Parallax Effect for Featured Image

Did you try the new Androapp release for wordpress mobile app plugin yet ?

We recently released an interesting feature called parallax effect in 6.0.9 release.

What is Parallax Effect ?

it is the effect when background image moves at a different speed than the rest of the content. read more about parallax effect here.

Demo

here is the demo for one of the app

androapp_parallax_effect

try it out live by installing it from play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.androapp.storytal.c2123

How to get this feature on your app?

If you use featured images for your posts than you can install AndroApp WordPress plugin and create Android App for your wordpress blog in minutes.

If you are already using the plugin, update the wordpress plugin, create new apk, test your apk on your phone and publish this apk to google play store from developer console.

Just in case, You can enable/disable parallax effect for your mobile app from AndroApp->Configure page

control-parallax-effect-on-andropp-mobile-plugin

 

Migrate Existing Push Notification from GCM to Firebase

If your push notification is setup with Google Cloud messaging and its working, than for the new androapp apk (version 6.0.4 onwards) you have to migrate your existing GCM app to firebase, so that your existing customers remains intact.

Follow these steps to migrate

  1.  go to https://console.firebase.google.com/
  2. Click on or import a Google Projectscreen-shot-2016-10-02-at-9-29-35-am
  3. Select the relevant project from the list
  4. And click on Add Firebase
  5. Now continue from step 4 from this article

How to Setup Firebase Cloud Messaging

Follow below steps for setting up a fresh firebase project for push notifications.

  1. Go to https://console.firebase.google.com
  2. Click on Add Project
  3. Enter the Project Name and click on Continue
  4. Disable Google analytics and click on Create Project
  5. Wait for a bit till it creates your project and click on Continue
  6. Click on Android icon to add firebase to your Android App
  7. Give the package name, you can get this value in your first email from androapp
  8. Give your app a nickname if you wish
  9. Leave the signing certificate SHA-1 field empty and click on Register App
  10. Click on Download google-services.json file
  11. open that file, it will look like thisscreen-shot-2016-10-02-at-1-59-04-pm
  12. Copy the whole file and paste it in the text box in Account Settings tab
  13. Note: please update the plugin if you don’t see the textbox.
  14. Come back to firebase page and Click on Next and Finish in next screens.
  15. No need to press sync now and click on Next
  16. Click on Continue to Console button
  17. You should be able to see your app with the nickname you entered on the top
  18. Click on that and click on settings icon
  19. Go to Service Accounts tab and click on Generate new private key button
  20. Download this file to your server and update the file path in textbox in Firebase Api Settings section on AndroApp->Account Settings tab on your wordpress admin dashboard.
  21. you might need to enable Firebase Cloud Messaging api from  https://console.developers.google.com/apis/api/fcm.googleapis.com/overview?project={project_number}
  22. replace {project_number} from Google Api you extracted earlier, i.e. 370901340170 from 1:370901340170:android:ce70542cdae49cac
  23. Create a new APK and test the push notifications, go here for troubleshooting push notification.

Here are the old instructions to follow for v0 api (just in case you need) to be followed after step 17).

  1. Go to cloud messaging tab and copy the Server key to Google Api Key textbox in AndroApp Account Settings tab.(this is different from what you see in google-services.json, you have to enter the server key from this screen to google api key textbox in AndroApp Settings page and not from google-services.json file)
  2. You are done !!
  3. Create a new APK and test the push notifications, go here for troubleshooting push notification.

 

Added Deep Linking Support

Today we added Deep linking support in our AndroApp wordpress plugin.

What is Deep Linking ?

Its an intelligent link which can dynamically decide where to open the link? If end user has your app in his mobile than the same link can be opened directly in the app. Click here to read more about deep linking.

Why should you use deep linking?

It results in more visits to your app, which is faster than the normal web browser and gives a more customized options to your user.

How do i enable deep linking in Androapp ?

Update the AndroApp plugin to 6.00 or later, Go to Look & Feel section and scroll to Deep Linking Section.

Deep linking

By default we have put “/” in the textarea, which means all of your links will be opened via app. However if you want you can selectively choose what links to be opened, enter path prefixes in one per line.

After you are done with pathprefix settings, click on generate build button, you will get a new apk link on your mail.

Deep linking will work when you click on your link on some existing web page, it will not be attempted when you directly enter your site address on web browser manually.

Once you are done with testing deep linking, publish the new apk on google play developer console.

 

Promote Your Android App – 4

You might like like to checkout Promote Your Android App Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 as well.

Google play store rating plays an important role in your app’s download, more number of ratings you have, google will give more preference to your app for play store listing.

But users might note rate your app until we ask them, So ask your users to rate your app on playstore.

One easy way to do this is to add Rate Us link in the app menu

  1. Go to Appearance->Menu
  2. Select your app’s menu from the dropdown(the one you selected in AndroApp Configure tab)
  3. Select Custom Links from the left side, put your app’s link in the url, ex: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.puzzlersworld.android
  4. and Rate Us on PlayStore in Link text.
  5. Click Add to Menu and than Save Menu buttons

Check out your app, just restart it to see the new menu option similar to the image below

Rate us on playstore menu option

On the click of the menu option, it will open your app’s playstore page where user can rate your app.

app playstore page

You can also add the rate our app link below the post text for app by following this article.

Now you will start getting the ratings and reviews for your app, but don’t just leave it there, in general it is a good practice to reply to your users comments frequently, that way your readers will feel more engaged.

 

 

Introducing SelfPush in AndroApp Mobile app plugin for wordpress

What is SelfPush ?
It is the ability to send push notification anytime, now push notifications don’t only go for new posts, but you can even send push notification for any of your post anytime.

Why Selfpush ?
It gives you more control and more power, you can try triggering push notification at different time and see what gives you better result. some of your posts make sense on few days like festivals or any offers, you can use this at the time.

In the end, it is a tool to get more visitors on your app at no extra cost.

Continue reading “Introducing SelfPush in AndroApp Mobile app plugin for wordpress”

How to Add Shortcode in AndroApp Post Page

If you want to add any shortcode for posts on your androapp mobile app than you can do so by adding below code in your themes functions.php

add_filter( 'json_prepare_post','androapp_overwrite_content', 11, 3 );

function androapp_overwrite_content($data, $post_array, $context) {
	
     $textToBeAdded = do_shortcode("[related_post_shortcode]");
     $data['pwapp_post_content'] = $data['pwapp_post_content'].$textToBeAdded;
		
     return $data;
}

If you want to use post id or some other information you can use $post and $data objects, see below example to use post id
Continue reading “How to Add Shortcode in AndroApp Post Page”

Promote Your Android App – 2

We hope you followed the Part 1 of the series and got some installs, in this article we are going to add top banner for your mobile visitors, to prompt them to download the mobile app.

Step 1: Install and activate this free wordpress plugin called AppBanners

Step 2: Go to Settings->App Banners

Step 3: Enter Your Android App ID

this is nothing but your package name, you can get your package name from the mail we send.

OR if this is your app link on google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.androapp.storytal.c2123

than your android app id will be mobi.androapp.storytal.c2123
Continue reading “Promote Your Android App – 2”

Promote Your Android App – 1

This article is Part 1 of how you can get installs to you mobile app

We hope you used our wordpress plugin to convert your wordpress driven site to a fully native mobile app.

What After you publish your mobile app to Google play store ?

You need install to actually get the benefit of mobile app, so that you can be connected with your mobile users via push notifications. So it is very important to invest some time to get the mobile installs, best way to get the installs is to convert your site visitors to mobile app users.
Continue reading “Promote Your Android App – 1”