The new VoIP service known as Wire announced today that it will be launching a major update to the application later this week. We went hands on with the service when it initially launched, and since then Wire has taken feedback from its users and now plans to improve the program accordingly.
One of the most obvious changes users will notice is that they can now use their profile pictures for the application wallpaper. This idea arose because the creators wanted to give the service a more unique and personalized look. The darker themes and layouts of Wire are expected to remain placed over background images, allowing for the application to maintain its sleek black appearance while also giving it a polished, user-defined look.
The update also addresses a major issue the initial release had with the way text appeared. Many users reported difficulties with the text in conversations; it was difficult to tell where one message stopped and the next began, and the overall legibility of the text was an issue. To resolve this, the developers plan to implement a few changes common in other competing instant messengers.
The background is blurred so as to not mix in with the conversation. The text size has been changed, and spacing has been improved to create better division. To make the split between messages even more prominent, the user's picture will appear beside the text they type. That's nothing too uncommon in the world of instant messengers, but these tricks do work and will fix the text issues in conversations.
The last series of changes apply to the application interface and general functionality. According to Wire's blog post, several users felt the gesture controls were problematic in some places. The solution was adding simple icons to allow easier, more precise handling when navigating through settings, as well as the ability to open conversations with a single touch.
Gesture controls remain present for all functions, though, and users can use either gestures or icons. Other changes to the app include some stability and performance enhancements, bug fixes and other minor adjustments.
The updated version of Wire will be out later this week for iOS and Mac OS X, and it's out now for Android. Unfortunately, there is still no release for Windows users currently available, but this update should at least be a major improvement for Apple and Android users.
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