Mobile App Announcements and Testing

[number6]

A new version of the DEF CON Forums App (version 2.2.0) is now available for Android and is expected to be available for iPhone soon*. (*= within the next week; it depends on how long it takes Apple to approve it, and not find problems with it.)
General Feature Updates

• Added better support for RTL languages.
• Parent/Guardian Support for COPPA has been added.
• Added support for Firebase Analytics.
• The Main menu can always be accessed by swiping left from the screen.
• Accessible features are now displayed in the Main Menu according to the user's permissions.
• The App Version will now display on the Login screen.

General Bug Fixes

• Forums Page - Posting a reply to a thread displays a blank screen
• Posting a reply through reply icon within a post crashes the app.
• Activity content details should parse HTML entities
• Back arrow from registration screen crashes app
• Article comment is displaying wrong creation date
• Notifications -> Subscriptions -> Notifications present characters out of context
• Articles -> Comments -> Edit option is not visible.
• Forum/Subforum title should render HTML entities
• Back Chevrons tap area is too small for iPad
• Tags - Unexpected error catched when using common words
• Registration Page - Creating an account with an image throws message
• Creation date in Articles tab is not displayed correctly
• Notifications Page - Opening/Closing a Flag Report triggers a loading buffer
• Log In Page - Credentials remain typed after user logs out
• Log In Page - Password field gets selected after user logs out
• Post Page - Some BBCode tags are not parsed correctly
• Post Page - Undeleting Post does not update Post status
• Article Page - Comment status is not updated immediately after change
• Messages Post Page - Message when Recipient is missing is not intuitive
• "postfloodcheck" Error message is not handled
• Misaligned check boxes in registration screen

As before, for Android the app may claim it needs access to extra stuff:
* LOCATION/ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION : I can't imagine it won't work with access to this disabled. Assuming your Android OS supports it, you can probably be safe with choosing to accept the request but in the security permission per app, "Deny" it for this app. Testing with this disabled works fine so for for me.
* SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW : I suspect this is required to have push-notification on things like: New PM, Reply to subscribed-thread, (or other notifications) result in a system-notice (top-left corner in many android devices, and same notices on lock-screen when device is locked) when this app is back-grounded, to let you know the running forum app has received push notices you might be interested in receiving. If you don't want these system notices, then this can probably be accepted on upgrade, then set to "Deny" in the app permissions for this app without breaking the rest of the app function.
* CAMERA : You can deny access to camera. It looks like it is only needed if you want to take pictures and attach images to a forum post. If you do not want to do these things, you should be able to deny this app access to the camera. It works fine so far for me.
* PHONE : You can disable access to phone; I've never allowed it. Maybe it wants that for access to address book for contacts when posting?

[number6]

I read your entire thread and want to know, I have an iPhone 5, I have got some issue while updating the latest version which is compatible with phone, Suddenly apple mobile device failed to start I didn't understand, what should I apply now to configure it.

That does not appear to be correlated with an iPhone error.
Official Apple comments are correlated with "iTunes" installed on MS Windows, with solutions from Apple:
* https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5838371 : Upon trying to install iTunes, I get a messge that says: "Service 'Apple Mobil Device' (Apple Mobil Device) failed to start.Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services" What can I do about this?
* https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4091321 : Service ‘Apple Mobile Device’ (Apple Mobile Device) failed to start. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services.

And then from microsoft:
* https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/apple-mobile-device-dfailed-to-start/6ee41288-6572-4a66-90a9-42be9a66916a : Apple Mobile Device d\failed to start

This issue appears to be beyond support for the app running on iPhone and is something we have not seen on any of our iPhone or systems running iTunes when connected to an iPhone.

[Dark Tangent]

The new iOS version 2.1.1 just got approved on the app store, I’m posting this message with it. Besides the fixed graphics it seems faster and more stable.

Please provide any feedback here.

[number6]

The Android upgraded app version 2.1.1 has 2 more permissions as "required" compared to the previous version 2.0.1:
* ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION : I can't imagine it won't work with access to this disabled. Assuming your Android OS supports it, you can probably be safe with choosing to accept the request but in the security permission per app, "Deny" it for this app.
* SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW : I suspect this is required to have push-notification on things like: New PM, Reply to subscribed-thread, (or other notifications) result in a system-notice (top-left corner in many android devices, and same notices on lock-screen when device is locked) when this app is back-grounded, to let you know the running forum app has received push notices you might be interested in receiving. If you don't want these system notices, then this can probably be accepted on upgrade, then set to "Deny" in the app permissions for this app without breaking the rest of the app function.

Please let us know how these work for you, and if setting these to "deny" causes the app to not run and work for you.

