Wikipedia, one of the internet’s largest introspective resources, continues to keep its platform accessible and user-friendly across an array of platforms. For a significant duration, Wikipedia’s mobile presence heavily depended on HTML5 wrappers on iOS and Android. This strategy has seen a profound transformation in recent times.
Following a successful overhaul of the Android version, Wikipedia has entirely refurbished its iOS application. This revamp involved fully rewriting the code in Objective C, diverging from the previously used platform, PhoneGap—one that facilitated the creation of mobile applications using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.
While the majority of Wikipedia’s content is HTML-based, this transition to native apps seeks to enhance user experience through improved smoothness and speed. Hardly any code from the older app, which hadn’t seen updates in over a year, has been retained, indicating that this transformation was overdue.
The changes are evident, with the always-visible search box now replaced by an expandable search box, accessible at the touch of the magnifying glass icon. A slide-out menu for streamlined section navigation, mirroring that on the Android version, has been introduced.
Users can now save articles for offline reading by ‘starring’ them, and article sharing is as simple as tapping the small share icon at the bottom right and selecting from the usual sharing options. For regions covered by Wikipedia Zero, an informational section is available in the main settings menu.
A significant upgrade in the new app is the capability to edit directly within the iOS app, a feature absent in the preceding version. However, editing via mobile still poses challenges compared to doing so on a computer.
The redesigned app showcases an impressive improvement in loading speed while also incorporating numerous ‘Easter Egg’ or hidden features. For instance, users can now keep track of their recent reads by tapping the ‘W’ icon at the top left of the app.
In conclusion, the new changes aim to modernize and enhance an app that, while functional, was slowly becoming obsolete. The ongoing and future updates hold immense promise to keep this significant tool for worldwide knowledge access fresh and updated.
Updated in 2025 to align with recent developments.
Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.
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