Nextcloud Android client 1.1.0 is here

With the latest Nextcloud update and the iOS app released this week we are excited to announce today’s release of Nextcloud Android Client version 1.1.0 on the Google Play Store and f-droid (not live as of this writing, coming soon). This new version introduces two new, major features: Deeper integration into Android and a more comfortable way to switch between accounts. Besides that, there are smaller features like “select all” files during upload and optional creation of year/month based folders for the instant uploading of your beloved photos. Last but not least the new version also ships various bug fixes for minor issues like managing space via Androids app settings, rare crashes when switching between list and grid view,…

But enough for the management summary, let’s jump into the details of some of the new things this release is offering.

New action bar, drawer menu and account handling

We wrote a complete new implementation for the action bar, its drawer and the account management. So the menu is now the typical left, top main menu you might be used to from other Material Design apps.

Action bar and drawer

The new drawer comes with a new menu which marks the active item. Whenever you check for your upload queue or browse your files the menu will always reflect the context. Besides that you might have already spotted the difference in the header design. This is where the new account handling comes into play.

Account handling

The accounts handling was formerly done via the app’s settings which also allowed you to switch between users. It has now been moved to a more central and intuitive position: the drawer menu. So starting with this version of the app, you will be able to switch between accounts via the menu. You also have easy access to the account manager and don’t have to go to the apps settings anymore.

The header offers a very quick way to switch between configured accounts by simply clicking on the avatars (which are new to the app too) on the top right. Furthermore it now shows the user’s full name, the user name and the server address.

Besides the accounts switching you can also directly access the new account managers letting you change the login data or simply remove an account.

Deeper integration into Android

We added a document provider implementation to give you easier access to your Nextcloud hosted files on Android KitKat (version 4.4) or newer. The document provider basically plugs into the standard documents view of Android. Any app that supports opening document via this standard Android mechanism like some PDF readers can now directly open your files. So no need to actually open the Nextcloud app anymore to view a PDF, just open your viewer, select your Nextcloud account, choose your file and your done. For now we only support read access but plan to also add write capabilities in the future so you can edit your files in app of your choice and the app will take care of it.

Select all files during upload

This is a rather small change you asked for and we are happy to bring it you. The uploader view now has an option to select all files within the current folder.

Choose your upgrade now

You can download the new version via Google Play Store and f-droid and get these features and enhancements today. You can also

• take a glimpse into the app’s future by installing the beta version via f-droid that can be installed in parallel and/or
• help us test new releases by either opting in the Google Play Store Tester Program or simply downloading the published release candidates. Both ways give you access to the release candidates of the next, upcoming release.

Your help is super welcome, as your testing makes it possible for us to develop the Android app faster and still have a stable app for our users!

So have fun with this new release and stay tuned for the things to come in the future!

Further things to come & Call to actions

While you are enjoying our latest Android client release we are already working on the next releases which will bring new features like the long awaited multi select functionality. We are welcoming anybody who wants to contribute to the app. Just swing by the forum or the development repository on Github and let’s have a chat. You can see what is planned here and be assured that anybody can contribute may it be coding, testing and reviewing as well as design work and writing documentation. This is a community effort and your help makes it possible!

Blog written by Andy Scherzinger, one of the lead developers on the Android app.