[Dark Tangent]

2.1 Changes

Android

• Image attachments should be handled better.
• Push Notifications work again.

iOS

• New Private Messages will properly append to the existing topic.
• The word delete is misspelled.

General Feature Updates

• Added forgot password feature on the login page.
• Improved registration on sites with paid subscriptions. (We don't use this)
• Tags are now displayed on topic starters.
• Fixed Facebook login config (We don't use this)
• Added Push notification support for Facebook Logins. (We don't use this)
• Added Privacy consent for Facebook Logins. (We don't use this)
• Users can now update their Avatars on their profile page.
• The option to send a private message should now appear on the profile page.
• Social Media Share options are available across the app.

General Bug Fixes

• Messages - Empty folder should display a message
• 0 Flag Reports in Notifications
• Login fails to redirect if site has no category
• Hide Blogs, Articles, Friends from Main Menu if they are disabled
• Firebase get Device token crashes for some devices
• Cannot direct to detail topic from Flag report
• App unable to copy text in private messages
• App unable to scroll to view longer messages
• Topics with many posts no longer jump to 2nd page upon opening
• Ignore feature stuck at Unignore
• Upgrade popup feature for Android
• "text_body" color is not being used
• User cannot return to the previous page by clicking the back button
• Crash due to unhandled youtube exception
• Crash due to undefined variable
• Remove version number
• Registration Page - Incorrect message when trying to register
• Write a Forum Page - Error when max allowed chars in Content
• Write a Forum Page - Error when min allowed chars in Tags
• Post Page - Error when max allowed chars in Quick Reply
• Post Page - App crashes when attempting to post a reply
• Incorrect spelling for flag report notifications
• Message Post Page - Error when sending 2 consecutive messages to same user
• Message Post Page - Error when max allowed chars in Private Message
• Log In Page - App has an infinite buffer at log in
• Registration shouldn't always require Date of Birth
• Activity Stream - Created Blogs do not have the correct label
• Activity Stream - Created Articles do not have the correct label
• UI/UX - Icons of Content in Blog/Article need padding
• Sending a Friend request should display confirmation message
• Multiple image attachment picked at one
• Increase the grey level of Unread messages
• Update Firebase library
• New message shouldn't require semicolon in the To field to proceed
• Calendar title doesn't render HTML characters correctly

[Dark Tangent]

A new iOS app is available:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/def-co...s/id1472107132

iOS update from 1.3.x -> 2.0.3 changes:

Improvements

• VBI-1432 Modernize mobile app's UI
• VBI-1511 Build iOS app with at least iOS 12.1 SDK & support all iOS devices.
• VBI-1514 Port over the privacy feature set
• VBI-1619 Resource downloading pop up occasionally
• VBI-1376 Create an iPad friendly UI to make the app a truly UNIVERSAL app.
• VBI-1516 Port over Push Notification feature
• VBI-1518 Support RTL translations
• VBI-1531 Splash screen support for customization
• VBI-1536 Adjustments to Color customization
• VBI-1607 Quote doesn't work
• VBI-1612 Activity wont list out any more item if the first page is empty
• VBI-1615 Some inline attachments can't be launched in image slide review mode
• VBI-1616 Blog and Article reload many time when empty comment
• VBI-1530 Messages: Sent list to use the correct array of recipients
• VBI-1549 UI/UX - Buttons Accept/Decline require bottom margin/padding
• VBI-1575 Error Message localization
• VBI-1608 Hyperlink doesn't get rendered
• VBI-1609 Internet connection check
• VBI-1614 Localize string in search item
• VBI-1620 Increase Title space
• VBI-1429 Pull to reload the list of in-app notifications
• VBI-1563 Blogs - Edit button is not displayed on a change of Enable/Disable comments checkbox

Tasks

• VBI-1377 App icon doesn't display properly on iPads.
• VBI-1532 Add support for Google Analystics

