Totally disappointed by recent update (picker, layer list)
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What just came to my mind: Is it possible, that the UI modifications that so many users find problematic (new location picking process, huge thumbnail tiles for layer selection) are motivated by porting the app to smartwatches with their limited screen size? When checking eg. your insta feed, it appears, that smartwatches are more and more in your focus.
Am I right? If so, please consider providing different user interfaces for smartwatches and standard mobile devices. It is not a good idea, to adapt the UI for some tiny screens and force users to use this UI also on devices with more screen space.
As many users complain: The new location picking process is simply odd and inefficient, the new layer list takes up way too much space. Both (location, layer) were perfectly usable before on smartphones and tablets. So please do not force us to use this new UI on standard devices.
Thank you.
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@Ftjwinfs Hi, this change of mobile UI is not because of Watch version. There is no target to make the mobile app in the same way as the one for watch devices.
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@Ondřej-Šutera Hi Ondrej, thank you for the clarification!
Can you give some indication, how you at Windy see the critical comments of the users with regards to location picker and layer list? Can you at Windy understand/follow our concerns and complaints? Will there be a modification that allows to use the location picker in a way similar as before?
To further elaborate on location picker and layer list:
In my opinion the new "thumbnail list" for the layer selection could eventually be accepted. Although I do not understand the motivation to go from the old style to the new thumbnail-like list. Apart from having larger tiles to tap to select a layer (was this probably the original motivation?), the thumbnails show some (in my opinion) arbitrary colorful picture. To select the right layer one has to read the text anyways. So, what's the point with the thumbnails? In my opinion the only eat up space on the screen.The issue with the new location picker is at a totally different and critical level in my opinion. The new interaction process completely brakes the user experience. For myself I would rate the new location picker as catastrophically wrong. It is not possible anymore to tap different positions on the map in a controlled way while keeping the same region of the map on the screen (this is important for route planning for e.g. sailing!). Either one has to move the map or one taps somewhere on the map, but then the map somehow autoscrolls and shows a different map region (...omg...!!!). From a developers perspective this might seem swift and nice that the map somehow autoscrolls. For me as a user this lets me loose focus while carefully studying the weather development for a certain region during which I need to select different locations and need to stay focused on that specific region. Autoscrolling is a no go!
Also, before selecting a certain location was a single tap. Now, I either arbitrarily move the map (bad) or I have to interact with the weather popup bar at the top of the screen to select "forecast for this location", but then autoscrolling... Before it was a single, efficient tap...It would honestly be interesting what the actual reasons and design goals where for this new version. In my opinion (and reading the comments of many, many other users I'm obviously not alone), the user experience was very good before. No need to try to "invent the wheel again" and completely break the user experience.
Again: PLEASE provide a way to interact with the map and to select a location of interest in a way that follows to old approach.
Looking forward to our feedback, thank you and best regards.
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Your grievances are identical to mine. I just premium upgraded as well and will not be renewing if the stupid crosshairs aren’t nixed or there’s an option added. It’s infuriating to pick your location only to have it zoom in and be lost if one tries to resize the screen. WINDY REALLY NEEDS TO FIX THIS.
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F Ftjwinfs referenced this topic on
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@Ftjwinfs Well stated. I discovered Windy.com about 6 months ago and was impressed. I had started to use it to augment my flight planning. I was literally logging in to buy the premium version when the iOS app upgraded and the “drag me anywhere” flag went away and crazy crosshair appeared. After researching the community page, and seeing that the developers were more interested in defending this new clunky version, rather than listening to what the users were saying, I decided to pause my purchase. I still use and like the web version with the “drag me anywhere” picker flag, but I want to see the “drag me anywhere” flag feature restored in the iOS app before I spend my money.
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Thank you for sharing your experience.
Yeah, its a pity and quite sad, what happened.
I think it is very good, that there are quite many users who share their view on the situation. This is important to make clear, that "we" are not just some ranting trolls, but that we are users who want to use Windy on a rather professional level and are able to clearly state our concerns with the new version.
I still hope, that by staying loud about the issues with the new version, at some point the Windy team might realize that some things need to be revised.
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Horrible decision . The location picker was just fine before now its Horrible. I was excited to be a premium member but the changes are so bad. The app takes longer to load because I'm having to move the map everywhere to see a forecast. Please give an option for individuals to revert back to the old version
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Any news with regards to a revision of the location picker and auto-zoom?
