Preview App not displaying updated content, even after 30 seconds and closing/repoening

[jzhang2016]

I have created and installed a preview app and have read some of the other comments here on this topic. I have added .article files to my Top Level collection and published. No update bubble shows up after closing and opening the app after a few minutes. Do I need to click the preview icon in the upper right corner of the Web Portal each time I want to preview changes on the device? I have tried that also, with no resulted update. If I delete the app and reinstall, my updated content then shows.

Thanks!

Jeff

[Neil_Enns_-_Ado]

Yes, you need to click the preview button in the top right to see the updated content. Once that's done you should be able to background and foreground the app and get the update button after about 20 seconds.

Neil

[jzhang2016]

Ok, I have have taped the preview icon and the progress bar beneath it runs as it should. Then I went the distance and waited a couple minutes. Before trying to preview my changes, I quit the app (ios 8.4 - ipad Air) and reopen it. I wait 20-30 more seconds and still see no change. I looked in the app menu and it does show I am in Preview Mode. For now I'll continue to delete and re-install the app from TestFlight to view my changes. FYI, all the changes I'm making currently are to the content, not cards or layouts.

Thanks!

Jeff

[jzhang2016 · Accepted solution]

I have had success lately previewing my updated content in the preview app. What I had done differently was "Unpublish" the content I was updating to be viewed in the preview app before I click the preview button in the UI.

[Colin_Fleming]

Hey Jeff -- When using a preview app, I don't publish after changes (collections, article, cards, and layouts show as "Published, Out of Date") -- I click the preview icon to take a snapshot of what's current for everything and after the progress bar finishes I see the update bubble when I change views in the Preview app.

This feels easier than having to publish everything, and much better than having to wait 3-5 minutes after a publish. -- I make a change, click preview, then change views in the app after about 30 seconds or so. I'm really delighted with the Preview App process. (Did you notice the orange label at the bottom of the App Menu that tells you the app is Preview enabled? The color's subtle to my eye, but it's there.)

I think that we're all going to learn a new habit soon. The publish button will send to your "real" app, the one that's in the store in the future. I'm going to be very careful with the publish button. When developing content, collections, and cards & layouts I'll make sure I use a preview app and the preview process.

HTH -- Colin

[zeekhoe]

Hi Neil,

Thanks for your  help, however, the problem of the Preflight App not updating on my device (Samsung Galaxy Tab E) remains. I guess, I do not understand what you mean with 'background and foreground the app'. Sorry, I'm a newbie.

I have now unplubished all my updated content (the 'default' collection cannot be unpublished). The Preflight App still shows the original content, and I see no 'update bubble', or anything else to indicate an update is available. The only thing that works is deleting the Preflight App from my device and reinstalling it from Google Play. That's a bit tedious. What action is required to 'background and foreground the app'?

Paul

[Neil_Enns_-_Ado]

Hi Paul,

You should be able to force a refresh by doing any of the following:

1) Leaving the collection you updated and going back into it

2) Running a different app on your phone and then coming back to the Preflight app ("backgrounding and foregrounding the app")

3) (in our upcoming release) Pull down on the browse page to force a refresh, like you would do in Facebook or Twitter apps

Neil

[Neil_Enns_-_Ado]

Also make sure you are pressing the "preflight" button in the top right of the content page of the dashboard after you make your content changes in the dashboard before you attempt to look for the changes on the device.

Neil

[zeekhoe]

Hi Neil,

I do press the 'preflight' button after making content changes. However, the methods described by you (leaving the collection en/or backgrounding the app) did not work. What does work, is clearing the cache and data in the Preflight App on my device. I have to log back in, but that's no big deal. Then the update is available.

I can work with this method for now and I anxiously await the refresh method in the next release.

Thanks again for your help!

Paul