Hi! I just downloaded the (Japanese) mobile beta version for iOS via TestFlight, and I’m running into a few issues/having a few questions I hope can be answered here. Apologies if this is a big question dump or if this has been addressed elsewhere.
How do you focus on starred items for study? In the old version, I could just go to the “Advanced” screen, use the slider to choose what percentage of starred items I wanted to review in a session, and start studying. I’m not seeing that functionality in the beta version.
Are we getting back on and kun readings for each entry in the info tab? I’m seeing it for some words and not for others; it’s a really helpful feature that I hope will be consistent across all entries.
The mobile app is making me log in each time I use it after closing it. Is this going to be a recurring issue going forward?
The [trans] and [int] notes for each verb entry are a really helpful addition; unfortunately, it appears in some definitions for verbs and not for others. Can we get that as a standard feature across all verbal entries?
I’m having a problem with the “ban” button in the info tab. Namely, it will allow me to ban items, but not un-ban them. If I tap the ban button after tapping it once and turning it red, nothing happens.
This may be something super obvious that I’m missing, but is it possible to study individual kanji? In other words, if I want to focus on kanji, apart from their appearances in words, just learning their on and kun readings and meanings, is there a setting for that? I’m hoping so, because that would be an amazingly useful feature; in particular, I’d like to focus on studying the jouyou kanji on their own.
I realize this is a lot, but these are the questions/issues I’ve come up against after just one weekend of using the new beta version! Hoping I can get these questions answered, as I really enjoy using the app and I think the new version could be just as helpful as the old one (or even more so) with a few things ironed out. Thanks!
There’s currently no way to focus on starred items yet (like in the older iOS app). In the meantime until this could be added in, they can be viewed in the Starred area of the Words screen.
The kunyomi/onyomi readings are built into “comp” characters. Comp characters are single characters with all of their possible meanings and readings, versus a word entry that would list just the single reading and applicable definitions. I recommend not studying comp writings though, here’s a blog post you might find interesting: https://blog.skritter.com/2017/03/shouldnt-study-single-kanji-japanese-not-high-frequency-word/
Hmm, the mobile app shouldn’t be logging you out unless you specify you want to log out. Are you just closing the app, or are you doing anything else before closing it?
There actually shouldn’t be any notes in definitions! We try to keep the definitions and short and concise as possible. If something like this would be added, it should have it’s own data where the entry type could be specified in the detailed info screen. If it’s not too much trouble, would you be able to let me know of some of the words that have this in the definition?
There’s an open issue for this! It should be fixed up soon.
You definitely can! If you add a word, you can use the “All results” button to toggle between the “comp” writing (this is what you’re looking for), and a word itself.
Hope this helps! If you have any more questions keep them coming.
Thanks for your response. Let me follow up on a few points.
All I’m doing after completing a study session is going to the dashboard to see my progress and then closing the app. When I open the app again, usually the next day, it’s asking me to log in again.
What you refer to as notes is literally just “[tran]” or “[int]”, or such like, in the definition of the verb. It only occurs with verbs, and it is very helpful because it is not always immediately clear whether a verb is transitive or intransitive. This might not be intended, but I strongly urge you to keep it or work it into the format for verb entries. It’s actually popping up in quite a few verb entries, far too many for me to list for you.
Can you tell me how to find this “All results” button? Specifically, can I add what you call the “comp” writing and thereby study just the kanji (onyomi/kunyomi and meanings) after I’ve already added a word? I’ve got hundreds, if not thousands, of words on my list. Better still, is there some way to just add joyo kanji, either manually or via a pre-made list? It’s primarily the joyo kanji I want to focus on.
It’s formatted slightly different on the iOS app due to the screen size, it actually looks like the All Results button is being cut off (though still tappable) on my device. I’ve opened an issue!
Regarding you being auto logged you out when you open the app up the next day, I’m pinging the developers to see if they might be able to spot what’s going on. @SkritterMichael@josh
I haven’t experience the log out problem you’re seeing @HeatUpTheDeathRay. Do you have any interesting storage or security settings on your device? Do you jump between the beta and production versions of the app?
@Jeremy Thanks for the tip! Regarding your earlier question about the [tran]/[int] notes, I was able to flag one for you: the entry for 折る.
@SkritterMichael Hi! There’s nothing unusual about my set up as far as I know. I downloaded TestFlight, updated to the beta version, and began using that version consistently. I haven’t been jumping back and forth between versions. I always go to the Skritter Japanese app on my phone, open it up, and see the beta version.
I can’t tap the left hand side of the screen to go back to the previously reviewed card. I tap it and either nothing happens or it takes me to a card that is definitely not the one I last reviewed.
On two entries (順, 疑問), when I tapped on the screen to reveal the definition, it “spoke” the pronunciation but did not show me the definition; instead, it just passed on to the next card.
On some entries (怠る being one), I am getting both the pronunciation and the definition at the same time. That is, when I tap on the preceding card to get to this one, it automatically speaks the pronunciation and shows me the definition without my having to tap again.
This is all happening after having updated to the most recent version.
The next update will change the way navigating backwards and forward a prompt works, though that isn’t entirely related to the issue with it taking you to a card that isn’t the last one reviewed. Do you recall if it was a recent word you had reviewed? Is it possible you went forward a prompt instead of back?
This issue with tapping to reveal a definition not working correctly will be patched in the next update as well.
It sounds like the third issue might be related to the second issue as well. We will make sure it’s working in the next patch!
It sounds like you might want to use the non beta version since it’s preventing you from studying successfully. Sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime!
@Jeremy: Yeah, I think I might have to. In the new version, is there going to be a way to study individual lists in isolation. I’m creating lists based upon the joyo kanji, and I’d like to just study each grade individually (entering each grade as its own list) rather than combining with the other lists in the queue.
