Wikimedia Blog/Drafts/Official Wikipedia app revamped and now available on iOS and Android

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This was a draft for a blog post that has since been published at https://blog.wikimedia.org/2014/04/28/the-sixteen-wheeled-wikipedia-machine/


Official Wikipedia app revamped and now available on iOS and Android[edit]

A screenshot of the iOS app.

We're pleased to announce that, following the successful launch of the revamped Android app in June, today we've released the revamped Wikipedia iOS app. Our new official apps are now live on both iOS and Android!

Quick access to information is important for our mobile users, and we want to give people the fastest way to access Wikipedia while on the go. A lot of the improvements are under the hood -- the app was written from the ground up in native code, with speed in mind. We've paid attention to important details such as how quickly the app starts, how fast pages and images load, and how quickly search results are returned. The result is a snappy experience getting Wikipedia readers to the content they're looking for faster than ever before.

We've also redesigned the app. The new app has a clean, distraction-free reading experience placing Wikipedia content at the center. Whether looking up a specific fact or looking to spend a day learning about a new topic, the search and table of contents features allow users to get to the information quickly and intuitively. For those who love diving into Wikipedia, we have features such as recent history, so readers can always return to previously read articles, as well as an offline reading feature to access Wikipedia even without an internet connection.

Finally, we've added the ability to edit Wikipedia through the app! Now Wikipedia articles can be improved on the go.  When people are visiting a new city, information about the local cuisine or updates to the descriptions of cool landmarks can be quickly added.

And as always, Wikipedia is free of charge and free of ads.

What features are included?[edit]

  • Speed – Our new native app allows users to browse and edit Wikipedia faster than ever before on mobile devices.
  • Editing – You can edit Wikipedia on the app! Logged in or logged out, we thank everyone for their contributions to the sum of human knowledge.
  • Recent pages – We provide readers with a reading history, tap as many links as you like without ever getting lost.
  • Saved pages – Save select pages for offline reading and browse them on a plane trip, on the road, or anywhere without an Internet connection.
  • Language support – The app allows seamless transition to reading Wikipedia written in another language.
  • Wikipedia Zero – We’ve partnered with mobile network operators around the world to provide Wikipedia free of data charges to users in many developing and emerging economies.

This first release is just the beginning! We’re still working hard on creating new features to make the app the best Wikipedia reading and editing experience out there. Give the app a spin and let us know what you think by emailing us at mobile-android-wikipedia@wikimedia.org and mobile-ios-wikipedia@wikimedia.org.

Thank you, and enjoy!

Dan Garry
Associate Product Manager, Mobile Apps
Wikimedia Foundation


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