Making expanding notes easier

Feedback
1

When a note is collapsed into a single line (a very useful feature), it needs an easier way to expand it again. A double-tap doesn’t always work if it’s not already selected, but it’s not a smooth or consistent triple-tap either as it needs to be selected first before a double-tap works.

I also question how necessary a quick option for calendar assignment is when a note is collapsed.

Suggestion: (a) Change the calendar in a collapsed note line to a plus sign to expand the note, and then (b) show the calendar under a minus sign there (top right corner) when a note is expanded.

If people want calendar assignment on collapsed notes, perhaps © a swipe left menu option could be added for calendar assignment.

Thank you,
Tim
15,297 days

2

When a note is collapsed into a single line (a very useful feature), it needs an easier way to expand it again.

Simply tapping the orange dash that indicates the collapsed state should expand it again.

We have consciously decided that you will always have to expand a note before you can edit it, which includes setting the associated date.

3

As someone who can expand and collapse things a lot, to have each of those complimentary opposite activities take a different amount of work (different number of taps) makes for an inconsistent experience.

I’m not finding Agenda to force me to expand a note before assigning it a date.

Tim
15,298 days

4

I think the issue is particular to iPhone (pinch to collapse and expand remains the easiest way on iPad) and we have an improved layout particularly for the phone we will introduce in one of the next future updates that will make it also easier to expand and collapse. Stay tuned.

1 Like
5

My observations are from iPad use, FWIW.

6

Pinch to collapse/expand is the recommend way to expand/collapse on iPad.

7

Interesting. I find that strange. I don’t think I ever would have intuitively guessed that, and as your help screen seems to indicate, most people would have thought of that as a gesture for zooming in.

I stand by my observations about tapping for this purpose not being consistent experience, and my initial check of the zoom feature shows that gesture to be even less consistent and more complicated than the existing tapping option.

I think simple is the best way to go, and given the unique trail you’re blazing with dates combined with the collapsibility feature, I think the general iOS recommendations for app development have their limits of applicability in this app.

A simple user interface identifier in the same place so that doing the same thing (tapping in one place on a collapsed or expanded note) to expand and reverse expanding is a good way to go.

I don’t think the double tap is it. Apple started mocking Microsoft for the requirement to double-click on a program icon a long time ago, and starting with Windows 8, Microsoft finally started moving away from the double-click. For them there was the timing issue of how much time between clicks still counts as a double-click.

Here, you not only have the timing question, but also an issue with the tapping location. Using a gesture from the mouse interface days on a touch interface is not making for a smooth, efficient user experience. There is added relevance here to how complicated a double-tap can be when the collapsing feature changes how much of the note is visible, and thus the size of the tappable area as a percentage of the whole note—when collapsed the tappable area is 100% of the note area, and when expanded that tap zone may be a small minority. This also gets confusing when parts of that same area can also trigger an edit on the note’s title.

Please add, or change to, a one-tap option in the same place on the note for expanding and collapsing notes. Suggestion: top right “–” and “+” depending on the expanded/collapsed state of the note. He calendar icon can go right under the “–” when expanded.

I think one of your replies said there is no calendar option when a note is collapsed, but it seems there is. A calendar option when a note is collapsed is not necessary and is not as useful as a “+” would be there for expanding the note.

Thank you,
Tim
15,300 days

2 Likes
8

As much as I appreciate the feedback, I’m afraid we will no plans at the moment to introduce a permanent visible UI element to collapse notes, sorry.