Slack Rolling Out Redesigned iPhone App With New Nav Bar

[MacRumors]

Slack is rolling out a redesigned iPhone app today, according to App Store release notes included in the latest update. The described changes don't appear to have propagated fully yet, but as soon as they do, users can expect an interface that's more in line with the Android redesign the company rolled out on May 5.

Previously, it was complicated to get to the four main things people do on mobile. We've fixed this with a new nifty navigation bar at the bottom of the app containing: a Home view for your sidebar, DMs, (still listed most recent first), Mentions (for quickly catching up), and You (because you're great) (and also because setting your status/preferences on mobile needed to be easier).

Users of the desktop version of Slack will be familiar with the ubiquitous new floating compose button that now appears in the iPhone app's screens, as well as the ability to arrange channels in the Home tab.

Some of the interface's swiping gestures have also been changed, which will require users to adapt their usual navigation cues. "Now, swiping right will reveal your workspace and preferences, and swiping left will get you back to the last conversation you were in," read the release notes.

As The Verge notes, this update appears limited to the iPhone version of Slack, so iPad users will likely have to wait a little longer for the changes to take effect.

Slack is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store, with paid subscriptions offered for larger businesses or those seeking advanced administration tools. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Slack Rolling Out Redesigned iPhone App With New Nav Bar

 

[dzhukov]

We’ve fixed this with a new nifty navigation bar at the bottom of the app

It feels like they haven't read iOS Human Interface Guidelines. It's Tab Bar, guys. Navigation Bar is the one at the top.

 

[LPM_]

It's all good, but can I have my DMs in order of recency please? That's all we really wanted!

 

[philosopherdog]

I’ve never understood why Slack is so popular. Their apps are terrible on all platforms. “Nifty tab bar!”!

 

[alexandr]

now this is exciting!!

 

[chewbaka]

I’ve never understood why Slack is so popular. Their apps are terrible on all platforms. “Nifty tab bar!”!

it’s trendy for some reason. I think it’s an everyone else does it kind of thing. But yeah, I’m pretty sure their desktop app literally just loads the website. I also don’t know what it costs compared to alternatives like Microsoft Teams. Maybe it’s cheap...

 

[GeoStructural]

I’ve never understood why Slack is so popular. Their apps are terrible on all platforms. “Nifty tab bar!”!

I agree, I had to use it last year for an international project (people in the UK, New Zealand, etc.)... It was terrible, at some point I could hear my drive spin, RAM management was horrible and messages were disorderly displayed.
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it’s trendy for some reason. I think it’s an everyone else does it kind of thing. But yeah, I’m pretty sure their desktop app literally just loads the website. I also don’t know what it costs compared to alternatives like Microsoft Teams. Maybe it’s cheap...

I think there is a free version, or at least the one I used was free. Probably discontinued now? I don't know, all I know is I don't want to go back to using that thing.

 

[chewbaka]

I agree, I had to use it last year for an international project (people in the UK, New Zealand, etc.)... It was terrible, at some point I could hear my drive spin, RAM management was horrible and messages were disorderly displayed.
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I think there is a free version, or at least the one I used was free. Probably discontinued now? I don't know, all I know is I don't want to go back to using that thing.

It’s free for small groups, but I assumed campanies who use it pay for it? They need revenue from somewhere.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

If I wanted a disjointed, inferior user experience, I would have bought a robotphone. Developers need to quit putting hamberder and floating action buttons in their iOS apps.
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it’s trendy for some reason. I think it’s an everyone else does it kind of thing. But yeah, I’m pretty sure their desktop app literally just loads the website. I also don’t know what it costs compared to alternatives like Microsoft Teams. Maybe it’s cheap...

The only reason I have it because I have "that one friend" that's a filthy green bubble peasant. Otherwise, we'd use iMessage.

 

[kuwxman]

We use Slack every day at work and it is great. It was very helpful in the office, but even more so in this new Work From Home environment we find ourselves in. No major complaints here. It does what it needs to do. It's also nice when suppliers use it too so you can connect to them that way versus email.

One thing I will be curious to see in the new update is if their video call feature has been fixed. It took a severe turn for the worse soon after Zoom became THE platform to use.

 

[hayesk]

I agree, I had to use it last year for an international project (people in the UK, New Zealand, etc.)... It was terrible, at some point I could hear my drive spin, RAM management was horrible and messages were disorderly displayed.
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That's because it is an electron app - a web app packaged in a native application. I understand the appeal - it lets you reproduce your web app in a launchable app and has some native functionality, but it only gets you part way to a great app, and the performance is sub-par with memory usage that is much too high. There are so many things I would like Slack on Mac to do:
- native preferences window
- be able to open a conversation in its own window
- right-click on a message and see all of the commands instead of having to mouse all the way to the right to do anything with a message
- have a full menubar with all of the commands organized in it like a proper Mac app
and much more.

 

[coolfactor]

Installed the update. See zero changes.

And I'm confused by MR's comment about the Desktop app having "the ubiquitous new floating compose button". That doesn't show up in the Desktop at all.

Consider me confused.
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I’ve never understood why Slack is so popular. Their apps are terrible on all platforms. “Nifty tab bar!”!

I must disagree. I've seen my share of terrible apps, and Slack is not one of them. I use Slack daily to communicate with colleagues, and the *only* problem is that it sets my status to Offline when I'm not actually in the mobile app. That's annoying.

 

[D.T.]

it’s trendy for some reason. I think it’s an everyone else does it kind of thing. But yeah, I’m pretty sure their desktop app literally just loads the website. I also don’t know what it costs compared to alternatives like Microsoft Teams. Maybe it’s cheap...

It's free to fairly inexpensive, early on, had clients for all platforms (mediocre implementations notwithstanding ...), and also because of the 100s of apps and integrations, many being literally a one click install and mostly auto-configuring. I worked with a company that some slick integrations working, bug reporting, code review, task prioritising, all through Slack, some custom integrations using IFTTT and Zapier (tied into CRM / customer facing systems).

 

[ErikGrim]

Floating action buttons are the scourge of UX. WTF was Google thinking?

 

[BipolarAnt]

I hear a lot of people complaining about Slack. Simple solution: switch to Discord.

 

[ErikGrim]

Simple solution: switch to Discord.

Why do people think switching apps is a “simple solution” when the decision is 99% out of their hands?

 

[BipolarAnt]

Why do people think switching apps is a “simple solution” when the decision is 99% out of their hands?

I see where you are coming from. I guess that the benefits would have to be demonstrated to the higher ups.