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@Ftjwinfs We changed behavior when you have this switch turned off, so please try this it out and let us know.
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Thank you! I was not aware of that change. A very good step in the right direction!
I just tested it, here some feedback:
My usual "workflow" is to show the forecast for a certain spot on the map (formerly tapping somewhere, now via the crosshair dialog) and then check the forecast for different locations on the map the get an understanding of the weather development for a larger region (e.g. 100km x 100km). This is what I do as a sailor and I assume pilots, hikers etc. will do the same. Checking the different locations was very efficient before by simply tapping somewhere and having the opened forecast dialog update accordingly.
The new feature "Move the map to change ... location" lets me move the map without changing the forecast location. A very good, first step.
Unfortunately the efficiency of checking different locations is still much worse than before. If I first select one location and then want to check a different location, I first have to close the forecast dialog, then move the map to aim for a new location and then tap on "Forecast for this location". These are three steps during which I need to move the map where before it was one single tap without moving the map. At the moment, this is very inefficient and a quite awkward user experience.
Before, the only visual change when comparing different locations was the actual forecast in the popup dialog and the wind arrows on the map. When I tapped on different locations, everything shown remained the same, except the wind arrows and the forecast show in the dialog. This was extremely good to compare forecasts for different locations. Now, with the necessary three steps to change location and the necessity to close and open the forecast dialog including auto-zoom it still lets me "loose orientation" on the map. Very bad...
Furthermore I think there is a bug: When I start the app, aim for a certain location and select "forecast for this location", the forecast dialog pops up and the map zooms and moves. But it moves in such a way, the the actual location that I selected before is somewhere offscreen and not in the focus anymore. Obviously, the selected location should still remain in focus when the forecast popup opens. (Also: Please deactivate auto-zoom (or make it optional), when opening the forecast dialog ;) ).
Please let me know if anything of the above is unclear.
In summary: I very much appreciate, that a little bit has happened with regards to the location selection process. It gives me hope, that our voices as users are heard in a way. Please see the above as constructive feedback to make the user experience better and more efficient, coming again close to the very good user experience that we had with versions prior to v39.
Thank you
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@Ftjwinfs I would also like to understand why this very useful use case (inspecting various locations on map) is not supported anymore.
I am also a sailor and have exactly the same needs: explore options on a map to find better route or anchorage for the night.
The new "Move the map to change the forecast location" is not a replacement for the old feature that we all loved.
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@Lure
We need to stay stubborn here!It would be so simple, to give us back the old functionality:
It would e.g. only be necessary to implement a "long tap" on the map as selection for a new location. Very little change necessary for a huge win in user-friendliness.As I explained above, its a huge step-back from the old app to the current situation, where we now need three steps to switch location to study wind in detail there. Before it was only one quick tap on the map.
@Ondřej-Šutera Are you guys aware of this degradation in user interaction?
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I've been a premium user for a while, and I have put a lot of my friends onto the Windy app. The new update, as said above, is a catastrophic change to the UI/UX. The picker, the switching between wind models (now takes longer to navigate a huge menu), and the rest of the complaints here. If it helps Windy, I'll make my own thread to air my complaints. This update is 15 steps back, and Windy went from being the best weather app available to very mid-grade. Just give me a legacy version, this new update is much more laborious to use.
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I fully agree.
If on Android, you can find the old APK-files online. Thats what I do...
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@Ftjwinfs
An excellent summary of this disaster, thanks for being so clear. I agree 100%. Give us back the old UI! -
F Ftjwinfs referenced this topic on
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Its only a pity, that there is so little response to our continuous, negative reviews.
Dear Windy-team. Please, schedule a meeting, grab a cup of coffee and have a serious discussion if your new version with those major changes to the UI was really such a good decision. You do not loose face, if you admit so and roll back some features.
Your paying members tell you since summer: It wasn't a good decision to break user interaction. Please, listen.
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Hi Ondrej, any news regarding an update of the location picker? Please see in particular my post from the 8th of November 2023 in this thread for some suggestions.
It would be very much appreciated, if the process of selecting a different location can be made more efficient: At the moment, due to the UI that was introduced mid 2023, I need three steps to change location where before it required only one single tap on the map.
Thank you for your feedback.
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@Ftjwinfs It is still no planned right now. We are testing a new release and there is no adjustment of this.
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Is it completely off the table or probably in the backlog?
