Slack update makes collaboration easier on mobile devices

Slack update makes collaboration easier on mobile devices

After updating its desktop app with a major design overhaul earlier this year, Slack has released updated versions of its iOS and Android apps that aim to provide users with a simpler and more organized mobile experience. One of the biggest changes in the new mobile business redesign is the addition of tabs to provide quick access to everything users need at the bottom of the app. Slack's previous navigation system was confusing and unconventional, so it decided to go back to basics to provide a navigation experience that most mobile users expect in the form of a tab bar. New apps now include swipe gestures that allow users to easily navigate between screens. From any Slack tab, users can swipe right to open a list of their workspaces, or left to return to their last conversation. From within a conversation, users can also swipe right to return to their last tab. Slack also made it easy to work with other apps using shortcuts. Some apps include shortcuts that allow users to take action on another service without leaving the workplace chat app. This makes it easy to take action in Slack, like starting a call, setting a reminder, or creating a poll. To start using the app shortcuts, users just need to press the lightning bolt icon below the input bar.

Direct messages, mentions and availability.

In previous versions of Slack for mobile, it was difficult for users to access your direct message (DM) list. However, in the redesign, recent conversations now appear as a tab in the tab bar and are accessible by pressing the DM icon. While testing its redesigned mobile apps, Slack moved the "Activity" screen to a more visible location in the app and renamed it "Mentions & Reactions." After making this change, the company received strong feedback from its testers mentioning and feedback quickly became a central part of their daily usage patterns and significantly improved the way they work on mobile devices. Slack also made it easy for users to set availability, because in the previous design, these commands were in a hard-to-find menu. Users can now update their status, set their availability, repeat notifications and access their preferences in the "You" section of the tab bar. In an era where everyone is working from home, Slack's redesigned desktop and mobile apps will make it easier for workers to stay connected to their teams while being more productive. via ZDNet