Exactly one year ago today, I released the first version of  The Red Confidential App, and to celebrate this milestone, I’ve made a few improvements to the latest version!

First, I was surprisingly able to figure out how to implement the Notification Capability using Firebase which is something I have always wanted, a way to tell you when there’s a new blog post to check out.

Next, you now get a cute little Home Screen Shortcut after installation. This way you don’t have to look for the app on your phone anymore.

I struggled with displaying Post Descriptions on the Card View and eventually succeeded in this version. Now, you can read a quick summary and decide if you’re interested in further reading.

To finish, I figured out how to fit a Google Ad banner at the bottom, so hopefully, we can generate some income and keep our little ball rolling!

I’ll continue working on a few features for the next update and they will include:

• a Search Capability
• A direct link to The Red Store
• Within App Webview to replace the Dialog box
• a version for iOs (Apple) users

Making this app compatible for iOs users is more challenging than I thought. My research revealed that there’s no way to do a direct conversion, which means I’ll have to design for iOs from scratch.

However, I’m quite satisfied with the progress I’ve made so far. These improvements will come much later in the year because I’m moving my focus to generate better content.

I’m especially thankful to my beta users who I constantly bugged for constructive feedback. As usual, please download or update the app on Google Play Store and let me know what you think, particularly improvements you’d like me to make!