New App Release & How do YOU Think we Should Improve our Community?

Bonjour tout le monde ! Hello everyone!
 

Help us With This 2 Minute Survey
 

We are considering how we can improve the Rocket Languages forum/community and would like your help!
 

Click here to take the survey.
 

New App Release
 

We have some great news! A new version of the Rocket Languages Android and iOS apps is rolling out. If you are on Android you should already see the latest version, if not then you may have to update the app manually. The iOS app will be rolled out over the course of this week!

The main changes are around the interface, which has been significantly updated and improved. There are also a large amount of smaller tweaks to the system to improve the overall usability.

Here are a couple of screenshots of what to expect.

Here is the new Module selection screen:

And this is the new Audio Lesson player screen!

Don't forget to take the survey!
Thank you!

Jason Oxenham
Rocket Languages

That's a great step forward, Jason.  Both will enhance the Rocket experience.

Jason, I have enjoyed looking through the new app. I agree with Chris, a great step forward.

One thought, when I click (or think I am clicking) on an exercise inside a lesson (writing, speaking, etc) it takes me to the top of that lesson. Because of all the vocabulary from that lesson, I have to scroll  4-6 times to get to the bottom (where the exercises are). Sure would be nice to have some sort of shortcut to the exercises.

Problems with the new app release on my iPhone (IOS 17.5.1):

1. 1.  The “Review Hard Phrases, etc.” red button doesn't work.  With this new app, it's no longer possible to review the non-easy items of each exercise.  The only other option for the user is to reset the entire exercise and start over again.  A glaring bug!  Please fix!!
2. 2.  When I go back in to finish a lesson, why does the app take me all the way to the beginning of the lesson again?  It's a waste of time to scroll back down to where I was earlier.  A fix for this would be to enable the five icons for each of the listed lessons of a module, when the user presses his finger on one of them, to take the user directly back that corresponding part of the lesson.  Provide more functionality to the icon quintuple.  Currently it is only a visual aid of completion.
3. 3. I received no warning that a Rocket app change was in the offing.  Isn't it courteous to let users know ahead of time?
4. 4. For those who think that their experience with the earlier app was better, is there an option to continue with the older one?

3. For now, I've decided to go back to my desktop for Rocket German lessons until Problem 1 gets fixed. 

The Review Hard Phrases works on my app (Apple, Spanish version).

#2 above is similar to my issue - painful to have to scroll all the way down. Minor issue I know, but customer experience is important.

I still like the change quite a lot, thanks!

Hi Scott/Thomas - Thanks for your feedback. 

The next release will sort out the scrolling issue as we will be dividing the lessons into sections to improve readability (and scrolling). The idea being that you would click on a section heading to view that section (or activity). Here is a draft design to give you the idea!

With regards to the reviewing of hard phrases; this seems to be dependent on the model of iPhone. We should have a fix out in the next few days.

I did the survey and I love the idea of getting a thriving Forum going.  Of course, that depends on the users to use it and get some good conversation going.  I learn Kanji on Wanikani.com for Japanese, and the Forum/Community there is amazing.  It's like family.  I hope people here would do the same for a Rocket Forum.

What about for Windows 11 users?

Thanks Claudia! As a side note, on the app have you checked out the Role Play videos in the Rocket Japanese Audio lessons? 

Hi Daniel - Can you give me more context about what you are referrring to re Windows 11?

Oh, I see. The app is just for cellphone use. My bad. Excuse me

Jason

One other thought. I was using the app today and wanted to slow down the speaker, but the new app doesn't seem to have that feature. I find it pretty helpful, is it coming back?

JAson,

I have tried out the Role Play videos on the app.  One of  my favorite things about Rocket are the Role Plays.  They help me get more proficient in the oral  language.  Thanks!

The new app is way too bright to use in the evening.    

Hi Claudia - Yes, they are useful in this new format. We will be rolling that out to other languages over the course of this year.

Hi Scott - Yes, the ability to adjust the audio speed of the Audio lessons will be in the next release due out in 3 weeks time.

Hi Cody - The next release will also have a dark mode setting!

Jason, 

Thanks for putting the new format out in the Japanese lessons first!

I have a few issues with the new format.

1. 1.  When I use he speaking section at the end of every lesson it used to repeat the phrase in Spanish if I got the phrase totally correct (all green)  It has not been doing that on my phone for the last few days. 

2.  When I do get somehting wrong in that section, the red try again button is over some of the words in red that I got wrong and I can't see what they are.  

3.  When I click on reveal if I can't figure the phrase out the words, “How hard did you find this phrase?” is written over my words and I can't decipher the words in red that I said incorrectly.

I have been using this app for 3 years now and have gone through all of levels 1, 2,3 and am on the travelouges right now.  I think it is a great app for learning Spanish but those are some of my issues with the new format. 

Thanks,

Donnie Rea

Hi Donnie - Thanks for this feedback. It looks like this issue is happening on very long phrases/sentences. I will get the dev team to look into it asap.

I really love the audio section. I will be happy to see the dark mode option. The screen is too bright so for now I may need to use the web version. 

Ok.  I fixed not being able to see the mistakes I made by decreasing the size of the font, but I still liked the feature in the listening section where if you got it 100% correct it would repeat the phrase in Spanish back to you.  

Also, Cody,

How do people cheat on their ranking?  I always wondered how some people got so many points in a day.  

Donnie Rea

Donnie,

I have gotten very high scores before because I'm retired now and can spend a whole day working.  There's no need to cheat if you are making an effort and have the time to put into studying. 

Hi Jason - Re the new forum development: members get to know one another in a fashion over the years.  Is there a possibility of allowing private messaging re (for example) travel plans etc, subject of course, to the recipient having control on accepting a new contact or not?  I realise that in cyber world, this can open a can of worms, but recipient control re accept/decline is the safeguard.  Just an idea.  Kind regards, Chris