Wikipedia about your specific search phrase and a direct link to the Wikipedia page.
Click to expand...

I just tried that and got a box that said:

Search Web
Search App Store
Search Maps

Clicking "search web" got me to the search results in DDG, with the Wiki at the top. Thats nowhere near as easy as clicking on the site icon on my home screen and entering the search term directly in Wikipedia.

To each their own.
 
earthTOmitchel said:
Ease of access? I wikipedia everything, and the idea of going to safari, going to bookmarks, choosing wiki... it's just too cumbersome. Most wiki apps also have neat features like saving favorite articles, which I do when I'm watching a TV show on cable and want to keep up with what number episode it's on and how far there is left to go in the season.
Click to expand...

Setup DuckDuckGo as your search engine and then just use the power of the bang.

Example:

Once you've set DuckDuckGo as your search engine, type this into the navigation bar in Safari: "DuckDuckGo !w" - Boom, you're on the page for DuckDuckGo on Wikipedia.
 
Sill said:
I just tried that and got a box that said:

Search Web
Search App Store
Search Maps

Clicking "search web" got me to the search results in DDG, with the Wiki at the top. Thats nowhere near as easy as clicking on the site icon on my home screen and entering the search term directly in Wikipedia.

To each their own.
Click to expand...

Erm, maybe because you set your search engine to DuckDuckGo.

I just tried and it works.(Default search engine)
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
Setup DuckDuckGo as your search engine and then just use the power of the bang.

Example:

Once you've set DuckDuckGo as your search engine, type this into the navigation bar in Safari: "DuckDuckGo !w" - Boom, you're on the page for DuckDuckGo on Wikipedia.
Click to expand...
How is this easier than just opening an app? It's something we do every day. Like @earthTOmitchel said, wiki apps have additional features that make them more relevant to the user. I'm sure what you described works perfectly fine. It just seems like it's extra work for no additional benefit.
 
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I love the Wikipedia app.

It supports universal links so all Wikipedia links open with the native application.

It has an in-article menu allowing you to easily switch between different sections of an entry much easier than what the website allows.

It handles images much better than the Wikipedia mobile site and you can dismiss them with a swipe.

And it now has a really nice looking and incredibly interesting "On this day" section along with a beautiful dark mode.

The app in its current state is such an improvement over their past offerings. I feel it functions and looks better than the mobile site - well worth the 22MB of storage it takes on my 64GB iPhone!
 
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I love this app and these updates are awesome.

It's unbelievable how the whole world knowledge (almost) is in our pockets all the time and yet we choose to use it to "snap" our food and collect "likes"
 
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iDento said:
It's unbelievable how the whole world knowledge (almost) is in our pockets all the time and yet we choose to use it to "snap" our food and collect "likes"
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Right? The iPhone on its own is basically a Tricorder, but with Wikipedia on it the only thing missing is a leather cover with "Don't Panic" embossed on the front. I don't know how much plainer it could be. But all people seem to care about is selfies and reps.
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justperry said:
Erm, maybe because you set your search engine to DuckDuckGo.

I just tried and it works.(Default search engine)
Click to expand...

Right, DDG is my default search engine. What are you talking about?
 
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Compared to some of the brand awareness I've seen some attempt with iMessage stickers, theirs is pretty good.

---

Another thing that the apps do better is keep the search button in reach so you don't have to scroll around to get back to it.

orbital~debris said:
Despite not offering a dark mode, I prefer V for Wiki.
Click to expand...

Love V for Wiki. Switched to it after Inquire didn't update for awhile and stopped working for me.
 
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