Bird Journal Web app now in public beta

Over the years Bird Journal apps have been released for Windows, iOS, Android and Mac. Now, making Bird Journal even more accessible, Bird Journal is coming to the web!

The full desktop experience is available on Chromebooks, Linux, work computers, Amazon Fire devices, tablets, phones, TVs and more. Anywhere that has a web browser and an internet connection.

When we designed and built Bird Journal 5, primarily to add Mac support, we did so using web based technologies. This made it conceivable to someday make the same experience available over the web directly.

Over the last month we been very busy making this happen. It has been available to our beta testers for about two weeks, and with their help it's ready in public beta for you to use today.

Key points

  • It’s essentially the full desktop app
  • Free and premium features are available
  • It syncs with your other devices
  • It’s fully secure
  • It’s globally distributed, so it should be responsive wherever you are
  • When updates are available it will just refresh the browser and be using the latest version
  • Data is saved to our systems, minimising space used on our device

The web app doesn't replace native apps. If you're using the desktop app on a Mac or PC for example, you already have the best Bird Journal experience. But it lets you run Bird Journal on a wider range of devices, and brings the full depth of the desktop apps to devices that could previously only use the mobile apps.

Get Started

You can sign in to the web app at https://app.birdjournal.com

Known issues

  • The layout doesn't update on phones yet making it tricky to use on small screens
  • It's a little slower than the desktop apps. We've plans to make it faster in some areas, however the native desktop/mobile apps will remain the fastest way to use Bird Journal.
  • The taxonomic updates screen is particularly slow.

Next Steps

  • Give it a try and let us know how you get on via email or the contact form on our feedback site
  • We'll continue to fix any issues and improve the performance until it's fully ready

Comments (4) -

  • Chris Turner

    8/2/2020 9:39:27 AM | Reply

    Like this.  Would be useful if one could input data when not on line - and then sync when get signal.  I stay go birding each autumn to an island with very limited phone coverage - so would be useful.

    • Justin

      8/3/2020 9:36:22 AM | Reply

      Thanks Chris. The web app will always need internet to use, but I think the experience you describe would be suited to the mobile apps. We're still keen to build in more depth into the mobile apps, borrowing ideas and even layouts from the desktop/web apps.

  • Doug Helsby

    8/10/2020 6:50:59 AM | Reply

    Really liked the web version especially as I can share photos and other details with fellow birders. Oh for this to be on the mobile app which I find functional but not inspiring!
    Now perhaps Justin you can include the Oceans as the 6th Continent  on the web/desktop app! I have been reading much about Pelagic trips and sightings on Twitter! There is a need here!!
    Nice to see Birdjournal moving forward in its capabilities and not sitting still. Good stuff !

    • Justin

      8/11/2020 7:00:52 PM | Reply

      Many thanks Doug! Great to hear you're enjoying the Web version. We're looking forward to taking it out of beta. We've made some significant speed improvements recently which will be rolling out soon.

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