Version 3.5.1 Released

Friday 2 October (NZT): Version 3.5.1 was just approved by Apple and is now available on the App Store. Please read the announcements below carefully, and remind your fellow users of Equipd to update promptly before this update is removed from the App Store again. As in the past, the goal will be to have most users upgraded before it is removed again.

The main purpose of this update is to fix issues caused by iOS 9:

  • Fixing the ability to highlight and underline content
  • Fixing the device language detection for Chinese Traditional and Simplified. This issue meant that the app would not be localised and would show all labels in English.
  • Fixing the ability to jump to external apps such as the Equipd Bible or Pleco. iOS 9 introduces a new security scheme that means developers have to tweak how app linking works.
  • Widening the swipe detection on the right-hand-side of the Bible and Chapter windows, due to the new Slide Over feature of iOS 9 interfering with this behaviour. It is still not ideal, but should make it slightly easier to open the History and Favourites on the right side hidden panel in iOS 9. On the iPad you can now also "tap" on this right hand side to open the panel, providing an alternative gesture to swiping.

Support for the Slide Over and Split View layouts in iOS 9 are not part of this release sorry.

Hopefully you read my warning about some of these issues before iOS 9 was released by Apple. If not, then I thank you for your patience while you wait for this upgrade.

As part of the update a number of other fixes / changes have been made:

  • Improved formatting for newer features within articles.
  • Fixed the scripture link detection in the Bible Highlights.
  • Added support for the Arabic Awake! magazines.
  • Added support for the Italian Simplified Watchtower.
  • Added support for the Nepalese OKM, Watchtower and Awake!.
  • Added support for the new Haitian Creole NWT. Users will need to clear their cache for their existing Bible and then re-download the updated version. (Tip: There is no support to view the two versions side-by-side. You can use the newer Equipd Bible app if you want this feature.)

And yes this update also works fine on iOS 9.0.1 and 9.0.2. 

 

Extremely Important:

As before, in order to push out this update to existing users of Equipd I will need to make the app available on the App Store for a short period of time. It is essential that users upgrade promptly before the app is removed once again from the App Store. You will not be able to update to version 3.5.1 once I have removed the app again. This is to work around limitations with the App Store where it is not possible to update users who already have an app without the app being generally available.

As before, I will also be increasing the price of the app and posting a notice to discourage new users from trying to purchase the app. Any users who have downloaded the app since December 2014 will have done so at their own risk and should have read the notices on the App Store alerting them to the fact that this app is "end of life" and is only being updated at my discretion. 

Hopefully existing users are happy with this effort to keep Equipd working for them, which has cost me hundreds of hours in ongoing development and support time.

 

Should users expect updates after this?

I actually said with the last update: "Users should not expect more updates". So consider this one a bonus! Versions 3.4.9 and 3.5.0 were simply to restore the status quo after the breaking changes on WOL. And now this update is to fix breaking changes caused by iOS 9.

This update is not about adding new features, or about new users getting to download Equipd. It is just supporting the existing users who already had Equipd before I decided to remove it from the App Store in December last year. At that time I announced the demise of Equipd and that I would try to support it for as long as possible, but not forever. I have done my best to keep it going for existing users, knowing that many are so reliant on the app and that there is currently no official replacement for many of the features people use daily.

However users should remind themselves of the initial announcement about the app being removed as the overall status has not changed. And please ensure you take a backup of this latest version (3.5.1) of Equipd, just in case you need to restore the app on your devices in the future.

If you have questions about how to backup the app for future use or how to install the app on new devices, this is covered here.

All the best with Equipd...

Still need help? Send me a message Send me a message