"Open In Browser" needs to go.
M
Michael Quinn
All "Open in Browser" functionality needs to be integrated into the base mobile app across all advertised supported platforms.
It is a horrendous experience having to explain to parents (and staff) the need to action some notifications that only appear on the app in "browser mode" (insights cycles for instance).
We have just tried to roll out the "School Bulletin" widget/feature that was advertised in a news announcement this term, as a way of displaying static information above the newsfeed. Great in concept, but it ONLY WORKS IF YOU OPEN IN BROWSER. So even if you do have info in it, it's another sequence that staff have to remember to do and another "place" to go to find information.
This app has been a hurdle for us for the entirety of our time with Compass, and we are now in the proces of re-modelling all of our organisational communications to exclude Compass completely (probably late to this party). It is an unreliable, unreadable mess (when you lump this issue in with the other obvious QoL features that don't exist with the newsfeed for instance).
Why are new features developed in this manner? Why is the app developed in this way at all? It is a smoother experience for the user to ignore the app completely, bookmark the compass url and JUST use your mobile browser. Just what is the point of it?
H
Helen SPARGO
Agree with the suggestion
R
Replacement Teacher9
Formatting used in School Documentation, doesn't translate to the app. The app only takes titles and paragraphs and not images. Will the app upgrade address this as well?
Daina Peet
Hi everyone!
Thank you for flagging your frustrations.
We're currently beta testing a brand new app, which has seen tremendous feedback so far.
If you'd like to trial our beta app & help us with further feedback, please see the attached flyer, scan the QR code & download the Test Flight app.
Please note: This is currently only available for iOS - Android preview will be available shortly
M
Michael Quinn
Daina Peet Hi Daina,
Thanks for the app link. I've just downloaded the app and am looking at it now.
I immediately notice the extra action required to see the newsfeed. This is problematic.
Even on the new app the School Bulletin issue is still present and not displaying above the Newsfeed. Also problematic (for a number of reasons).
I also can no longer "Open In Browser" to see the School Bulletin from the bullet menu. I can "Open Compass Web" the same way, but it loads the individual modules and takes me to the News Feed admin page when I click on "News Feed", instead of the news feed view that exists in the current app. Also problematic.
The only way I can access the same news feed view (with the School Bulletin) is by going app menu > open compass web > scroll all the way to the bottom (past "News Feed") and clicking "Home", which takes me to a different Home screen (the current homepage) than the "Home" icon does in the bottom left console menu of the app. Keep in mind this is a "new release" feature this term.
Somehow, in completely rebuilding the app, whoever is responsible for the engineering of it has managed to add a bunch of actions to access the same information, and has created at least two identically labelled "Home" experiences that each take you to a different place.
It would be understandable to assume that one "Home" experience is eventually going to replace the other, but given the place you are coming from (With the app and web experiences differing completely) it is not a good look. It kind of seems like "Open in Browser" has just been replaced with "Home" (Home 2 that is, not Home 1 which once again is a different Home) and moved further down the menu/made more inconvenient to access.
None of this is an improvement in UX at this point in time. Something is going drastically wrong in the engineering process for this to be the second outcome.
P
Paul Duthie
150 million billion quadrillion percent.
The compass app is an embarrassment in reality.
Either fix it, or dump it really.