Ok, we are here now!!

Hello my dear friends. As the followers of this little blog of mine know, I've been busy. I've been collecting the input, the feedback, the critiques, and the suggestions from all of you, and jam packed them into the app as best as I could.

Does this mean everything is perfect?

Of course not, but an app never is (I think). That said, there's a lot of little changes here that it merits another release, and a new round of feedback from you guys. So here we are.

So, what did I do?

🖼️ Enhanced Image Experience

• Modern Image Modal: Replaced basic image modal with react-native-image-viewing library
• Pinch-to-Zoom: Full zoom, pan, and gesture support for all images
• Swipe Navigation: Swipe between multiple images in posts/replies
• Unified Image Handling: Consistent image viewing experience across Feed and Conversation screens
• Better Performance: Optimized image loading and memory management

🎥 Fixed Video Embedding

• YouTube Integration: YouTube links now properly embed as playable videos (not just text links)
• 3Speak Support: Native 3Speak video player embedding restored
• IPFS Video Players: Fixed IPFS video content display
• MP4 Support: Direct MP4 video file playback with native controls
• Smart URL Detection: Improved logic to distinguish between clickable links and embeddable media

🔗 Improved Link Handling

• Clickable Links: External links now properly open in browser with Linking.openURL
• Hive Frontend URLs: Support for Hive ecosystem links (PeakD, Ecency, etc.)
• Profile Links: @username mentions are clickable and navigate to user profiles
• Smart Linkification: Intelligent URL processing that preserves video embedding while making text links clickable

🛠️ Technical Improvements

• TypeScript Fixes: Resolved all TypeScript compilation errors
• Type Safety: Added proper type definitions for react-native-image-viewing
• Code Organization: Cleaner, more maintainable codebase structure
• Performance Optimizations: Better memory management and rendering efficiency

📱 User Interface Enhancements

• Threaded Conversations: Improved visual hierarchy for nested replies
• Visual Indicators: Clear video platform badges (YOUTUBE, 3SPEAK, etc.)
• Responsive Design: Better handling of different screen sizes and orientations
• Dark Mode: Enhanced dark theme support across all new features
  Accessibility: Improved screen reader support and touch targets

🔧 Under the Hood

• Dependency Updates: Latest versions of key libraries for better stability
• Build System: Optimized for faster compilation and smaller bundle size
• Error Handling: More robust error handling for network requests and media loading
• Testing Ready: Prepared for comprehensive beta testing with real users

📦 Release Pipeline

• EAS Build Integration: Professional build and distribution system
• Beta Testing: Internal distribution setup for controlled testing
• Version Management: Proper semantic versioning (1.0.0 → 1.1.0)
• Quality Assurance: Thorough testing of all new features before release

🎯 What This Means for Users

• Seamless Media Experience: Images and videos just work as expected
• Better Navigation: Easier to explore content and user profiles
• Faster Performance: Optimized app that runs smoother
• More Reliable: Fewer crashes and better error handling
• Future-Ready: Foundation for upcoming features and improvements

🔮 Coming Next

• User feedback integration from this beta
• Performance monitoring and optimization
• Additional media format support
• Enhanced notification system
• Community-requested features
• Technical Stack: React Native + Expo, TypeScript, Hive Blockchain, EAS Build Compatibility: Android (iOS coming soon)
• Distribution: Internal beta → Public release

This represents a significant step forward in making HiveSnaps the premier mobile client for the Hive ecosystem! 🎉

Tagging my friends who are helping me with Testing!

@grimmjoe @friendlymoose @kryptik.tigrrr3d @shanibeer @tengolotodo @betoman @oldmans @godfish @jacobtothe @bill.prag @v-36 @lazzvi @shiftrox @crazyphantombr

Ready to Download?

Alright folks!!! I think we are close to the official release for Android. But, maybe I'm being too optimistic!

Much love

MenO