More Android app testing

Hello, I’m after some brave volunteers to try out a test SSi mobile app for listening to Welsh lessons. It’s very similar to the new Spanish app (beta available here Spanish apps beta release), but because we don’t have sufficient Spanish learners at the moment, it’s not had as many user testers as I’d like.

Here are the key facts

  • The app is called SSiTest
  • It looks very green
  • It’s loaded with all the Welsh lessons
  • North and South regions are supported, but the method of selecting a region is not slick at the moment
  • Parts of it mention Klingon, and parts mention Spanish. Don’t worry about this. Also, there are no plans to offer SSiKlingon.
  • You have to “purchase” access to lessons via Google Play. Don’t worry, I can set this up so that your purchases will be classed as “test purchases”, and you won’t be charged.
  • There is no option to sign in with your SSi membership details. This means that it does not matter what level of SSi subscription you hold, you will still be able to use this test app
  • Using this app, and purchasing test lessons via Google Play will not affect your SSi membership in any way
  • This means that the first time you use this test app you will not have access to any lessons until you “buy” them from Google Play
  • If you “buy” access to a lesson that you don’t have via your SSi subscription, you will only be able to access this lesson via the test app, not on the website or current Welsh app

What I need from testers

  • Simply use this app instead of the live Welsh app and report any problems
  • Feedback on the user interface.

How this helps us

  • The same code that drives SSiTest is used for the SSiSpanish app. Meaning that if the quality of this app is high, then so should our Spanish app. Hopefully this means lots of happy Spanish learners, and continued growth of SSi…
  • One day the Welsh app will be based on the same code too, so now’s a good chance to influence how that app will look and behave in the future

How to get involved

  • Private message me the email address you use to sign in to your Android device

For help on sending a private message, and other useful things, check out this Tatjana post

Diolchs
Thanks to everyone who has helped with testing the existing Welsh app, and the new Spanish app.

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Gwaith gwych, James, diolch o galon :star: :star2:

HAHA! Is that pointed out especially for me. - LOL

I’m brave enough to go into half Klingon - half Spanish thingy but I can’t test purchase part of it as I’ m already paying member and have access to everything (umm … well … Cymraeg content regarding (that there won’t be any missunderstandings though)), however if this is not in connection with existing app then I can do that too. And, for the SSi I’m using my google mail.

For the green matter ---- I will have to face this enemy once anyway so this is the right time to do so. - HAHA! :slight_smile:

Oh, and, does it help I’m already member of your testing group or you need my email sent to you anyway?

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There is no member sign in using the test app. This means that it is completely separate from your SSi subscription. This allows us to test that purchases made with Google Play work reliably.

I have your email already, so I’ll go ahead and set you up with test access

Sorry for the greenness - I forgot you weren’t a fan!

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No, the matter is greeny isn’t a fan of me … but I already told that story once upon a time here … :slight_smile: Don’t worry, I’ll make this Greeny “monster” my fan sooner or later. - hehe

Now to some isues (yah, yah, I always find them … :slight_smile: )

I’ve tried to download “Test Course 1” “Lesson 1x” ummm … well … out of my curiousity what it is. I test-payed for it successufly and tried to downolad it but it didn’t download despite it showed as if it’s downloading. Then after 2 or 3 stops of download and restarts it again it showed me an error.

I thought it mihgt be because of kind of Test course which maybe even don’t exist so I did the same today with Level 1 Listening Practice 1 North. It was shown that the Challenge is downloading but there was no actual sign it really does. I went elswhere on the phone to do something else and when comming back to the app through “apps running” tab, the app crashed. The crash happened twice and at second crash I’ve sent you an e-mail.


(this is the first crash though)

As you’ll see in the background, the lesson shows it’s still downloading but if you look at the icons at the top of the screen there’s no icon to show download is really happening.

I tried to download lesson through WiFi but it didn’t and then I switched to download it from whatever network - WiFi or mobile and it also didn’t happen.

Now I’m home where I have much better WiFi connection and tried to download via WiFi once again but the same error like with Test Course was shown.

If you’ll notice on the screenshot no matter I’ve pressed Listening Practice 1 to be downloaded it writed “Challenge 5” at the top of the screen what could lead me to the conclusion that the path direct app to the wrong direction or something like this.

Every time I access already runned app through “apps running” button (app is still running) it crashes but not closes.

Well, and one more thing: This time I’m on Android tablet and not on the phone.

  • tablet LG-V490
  • Android 5.0.2

This is for now as I believe I can’t download anything at the moment so there was no actual listening yet. At the moment I am on downloading lesson 25 of Course 1 South to see if this goes and i’ll report back later on what happened.

So much for now. As usually, if you can’t understand my strange expressions, let me know … :slight_smile:

Ah, and something more: You’ll maybe remember that this Crashing isue was in place with SSiS app aswell so you might pull out something from its logs (if you stil keep them of course).

EDIT
I’ve managed to download Lesson 25 of Challenge 1 and managed to start listening (will listen through the whole Lesson later on though) and it all seams fine at least here. So something is working right though.

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Well at least part of it works! Thanks for the feedback so far. It’s very useful.

You’re right, test course 1 is just a test course, so it’s best to ignore it.

Everything else should download okay, so if you come across any other files that don’t download, please let me know.

When you receive an error navigating back to the app via the running apps button, is it always the lesson list page that you had open? Or does it happen on the lesson playback page as well?

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Thank you very much for your feedback with this, Tatjana :star: :star2:

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I had much the same experience as Tatjana. I was able to test pay for the course and download and listen to lesson 2x of Test Course 1, however, I have not been able to download any of the other lessons so far.

If you need more details, I’d be happy to post them here or e-mail them to you separately (i.e. error codes, etc.).

-Jason

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For now only course list, but I’ll run some more tests and report back. The Lesson 25 of Course 1 played well and entirely.

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You’re welcome Aran. I was on the bus when posting previous post and we almost arrived the destination when I had to go off so I just posted the “urgent” bit of feedback so that @theblacksparrow can have kind of direction of issues.

One more thing: Is it possible that its about app issue that when downloading lesson via mobile internet rather then WiFi it doesn’t download but is just qued for download for ages? Until now in public released app and on Spanish one the download went on even when downloading via mobile internet (mobile data transfer). I switched “Download only via WiFi” off to test this.

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It should download via mobile internet (if you’ve enabled the option).

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Thanks for the feedback!

I think I know what the issue is, so hopefully I’ll have fixed the downloads soon

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On tablet I only have endless mobile internet so it’s switched on all the time (never switched off at all) but it still doesn’t download. I’ll go and download via WiFi now to see if it downloads at all.

EDIT:
It downloads via mobile transfer now so it appears everything is good for that matter.

Tell me something else: do you need I run test also on my phone or will that on tablet be enough? If neccessary to run it also on my phone I’ll do that.

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Just use whatever device you’d normally use for your Welsh lessons.

Once we’ve resolved our download issues, that is!

All testers (so that’s @tatjana and @jasoncrow) could you uninstall and reinstall the test app please.

I’ve had to change the way that it handles the North and South regions. Now there’s a single entry for each course, but you’ll see entries for both the North and South lessons on the lesson list screen.

Sorry about that, but the app’s not fully set up to support different regions yet.

Download problems

Level 1 and Course 1 seem to download okay. We’re working on fixing the download issue for the other courses

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Will a bit later tonight. :slight_smile:

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No problem. Will do.

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Unistalled/re-installed. The test continues tomorrow. :slight_smile:

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Great work, testers, and great work, James - diolch o galon to you all :star2: :star:

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