Bird Journal Web, now at home on phones and tablets

Bird Journal on the web has always been at its best on a roomy desktop screen. Not any more — we’ve just rolled out an update that makes the web app work beautifully on phones and tablets too, so you can reach for your sightings wherever you happen to be birding.

It fits whatever screen you’re on

Open Bird Journal on the web on your phone, your tablet or your computer and it now adapts its layout to the screen in front of you. On a big display you get the full, spacious view; on a phone everything reflows into a single, comfortable column that’s easy to read and easy to reach — no pinching, no sideways scrolling, no squinting at a shrunken desktop page.

It’s the same Bird Journal, the same records, the same sync — just sized to suit the device in your hand.

Made for touch

A small screen is only half the story. The other half is that phones and tablets are touch devices, so we’ve made the controls touch-friendly throughout — bigger tap targets, and gestures that feel natural rather than fiddly.

A couple of touches we’re especially pleased with:

• Step through your records one at a time. When you’re viewing an entry, species or location on a phone, previous and next arrows let you move straight to the next one without bouncing back to the list each time — perfect for working through a morning’s sightings.
• Save a photo to share. Caught a shot worth showing off? You can now download any picture from your gallery straight to your device, ready to send to whoever you like.

A stepping stone to Bird Journal everywhere

This release is all about the web app — but it’s also laying the groundwork for something bigger. The same responsive, touch-first thinking is what powers the brand-new iOS and Android apps we’ll be releasing very shortly, bringing the full Bird Journal experience — reports, graphs, maps, the redesigned photo gallery and all your favourite tools — to your phone and tablet natively.

In other words, this is the first step towards Bird Journal feeling right at home on every device you own, all kept perfectly in sync.

Be the first to try what’s next

We’re shipping updates more often than ever, and things are getting genuinely exciting — so we’ve made it easier to stay close to it all. If you’re a Premium subscriber, you can now opt in to be a beta tester and get your hands on new features before everyone else, helping shape them as they take form. It couldn’t be simpler: open the Account menu in the app and flick the beta toggle on — that’s it, you’re in.

And whether or not you’re testing, there are now dedicated feedback options built right into Bird Journal — look under the Help menu to tell us what you love, what’s bugging you, or what you’d like to see next. With so much on the way, it’s the best way to make sure your voice helps steer where Bird Journal goes.

There’s nothing to install for the web app — just open it on your phone or tablet and it’s there. We’d love to hear how it feels out in the field, and keep an eye on the blog: the mobile apps are next.