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?
Let's make it sound profesh
🖼️ 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
@username mentions are clickable and navigate to user profiles