Bugs

• VBI-1597 Resign embedded frameworks correctly
• VBI-1334 Search - Search by tag is not working
• VBI-1452 Crashes on notification checking
• VBI-1463 App does not clarify to users how/when/why the Camera is used when access to the Camera is required
• VBI-1473 iphone X compatibility
• VBI-1508 Stop supporting iOS 8
• VBI-1513 Sign-in with Facebook broken
• VBI-1515 Support ads in iOS 2.0
• VBI-1526 Subscribe star doesn't work
• VBI-1527 User registration custom fields don't match web app
• VBI-1534 App crashes after open push notification while the app was killed
• VBI-1541 Activity screen doesn't work consistently
• VBI-1543 App crashes when disable comment while creating new Blog & Articles
• VBI-1544 App crashes - Guest user posting a New Blog
• VBI-1547 IGNORE button from the list of friend displays an Invalid parameter error.
• VBI-1548 BAN USER button from the list of friend is not functioning.
• VBI-1557 Message Post View - Report page is not displaying
• VBI-1558 Message Post View - Forward is not pre-filling the content of the message.
• VBI-1559 Message Post View : NO (cancel) option isn't displayed on Delete confirmation
• VBI-1560 Add Friend option disappeared
• VBI-1561 Post content doesn't render BBcode correctly
• VBI-1562 Post content & attached images are out of place
• VBI-1576 App shows a blank screen loading particular Articles
• VBI-1585 Inline attachments cut off in Thread's started
• VBI-1586 Search keyword crashes de app
• VBI-1591 Articles - Publish status 'draft' and 'scheduled' are publishing now
• VBI-1592 sub-forums incorrectly load parent channel
• VBI-1595 Articles - Publish status option on Edit
• VBI-1598 Articles - Reloading the 'Categories' list preview crashes the app
• VBI-1605 New Content - Attachment options are not prompted
• VBI-1610 Inline attachments don't display in Forum's thread
• VBI-1613 Attached Images don't display in slideshow view
• VBI-1621 Youtube link doesn't show
• VBI-1623 Blog content's bad format
• VBI-1628 Long forum comment got cut off
• VBI-1485 Post List - Subscribe button changes back after navigating away and back
• VBI-1498 Blogs & Articles page displays +1 the current page
• VBI-1525 Thread Prefix doesn't display
• VBI-1533 Search doesn’t return results from Article content type
• VBI-1535 Tapping on Avatar anywhere in the app should launch user profile
• VBI-1537 Calendar List View shouldn't set endperiod
• VBI-1538 Thread's colored Prefix doesn't show color
• VBI-1539 Thread title needs to parse HTML entities
• VBI-1545 Thread prefix doesn't show in Post list
• VBI-1551 Blog Post with special HTML characters are not displayed correctly
• VBI-1553 Title/Content Character Limits are not handled appropriately.
• VBI-1564 Forum - Complete list of prefixes is not displayed on mobile
• VBI-1566 Title of Forums, Articles, Blogs & Activities shouldn't parse HTML tags
• VBI-1568 Discard message not appearing in Forums, Articles, Blogs
• VBI-1569 Articles - min chars in title/content is not handled
• VBI-1571 Forum & Thread list Pagination strange behavior
• VBI-1572 Long thread titles overflow
• VBI-1573 Forum Create Thread shouldn't have Publish status option
• VBI-1580 Closed Posts - Reply of a Member user displays double errors.
• VBI-1583 Inline attachments can't load for Articles
• VBI-1584 Default (blank) avatar doesn't show for Forum comments
• VBI-1587 extra semi colon in starter post that has no text content
• VBI-1589 Forums - Tags of maximum chars is not handled properly
• VBI-1590 Remove Publish status option for new Blogs
• VBI-1593 Tags - Invalid prefix
• VBI-1594 Trying to post an article without text content crashes the app
• VBI-1602 UI/UX - Text content font size is not uniform on Ipad
• VBI-1631 Create Account Page - Email validation giving incorrect error message
• VBI-1401 Messages - Tapping Delete does not delete the message
• VBI-1415 Deleted threads are not dark grey for admins/mods
• VBI-1416 Thread author text cut off slightly
• VBI-1422 Home - Default filter label is All Content but shows Forums
• VBI-1491 Search Results - Articles icon too big
• VBI-1496 Blog Comments - "Comments are not enabled" text does not appear
• VBI-1528 Forum rules page (in registration) don't work correctly
• VBI-1552 Reply restriction for minimum characters is not working properly
• VBI-1574 Options are not cleared in Blogs & Articles
• VBI-1577 UI/UX - Edit icon of Blogs, Articles is cut off slightly
• VBI-1578 Registering a username with length for minimum/maximum characters is not working properly
• VBI-1588 Forums - reply to post is not entering comments less than 10 chars
• VBI-1600 Blogs - Mismatch on bubble comments count
• VBI-1603 Friends - Ads are not positioned at the bottom
• VBI-1604 Blogs - Missing content error is not displaying
• VBI-1606 Notifications - User is not redirected to Visitor Message

[Dark Tangent]

New Android App is out:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...tin.build_6962

2.0.1 has these fixes:

Messages: Sent list to use the correct array of recipients
Long forum comment got cut off
Remove deprecated color customization
Spanish, French & German translations for mobile 2.0

[Dark Tangent]

With the latest version of the iOS and Android apps the code base has been merged. Both are working off the same source.

Because of this I've created this new thread for announcing new updates and bug fixes starting with version 2.1