New UI / UX of F-Droid app

If you’re against the new one don’t expect someone will advance the old
one. So no point in fusion of the developing and frozen code.
Just IMHO

Could you maybe add a theming system that allow using old and new template?

I would like to see an export option to:

  • Get a list of installed apps, an also an import function
  • Get a update.zip export for installing a selected list of apps in twrp.

Did you look in the issue tracker hosted on gitlab?
Meanwhile you can use

Yes i did.
It’s not my idea to save also the userdata with f-droid. I hope in a future version i coul preset some apps for an update zip. And every time alisted app got updated the update.zip got generated. Maybe a name like “f-droid-base-app-install-YYYY-MM-dd.zip” would be better.

new UI is slow and hard to understand
need old UI fallback option

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Hi! I installed 1.0-alpha2 and am more than unhappy. Most of my points were already made by others (wasted space, illogical use of different sized rectangles, new app list missing, list view missing). What really puzzles me: How am I supposed to update the package list? Where is the update icon gone?

And worse: I can’t go back to an older version, installation now always fails. (at least from within f-droid)

Fdroid is a fantastic effort, but part of the success was the good usability. I wouldn’t start using it given the current
app design.

Nevertheless thank you for all the work!

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Hi,

Updating repositories is just swipe down when you’re on the ‘Latest’ tab (just like refresh in Chromium). I do that all the time even though I don’t want to, because I don’t expect it to work like that.

I do agree about the things you listed as problems in new UI; that said, F-Droid IS fantastic effort and we need to give new UI some time and try to get used to it. It is still in alpha, and there is still time to improve it.

Thanks!

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Hi, for some reason I was stuck at 0.102 until then, and I had to force the update. And then I had to create an account here to add my own rant :sweat_smile:

First, good point on repo update, it’s indeed faster :sunglasses:

But I’m afraid that’s about it for the pros. I understand you want to make it more appealing to people but design is not just look, it’s look and feel.

I won’t comment the look, because, well I don’t like it at all but that’s just personal taste vs current fashion for rounded things and other weird stuff.

Seriously, this is a huge regression in terms of usability, I don’t have time to read but I suppose most have already mentioned, but here’s my list:

  • Lastest apps list wastes screen space, 10 apps instead of 14 in the installed list. It also tries to scale small icons which doesn’t help.
  • Categories, well, where do I start from? The tab takes 5s to load here on my antique tablet, because it wants to display all the backgrounds, and put all the list at once. It was instantaneous in previous version. Plus it’s just not usable at all. It looks nice, but it’s not usable. I just now see the “list all” button per category, and the list there is much simpler.
  • License is completely gone from all the lists. Now one has to go to the app detail, and click on the Links to have it shown.
  • Swiping left/right doesn’t change tab anymore.
  • Instead sometimes when trying to swipe, or just scrolling a list up, it updates the repo too easily. Ok the previous UI required targeting a really small button, but still…
  • Installed apps are lost somewhere in the settings space.
  • The proximity tab I never used and probably will never use. Not sure why it’s in the middle.
  • Settings are in a regular tab, but people are used to exit settings with the back button to go back to the app, and instead they just exit it.
  • While it’s now possible to download all updates at once, one still has to click 4 times to update each app (or do I have to target the update button more precisely??)…
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You’ll need the root extension (privileged app) for an auto update, iirc.

Hello,
i have a problem with new F-Droid App. I installed latest release, after having used 0.102.3 for a long time and… it doesn’t work properly on my device (Android 5.0.2).
According to the new F-Droid app there are no installed apps (even if i currently have almost 40 app installed from F-Droid repository using 0.102 releases) and if i try to update database, after the download it says “incorrect signature”.

Thanks for this great project!

Em… this is the UX/UI thread, not for general faults (see
Issues · F-Droid / Client · GitLab). Anyway for your problem
would be nice to see the logcat.

Sorry,
i’ll try to open a new issue on gitlab.

