when do you think you'll introduce CiF comments on your app?

Wondered what was wrong with it this morning - reinstalling now.

Will the update fix the crash in OS 4 Beta 3 as well?

Hi everyone - this probably isn't the right time to talk about our 'exciting plans' for our app (though we do have them - and they include comments). In the meantime - again I'd like to add my apologies for this brief interruption/bug!

Will the update fix the crash in OS 4 Beta 3 as well?

No - doesn't seem to. The survey dialog box is not drawn properly and is not dismissible.

Any fix for this - or do we have to wait until the OS4 compatible release?

Thanks. I did wonder.

When are you planning on updating the dev? There's a few things that are essential to the website, that I'd like to see in the app.

1. Article comments. You use Pluck, right? Which is Flash based? Ah, say no more. But there's got to be a way around. CiF is a MASSIVE part of why I use this website.

2. The live blogs and MBMs are always about 15 minutes behind, which deeply frustrates when I am trying to follow something if out of office/home. For football, I use the Sky Sports app (regrettably- it's humourless) - as it's always up to speed and auto refreshes.

3. Links. Your website uses hyperlinks to connect articles together with tags. Sometimes these link through, enabling email. I'd very much like to see this incorporated- so when I click a link in the app, it links. When I click an email address, it links to a Compose Email.

4. Copy and paste for text, and generating hyperlinks for inclusion in Twitter, emails, Facebook and the like.

xxx

We have an update coming via Apple (though obviously I can't be sure when) that will fix the issues in OS 4 beta 3 - deleting and reinstalling the app will not fix this.

Obviously its impossible to test on beta software prior to it being released. But it's also great that our users alert us to issues so - we're listening and trying to get something out to you I promise!

Not the first time I had problems like this with an app so I reinstalled it this morning and works fine now.
I blamed the iPhone though - until I read this article.
Thanks for the heads up and the great app.

Well and relatively quickly handled. Thanks for the update.

Yes - wasn't expecting a quick fix for the OS 4 issue - but nice to know you know about it.

:-)

Looking forward to it working again.

Is there going to be a native iPad version as well?

Might also be worth pointing out that uninstalling and reinstalling will wipe any custom settings, favourites etc from the app

Woh! Jonathan, you're so cute!

do we reinstall from the App store or the copy in iTunes?

Is there ever going to be anything for the Android Platform? It's outselling iPhone OS now, and I'm fed up with the frankly poor unofficial app...

all favourites, saved content, setup are (not surprisingly) gone :-(

Thanks a lot for letting us all know - I did wonder why it kept crashing out last night. Pleased that the Guardian iPhone developers are quick to respond and fix issues like these - gives a lot of faith in both the Guardian and iPhone platform as a whole

this app is pretty poor considering it costs to have it but doesn't have many of the features of the free site.

sort it!!

Thanks for the heads up and the quick fix.

Re-installed lots of times (!) between 11.00pm and 2.00am, and managed to get past the hung front screen once or twice, but figured you'd get the problem sorted soon enough and looking on the website was the logical thing to do (- well handled, much appreciated.)

Although the reinstall was simple enough, annoyingly all my settings are lost, so I have to start all over again with the sections I want to look at.

Also all favourites are gone.

Ian

Hmmm. This was really frustratingly timed. Last night I ended up having to access the full site via Safari, which was a fiddly experience.

Now I've reinstalled and thereby lost all my saved "favourites" (or whatever they're called in this app). I'd been using that future to mark features I wanted to refer back to or read in full. Quite annoyed to have lost that.

It's a good app (and well worth the fee), but I do look forward to the inclusion of more of the functionality of the main website.

Hi all - yes I should point out that it will re-set your settings. I can't say any more apart from - huge apologies again. This was a real 'edge case' issue that reared its head on an unprecedented day of news. We're taking - and have taken - steps to ensure this doesn't happen again.

That's why it kept crashing! thanks for the heads up.

I do love using the iphone app - installed on my ipod and it's a great over breakfast in the morning, but an official (paid) Android app would be perfect - I'm straddling both camps and although the unofficial Guardian Anywhere does an admirable job, it would be great to see some of the extra functionality and UI intergration of the iphone version.

I know it's not a simple task porting such a thing across platforms, but there was originally talk of Blackberry and Android flavours in the works when the iphone app launched, but not a peep since.

Keep up the good work though!

do we reinstall from the App store or the copy in iTunes?

@MaryVirgo ... change the end of the URL of his photo to Large and then put it as your wallpaper. I won't but he'd probably be glad of that.

@jonathanMoore ... Is it me or do you publish more content onto your twitter feed than you do into your iPhone app?

@glowfrog: either, you can reinstall from the copy in iTunes, or redownload it from the app store.

thanks!

