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Frequently Asked Questions about the new iOS app


Tom
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This page is no longer being updated and so may include incorrect or outdated information.

Please see our iOS walkthrough tutorial for information about how the app works. 
For information on recent releases please see our change log

 

Next generation iOS App Frequently Asked Questions

This page is for people interested in the next generation of the Tapestry app on iOS. Below we explain what has changed in the new version and answer questions about it. if you are interested in beta testing the new version, we explain how to do that.

What has changed?

Everything has changed behind the scenes. But the big features are:

For staff:

  • You can filter which children and observations you see.
  • On iPads: you can see the list of observations and an individual observation at the same time, making it quicker to go through and 'approve' observations.
  • You can start your next observation without waiting for the previous one to upload.
  • You can keep working even when the internet connection is poor.
  • With the setting’s permission: you can add observations when offline.

For relatives:

  • You can use TouchID / FaceID to save your login details.
  • It is easier to switch between Tapestry accounts if you have children at more than one school / nursery.
  • With the setting’s permission: you can get push notifications of new observations instead of emails.
  • With the setting’s permission: you can save pictures and videos from observations into the device’s photo library.

These changes have some implications for data protection. Please make sure you are happy with the changes before using the new app.

How can I install the next generation app?

Open the iOS App Store and search for Tapestry Journal. Choose the version that says "Tapestry Journal" not "Tapestry Classic". Or, on your device, click this link.

Can I use the next generation app with my current Tapestry account?

Yes. You can use the new app with your current Tapestry account. You can also switch back and forth between the web interface to Tapestry, the new app and the old app as you see fit. 

Will I have to upgrade to this app?

Not straight away. You will be able to keep using the old app in parallel at least until the end of summer 2019.

Will my app automatically upgrade to the next generation?

Not straight away. To avoid forcing people to upgrade when it isn’t convenient to them, we are releasing this app in parallel. This means you will need to manually update to it.

When will an equivalent Android app be released?

A new version of the Android app is available on the Google Play store. 

Will it run on my phone / tablet? aka: what version of iOS is required?

The new iOS app requires iOS 9.0 or above. All phones and tablets launched in 2011 and later should be able to be upgraded to iOS 9 or above.

When will you stop supporting the current iOS app?

We won’t be releasing any new features for the current iOS app, but we will fix bugs and continue to support it until at least Summer 2019.

When is feature X coming to the app?

The app has improved a lot ‘behind the scenes’ which should allow us to release new features more rapidly. To help us prioritise, do let us know what you would like to see.

My parents / staff are not good with technology, will they know when to update to the new version?

If they are happy with the existing version, then stick with it at least in the short term.

I’ve found a problem with the next generation app, where can I report this?

We are sorry that you have found a problem. Please describe the problem and what triggers it in as much detail as possible in an email to customer.service@eyfs.info and we will do our best to help.

Do I have to change my password or PIN to use the next generation app?

Your existing password and PIN should work fine.

Previously I could only login to one of my Tapestry accounts using the app, does the next generation app fix this?

Yes. You will be given a choice of which account to log into when you have entered your email and password.

I have an older iOS device that can't download the next generation app, will you add support for this?

Unfortunately no. It becomes increasingly hard to test our app on older devices so, beyond a certain point, we cannot support them. All iOS devices released 7 years ago or less should work.

I have downloaded the Tapestry app but I don't have any of the new features?

You may have downloaded the older version of the app. You can tell if you are in the new app because, once you log in, there will be the word ‘You’ on the top left side of the screen. With the older version of the app you will see a cog icon.

Is there an extra charge for the next generation app?

No. It is included in the Tapestry subscription.

Why do the setting and the user both have to enable push notifications for it to work?

In iOS push notifications always require permission from the user. So the question is why does the setting have to enable it as well?

The reason is that push notification involve sending personal information via Apple’s servers which may be outside the EU and that information might be displayed on a device’s lock screen. Depending on the setting’s data protection policy they may not want to permit this, or only permit it for some users.

For that reason push notifications have to be enabled by a manager using the user permissions section of the control panel.

Why do the setting and the user both have to enable offline access for it to work?

Offline access makes it possible, in some circumstances, for a user to see information even though their account has been deactivated (because the offline app may not have received the deactivation notice) and for a user’s pin code to be guessed (because the offline app cannot report incorrect guesses to our servers).

This means a setting may wish to only enable it when they think the additional benefit of being able to work without a connection outweighs the additional risk. They may think this is true only for particular events (e.g., a day visit away from the school or nursery) or only for particular users (e.g., members of staff that operate a long way from where the WiFI connection is).

For that reason offline access has to be enabled by a manager using the user permissions section of the control panel.

Even if the setting has given a user permission, that user may not wish to enable offline observations on every device they use. For instance, they may not wish to enable it on a tablet that they temporarily borrow from a colleague. So the user is also required to give their permission.

