Hello everyone! We are pleased to show you a new beta version of the ownCloud app for Android.
This new release comes with several changes and some of them are critical, so we encourage you to test it and send us your feedback!
Which features of 2.19 beta can I test?
This beta includes some visual improvements, new features, but the most important change is related to storage. So, it would be very helpful for us if you test everything related to storage.
Scoped Storage
Here comes the most important change in this release. The Scoped Storage.
We have changed completely the way the ownCloud app stores files on the device.
Previously, the files were stored in the shared storage. That was good for some use cases, but the files were not completely safe and private.
Other apps could access, read or write the ownCloud files and that was something that we needed to change. The files remained even after uninstalling the app. It was not secure neither private.
Now, we have changed that. The files will be stored in the Scoped Storage. Let’s check what does it mean.
The files are now stored in the Scoped Storage, which is a reserved space for the app files. Files will be safer and private. And they will be available for other apps that use the Documents Provider. The recommended way.
By the way, if we remove an account, the files related to that account are removed, and they won’t waste the storage. And not only that, if the ownCloud app is uninstalled, all the related files are removed.
So, let us know if you find any problem with this new way to store the files.
Logs view redesign
We have changed completely the logs viewer. Previously, we had a viewer embedded in the android app, but now, we will see a list of the logs.
On the left, we can see the previous behavior (v2.18.3), and on the right the new one (v2.19 beta1)
As we can see, now we have three different options:
- Opening a log file with our favorite log viewer by clicking on the log file row
- Sharing a log file with other apps by clicking on the share icon
- Deleting a log file by clicking the bin icon.
By the way, we have added a collector that will remove old logs, so they won’t waste your storage.
Camera uploads when charging
We have added a new constraint to the Camera Uploads. Now, we can select under which circumstances we want to trigger the uploads.
On the left, we can see the previous behavior (v2.18.3), and on the right the new one (v2.19 beta1)
We have these options at the moment, feel free to ask for new ones:
- Only when connected to wifi
- Only when charging
If both are selected, the Camera Uploads won’t be uploaded till BOTH of them are fulfilled.
Anything else to test?
Yes, we have included some more fixes. Read the whole Changelog in here.
If you have detected any of these problems, please try them out and send us your feedback.
How can I join the beta program?
If you want to join the beta program in PlayStore, you will need to have the last app version installed. If you already have the last version installed, go to ownCloud app in PlayStore and scroll down to the end of the view; there you will see a new tab like the one below, just press the I’M IN button to join and your final app will be replaced with the beta one.
2.19 beta 1 will be also available in F-Droid soon.
How can I send my feedback to ownCloud developers?
If you find a bug or want to make any suggestions, please participate in one of these channels:
– Open a new issue on Github: https://github.com/owncloud/android/issues/
Open a new topic on central: https://central.owncloud.org/
– Write to android-app@owncloud.com
Your feedback would be highly appreciated!