1. FixMyStreet apps for iPhone and Android

    FixMyStreet app finding your locationUse FixMyStreet? Got a smartphone? Then you might like to know about our recently-improved FixMyStreet apps.

    They’ve been available for a little while, but we didn’t make a big fuss when they went live.

    We often like to release our new products quietly. This gives us a chance to pick up on any problems and fix them before they go to a wider audience.

    But now the apps are ready for more general use. So go for it!

    You can download the apps here for Apple devices and here for Android (4.1 and above – please see below for more details).

    A bit of background

    We first released an iPhone FixMyStreet appFixMyStreet app back in 2008, which now seems reasonably fast off the blocks – the iPhone was only available in the UK from late 2007.

    That app was followed by an Android one and, thanks to our volunteers, a Nokia app too.

    Last year, we launched a new design for the main FixMyStreet website.  Based as it is on ‘responsive design’ (where the site resizes itself according to the device it’s being viewed on), the site works elegantly within your mobile browser, so we were not too troubled by the fact FixMyStreet appthat our apps had begun to date. People could simply go to www.FixMyStreet.com on their mobiles.

    We removed those early apps from the Apple and Android marketplaces until we could allocate our resources to creating something better.

    As you’ll know if you’ve accessed FixMyStreet from your phone’s browser, the website works just fine for most circumstances. But there are some times when only an app will do – our Developer Struan will explain more about that in a later post. He’ll also be looking at some of the design decisions we made.

    New features

    Draft reports on FixMyStreet app

    So, what new features can you expect when you download the FixMyStreet app?

    • Make reports even when you have no phone coverage Sometimes you’ll want to make a report even when you’re out of phone range. Your report will be saved in-app until you can send it off.
    • Retains unfinished reports Close the app, lose power on your phone, get distracted and start something else.. none of it matters – your report will still be saved.
    •  Allows photographs Take a snap with your phone and attach it – or use an image you Add photo on FixMyStreet appalready have in your photo roll (you can add photos on the main website too, of course).
    •  Smooth, new design The look and feel is now in line with the main FixMyStreet website.

    A note about Android

    At the moment, the FixMyStreet app is only available for Android 4.1 onwards. Here’s why.

    Developing for Apple devices is simpler than for Android, because there are only a handful of devices an app will be viewed on – the various iPhone versions, the iPads, and iPod Touch. Android, on the other hand, is used over a massively diverse range of phones, all with different capabilities.

    For a small organisation like mySociety, it is hard to test the app across every single Android device, so we’ve taken the approach of releasing the app for the latest version.

    We’ve had particular issues with photographs in earlier versions of Android – again, Struan will write more about this in a subsequent post – but we are still working on it. And don’t forget, as mentioned above, you can always access www.fixmystreet.com on your mobile browser for a totally optimised experience on any smart phone.

    Shout-out to the testers

    We want to give a massive “thank you” to all the people who helped us test the new app – your feedback has been so helpful at every stage of the build, and has informed the design decisions we’ve made.

    Download links: Apple and Android.