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Changes in build 24, released 11 December 2018

  • Lock screen: bigger pin dots & more responsive button highlight (thank you for the suggestion Michael)
  • Adding Observations: can quickly add children used when last adding an observation (again, thank you for the suggestion Michael)
  • Saved offline PIN will be cancelled if the server says the account is locked
  • Bug fixes for iOS 9 devices
  • Bug fixes around handling deleted observations

 

If you have already installed the beta version, you can upgrade by opening the Testflight and tapping 'Update' next to the Tapestry app.

If you have not already installed the beta, then on your iPad or iPhone open this link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/HqUCeiga

 

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Changes in build 32, release 20 December 2018

  • You can now write long comments without the keyboard obscuring what you are writing
  • The steps for enabling offline observations should be a bit clearer
  • The 'quickly add children used when last adding an observation' has had its wording tweaked and a few bugs eliminated
  • For security, if you try and log in but it fails the password will be cleared automatically
  • The lock screen has had a few layout glitches fixed
  • iOS 9 devices have had a few more layout glitches fixed

If you have already installed the beta version, you can upgrade by opening the Testflight and tapping 'Update' next to the Tapestry app.

If you have not already installed the beta, then on your iPad or iPhone open this link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/HqUCeiga

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  • 3 weeks later...

Changes in build 33, release 7 January 2019

  • Each user can now choose whether push notifications include personally identifiable information or not

If you have already installed the beta version, you can upgrade by opening the Testflight and tapping 'Update' next to the Tapestry app.

If you have not already installed the beta, then on your iPad or iPhone open this link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/HqUCeiga

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  • JoeG locked this topic
  • 3 weeks later...

Changes in build 39, release 1 February 2019

  • Show that you can save your password with TouchID or FaceID even if you haven't yet saved your email (thank you Neill)
  • Progress bar on uploads (thank you Amy)
  • Fix a crash when trying to preview videos added to an observation from the photo library (thank you Michael)
  • Show the actual number of children in an observation, not just the number you can see (thank you Anthony)
  • Tell the user if pictures are not being shown in group observations (thank you Diana)
  • Keep drafts for longer (thank you Michael)
  • Improved the look of the uploads / drafts screen when it is empty (thank you Rebecca)
  • Fix a bug when editing an observation and changing the children (thank you Tim)
  • Keep completed uploads for an hour, rather than a minute
  • Fix a crash when dismissing the notifications preference window
  • Warn the user if commenting on a group observation
  • Fix a bug where existing pictures would not be shown when saving a draft of an edit to an existing observation

Thank you for the suggestions to make it easier to switch between accounts at different schools / nurseries. We are working on this, but it hasn't made it to this release.

If you have already installed the beta version, you can upgrade by opening the Testflight and tapping 'Update' next to the Tapestry app.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Changes in build 54, released 8 April 2019

  • Big feature: It is now quicker to log into different schools. On the lock screen, swipe right to log into a new school without logging out of the previous one. Then when you are back the lock screen you can swipe left to use your PIN to log into schools you have previously accessed (Thank you to the people who gave feedback on this. It isn't perfect, but hopefully it is better than what happens now).
  • Save drafts more quickly, which will hopefully eliminate some situations where they have one missing (Thank you Michael)
  • Always start at the top of the observations when using the up/down arrows (Thank you Scott)
  • Do not show 'add comment' unless you have permission to add a comment (Thank you Joe)
  • In the photo gallery, put exit on the left, save on the right (Thank you Lucie)
  • On slower devices: make it clearer when the logout button has been pressed (Thank you Lauren)
  • Fix an occasional crash when rendering messages on the lock screen.
  • Sort children in first name order
  • Sort uploads in date order
  • Fix album in gallery in iOS 12 (Thank you Pear)
  • Fix 'all children' view in iOS 9
  • Better error reporting when trying to save photos to your device from the gallery (Thank you Lucie)
  • Other minor fixes to layout.
  • Fix some memory leaks.

If you have already installed the beta version, you can upgrade by opening the TestFlight app and tapping 'Update' next to the Tapestry app.

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Changes in build 61, released 15 April 2019

New features:

  • Remember your ‘zoom’ when selecting pictures and videos to add to an observation (thank you Michael).
  • When selecting assessments to add to an observation, more clearly highlight which ones have already been selected (thank you Michael).
  • Remember your position when selecting pictures and videos to add to an observation, until new pictures are added to the gallery (thank you Michael).
  • Show a warning when drafts are getting close to their deletion date.
  • Add an option to see your password as you are typing it in.
  • When selecting pictures and videos to add to an observation, mark the ones that have recently been added by you to an observation.

Bug fixes:

  • Fix video playback in some situations (thank you Jamie).
  • Fix some bugs in the layout of thumbnails when looking at observations.
  • Fix a bug preventing you from unlocking the app with your PIN immediately after changing your password from within the app.
  • Fix glitches in choosing an album when selecting pictures and videos
  • Improve the experience when authorisation to use a PIN expires (thank you Michael).

If you have already installed the beta version, you can upgrade by opening the TestFlight app and tapping 'Update' next to the Tapestry app.

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