Thanks

I updated, and immediately downgraded. I want to make this reply because I really enjoy using F-Droid (if I didn’t, I would just find another way), and I don’t want to stop using it if the older version(s) become unusable, so I’m offering some specific issues, reasons, and possible solutions which are within reason to implement. I recommend the following considerations be implemented as adjustable options in new versions of the app:

  • A list view. Similar to the original design, I always found the lists more “intuitive” to an app that is, well, just a package manager. Although the current, icon view is nice, the difference in sizes of certain apps, especially the “What’s New” page is very annoying. I’m not sure if certain apps are given priority, but a simple text list with an icon and brief description is much easier to navigate. Many apps allow you to toggle between a list/icon tile/card view: two I’m thinking of in particular are Slides (Reddit viewer) and Odyssey (music player).

  • People near me. This seems like a potential security vulnerability, and even if it isn’t, I have zero use for this feature. Please, please add an option to disable it. I’m uncomfortable using F-Droid if it’s sending out information when I really don’t need it to.

  • Forcing unstable F-Droid versions. I don’t know if this has been brought to anyone’s attention yet, but even when the “don’t push unstable updates” option is enabled, the app will still, well, push unstable updates. This led to my friend’s version breaking. When I auto-update my apps, I would really prefer not to upgrade to a broken version of the app.

That’s it. I’m a long-time FDroid user because I believe you guys are doing the right thing for the right reasons, and I intend to remain one for as long as I can. It will mean the world if these are fixed.

Thanks!

4 Likes

You’ve been hit by this bug, which only affects Android 5.0 devices:

As said before, 0.102.3 will stay working for a while. Even better would be if someone forked it and maintained it: Build, release and support "F-Droid Light" (#48) · Issues · F-Droid / Client · GitLab

1 Like

That feature is in the old version of F-Droid too. It just wasn’t as prominent and was called “swap apps”. And no, F-Droid is not “sending out information when [you] really don’t need it to.” Rather, the “Nearby” feature allows you to share apps with friends and allows you to get apps from people’s phones WITH THEIR PERMISSION. This allows apps to be distributed without ANY CENTRAL REPOSITORY.

2 Likes

Hi,
I want to give some feedback after updating to 1.0.1.

  • App versions are almost never shown. Example scenario: I want to update only applications with new major versions. In older version I could see it in updates page. Now I have to tap on every app and go to versions (if it is still available or go to setting/installed apps otherwise).
  • Updates tab - pressed “update all” button by mistake - 20 downloads start and there is no way to cancel it. The idea to be able to download updates fast is good… though check list (instead of many download buttons) would be better for me, e.g., like in K-9 email.
  • Grey out anti-feature or incompatible apps seems not to work (at least in dark mode).
  • Is there a way to check from which repo the app is (f-droid, archive, guardian)?

Things I will (almost) never use:

  • Install button in app list - only useful when installing 10+ apps (e.g., on newly bought phone). Normally I read at least some description, check “anti features”, version number and when it was released.
  • Latest tab - big icons are useful for recognizable INSTALLED apps, for new apps - category, description etc.
  • Categories main page - when scrolling apps the finger hides the list (probably not an issue if used with the left hand); For most apps only 1-2 first words of the description are show that does not make any sense
  • Nearby tab - being able to replace it with list of installed apps would be good.

In general:
It looks fancy but not what one would expect from app manager. Simple is good but not simplistic.
I would say that K-9 can be an example of proper design: On one screen in shows

  • 8 messages
  • Avatar (app icon)
  • Subject (app name)
  • From and beginning of the message (app description)
  • Date (app version)
  • Starred (state: installed, update available, new)

PS. Is there a way to open links with not system browser?

3 Likes

After i tryed to use this new UI, i wanted to smash my phone and delete F-Droid forever.
It always were such a great app, why do you care about all this sick new facebookish UI trends? It’s hard and impossible to focus and read the application list, it’s all different sizes and number per row. Makes my brain explode.
If you don’t believe me, ask some UI professional review.

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P.S. The goal of Facebook is to keep you distracted, not to help you find something.

7 Likes

So, how about sortable lists with selectable icon/panel size… sorta like windows explorer does? The current patterned display mode does not make much sense as there is no meaning conveyed in different panel sizes.
Different people have different tastes. I like details, another person might want to see just big app icons. Please give people some choice instead of suddenly breaking half of our usage patterns.

1 Like