Looking forward to the 4.0 beta 3 fix as app is unusable - but hey, there's still the website. Glad to hear comments are coming to the app. Is there going to be a universal version to make use of the iPad real estate or is it a case of sticking with the website in that regard?

And congrats on the eyewitness app for the iPad - it is indeed a thing of beauty.

Got iPad today and first thing I did was open Guardian site. All loaded fine but no vids played or even showed on their respective pages (checked several). Went to youtube and vids there played no probs.

Any ideas what the prob is playing Guardian vids on iPad?

Obviously its impossible to test on beta software prior to it being released.

Erm, what? Isn't that what the developer program is for? Are you basically saying that you don't have anybody testing the Guardian app on OS 4 because you're unaware that you can join the beta program for $99 and install the OS on a test device? The mind boggles.

Annoying that my favorites were deleted.

Hi Kapowaz - yes we're part of that. We obviously get the beta at the same time as those people who are (rightly) pointing out the issues. Thus there is a lag as we attempt to update the app - which is where we are right now. Hope that makes sense.

jonathan - not an iphone user here, but it would be nice if you had an Android app in the interest of fairnes. Seen as android devices are on the move. I currently use an N900 but recently got given a Nexus .. and the m.guardian site is passable but not as good as full service web browsing on th N900 and/or a PC. the Apple app is quite good but you shouldn't leave out other user with a burgeoning base of apps.

so when is CiF going to be an option on the guardian app? Its the most interesting part of the newspaper and doesn't feature on the application

Perhaps it would be helpful to post this article somehwere near the fronpage of the mobile site as that's where i've been looking for it since last night.

I concur with those calling for an Android version.

Problem sorted, but all my saved articles are gone. Sad. I had so many interesting ones that I like to re-read or use as a reference. I think you could fix this by allowing people to sync their saved content on the iPhone with their website account.

tsk tsk, talking about apple beta software releases, naughty ;).

We fully appreciate how frustrating this is, particularly to users as engaged as our iPhone audience are

Get a room, already

Love the app and use it most days!

There is no link to the Gardens section however, which I always find frustrating.

Android app please

Bet that someone who left the tag off has red knuckles.

I used the app last night around 11:45pm-12am

didn't seem to notice any issues!

Hi Kapowaz - yes we're part of that. We obviously get the beta at the same time as those people who are (rightly) pointing out the issues. Thus there is a lag as we attempt to update the app - which is where we are right now. Hope that makes sense.

Errr.... but the new version of the app came out a week ago. And the Version 4 beta has been out for well over a month. I find it hard to believe that even Apple had sat on a point update for over three weeks.

Also thought it was extremely disingenuous that the survey was described as improvements to the app in the update description when it doesn't ask anything of the kind and just wants marketing info. The survey is very poorly done.

Phazer

@JonathonMoore

Hi everyone - this probably isn't the right time to talk about our 'exciting plans' for our app (though we do have them - and they include comments).

The right time would have been six months ago, but now would be better than nothing.

I really am baffled by the positive reviews for this app. It's clumsy, unfinished and the story selection completely stinks...

Phazer

Am I missing something about the Grauniad iPhone App? It seems pointless & shit to me - I wish I'd spent that money on a pint instead. The Grauniad mobile site is much better than the app - it's much easier to access all the sections. So the app sits on my iPhone unused.

Am I missing something? Can anyone enlighten me as to what the app has that the mobile site doesn't?

Can anyone enlighten me as to what the app has that the mobile site doesn't?

Offline download and in theory quicker downloads without the graphics.

But in reality the lack of content, clumsy navigation, inability to refresh liveblogs, no comments etc etc far outstrip the positives, so I'm baffled too.

Phazer

Can I just add my voice to the siren chorus for an Android app ASAP? It is more popular than the iPhone you know...

I think in situations like this highlight the need for server side storage.

Should the next version of the app include commenting (thus linking up to your GU username/profile) - it shouldn't be too hard to implement a method of saving settings/favourites to your profile

Kissmeneck & Phazer - really sorry you're not fans of the app (and it sounds like I'm not going to persuade you otherwise!).

Regarding the many calls for an Android app - we've been waiting for the market to build - and obviously that's happening rapidly now. I can't share any more at this stage but we understand that we have a significan audience on other platforms too.

Thanks for the feedback from everyone - both positive and negative. It's really appreciated.

Kissmeneck & Phazer - really sorry you're not fans of the app (and it sounds like I'm not going to persuade you otherwise!)

Not at all. I've paid for it and would gladly use it. I'm completely persuadable if you can explain what it does. At the moment it sits on my screen unused while I browse the mobile site on Safari. I don't have a problem with page download times on the mobile site - Vodafone 3G on the 3GS seems pretty quick really.

So what does the app actually do?