ODK Collect v2021.3 Beta: Visual updates and improved error messages

Releases Betas
1

ODK Collect betas are an opportunity to get community feedback on upcoming releases. If you have an ongoing data collection campaign, we recommend quickly verifying your form on a test device. The release will be delayed until all reported issues are fixed.

Joining the beta program
To join the beta program, find ODK Collect in the Play Store on your device (not in the web browser) and scroll all the way down. Please don't join the beta with a device or account actively used for data collection! In particular, note that joining the beta is account-based. If you use the same Google account across multiple devices, do not join the beta with that account.

Leaving the beta program
You can leave the beta program from the bottom of the Play Store at any time. Once you leave, you will get the next production update when it is released. If you need to go back to the previous production release, uninstall and reinstall the app. Your settings will be reset but your forms will remain (though backups are always recommended).

What to check in this release

  • Colors should look correct throughout the app and should match the system theme (dark or light mode) when "Use device theme" is selected in Settings > User interface > Theme.
  • No visual glitches when swiping through question screens in your forms
  • Creating projects and warnings shown when a duplicate project (one with the same server URL and credentials) is added
  • Custom server paths are no longer useable

Additional testing
You can find a full list of changes in the release notes:

Thanks to all testers for your help!

1 Like
2

We've just released Beta 1. This includes more detailed error messages for problems that occur when downloading forms using "Get Blank Form", along with some other under the hood changes. Things to keep an eye on in this release are:

  • How useful errors that occur while using "Get Blank Form" are
  • Navigating repeats via the form hierarchy
  • Collect should behave as expected on the newest versions of Android (11 and 12 Beta)

Full release notes can be found here: https://github.com/getodk/collect/releases/tag/v2021.3-beta.1

1 Like
3

Beta 2 is now available. It has the following new functionality to try out:

  • Make offline map layers available to all projects by placing them in /sdcard/Android/data/org.odk.collect.android/files/layers.
  • Explicitly allow accuracies from mock providers by putting allow-mock-accuracy=true in the parameters column of your XLSForm. By default, locations from mock providers have accuracies of 0.

We expect the final release to go out next week unless any issues are found.

Full release notes: https://github.com/getodk/collect/releases/tag/v2021.3-beta.2

2 Likes