What could be improved or added as a new feature to make Android client better?

[enoch85]

This issue is meant to discuss improvements in the Android Client. I posted a workaround before, little bit like a wake up call to that many users request one thing, but nothing happens.

This is purely a discussion, and nothing else. It´s not personal against anyone either. I just want to make it clear what is missing, and what would improve the client - a lot. PR´s are more than welcome.

As I see it today we are missing or could improve:

• Photos and videos gets downloaded and is stored both in the regular photos folder of the phone in DCIM, and also by ownCloud client in "Misc". Pictures being viewed are automatically being downloaded #588 Video files to be stream instead of downloading and than playing #592 Send pictures directly to cloud and then delete from phone #640 [Enhancement] Remove files from phone after upload #601 Uploading files create an copy in the /owncloud folder of the device #346 [Bug] Every picture twice on phone (DCIM and InstantUpload) #156 InstantUpload files duplicated in ownCloud folder #375
• When a photo or video is taken and fails, it should retry again. Upload Failed, no retry option #340 When Instant Upload fails, it stops trying. This should never happen. #646
• Add a delay for Instant Uploads so you have time to delete the photos you don´t want before they get uploaded to the server. Instant upload is too "instant" #643
• A "smart upload" that get´s information from server and don´t upload it if there already is a copy, or upload it once more and overwrite the old file, or make a new copy, and only one copy in that case. InstantUpload - continuous retry but file exists on server #554
• Only upload when phone is charging. Instant upload only when charging #465
• Two-way sync. Two-way file sync for specific folders or files. #3
• Browse the pictures without downloading them, instead - get the information from the server directly. Pictures being viewed are automatically being downloaded #588
• Delete the picture from phone (DCIM folder) after it have successfully been uploaded. Pictures being viewed are automatically being downloaded #588

This is what my workaround fixes. But it should not have to be a workaround, it should be native, in the original ownCloud app.

New suggestions:

• Download a folder - this is quite nice as people might have 100 mp3s in one folder for example. (Thanks @wakeup)
• ______________

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Questions to begin with:

• Why haven´t this been prioritized before?
• What obstacles is present to make this happen?
• Why is this bad ideas design-wise?
• Why is so many users not being listened to?

My intentions are good, and have always been. I spend 95% of my free time on/with ownCloud, of course I want to make it better but right now it feels like there are many different ways to deal (or not deal) with these issues. Could we please talk it through?

CCing all that could be interested in this: @jancborchardt @davivel @LukeOwncloud @stefan-niedermann @tobiasKaminsky @owncloud/designers

[vgezer]

• Download a folder - this is quite nice as people might have 100 mp3s in one folder for example.

[legalstuff]

As the Desktop-Client, to show (maybe in Status-Area) there are some new files/directories, without automaticly download.
But, as option in Settings to set and later for Change this option!
Maybe it is for a period absolutly needed, and in some Cases (Meeting or Presentation at a Tab) it´s not helpfull to see any new information of new files.

[jancborchardt]

Let’s not have yet another umbrella issue – that’s what our issue tracker here is for.

I do agree that some of these issues are important though, especially those:

• Photos and videos gets downloaded and is stored both in the regular photos folder of the phone in DCIM, and also by ownCloud client in "Misc". Pictures being viewed are automatically being downloaded #588 Video files to be stream instead of downloading and than playing #592 Send pictures directly to cloud and then delete from phone #640 [Enhancement] Remove files from phone after upload #601 Uploading files create an copy in the /owncloud folder of the device #346 [Bug] Every picture twice on phone (DCIM and InstantUpload) #156 InstantUpload files duplicated in ownCloud folder #375
• When a photo or video is taken and fails, it should retry again. Upload Failed, no retry option #340 When Instant Upload fails, it stops trying. This should never happen. #646
• Two-way sync. Two-way file sync for specific folders or files. #3
• Download a whole folder (this has to do with starring as well) Download all files in a folder #308 Favorite files behavior #472

The rest is either very specific or needs more discussion.

@davivel @rperezb can you please make sure that these community issues are near the top of the backlog?

Also cc @tobiasKaminsky @LukeOwncloud @stoyicker @Kernald do you have input as well?

[jancborchardt]

@enoch85 and yeah, I do agree that the milestones and roadmap for the Android app needs to be more transparent. :) We’re working on it. cc @MTRichards @rperezb

[stoyicker]

@jancborchardt Me and my colleagues have a board with user stories that we've taken from comparing the app to Dropbox and Google Drive and the comments in Google Play. One of us acts as PO and prioritizes them according to his own criteria, but definitively having access to the backlog would be lovely.

[jancborchardt]

@stoyicker woah, that sounds really great! We have a mobile team call in 10 minutes and we’ll definitely talk about this.

[stoyicker]

@jancborchardt If you want I'll be on in IRC, but may not be on my computer until like an hour or so. I'll join asap.

[jancborchardt]

@stoyicker that’s ok – we’re having it over Skype at the moment. You’re very welcome in our IRC channel #owncloud-android! :)

[rperezb]

Hey @jancborchardt , yes we are moving on that way so that the milestones and roadmap are more transparents; a couple of weeks ago we started to use milestones so that we know what it´s currently in progress (https://github.com/owncloud/android/milestones/2014-sprint-02-current) and what it will be in the next weeks (https://github.com/owncloud/android/milestones/2014-sprint-03-next)

[davivel]

I've been thinking a lot about how to answer this issue. I don't want to sound rude, so I will try to keep it simple.

As @jancborchardt pointed to, "umbrella issues" are of no help. The issues in Github are not only to discuss things, they are also a tool to track things that need to be done. Locating the same things in different issues makes management harder, and provides little to none extra value.

So please, let's discuss the pointed topics in their corresponding issues.

Thanks,

[jancborchardt]

Good call, thanks.