iNaturalist 4+

GUI Improvements

Tool tips and labeling icons is IMPORTANT!

The number one issue with the new app is the GUI, whoever made it is a technology native and put no effort into making sure that those less tech savvy can easily navigate. Those more used to a windows based OS find the new GUI infuriatingly convoluted.

The ease of access to previously heavily used features is lacking. The new app GUI is confusing, poorly laid out and does not default to settings most users are familiar with. While more powerful, you can clearly see the launch has been disastrous. The “next” app should have been labeled “pro” since it gives easier access to high level tools and is genuinely more difficult to navigate. I think building from the interface of the first app should have been/currently be a major focus. Instead of what feels like starting from scratch in designing navigation.

It all started with a Shrew

A few years ago, my cat proudly dragged in a dead shrew and laid it at my feet. Animal enthusiasts that I am, I looked up the species of shrew and discovered it was a species that by all accounts was not documented as having been in the area but it was DEFINITELY that particular species. Years later, it always bothered me that I was unable to actually document the existence of this shrew in my backyard and I lamented so to my brother in law…who in turn then said “I know of a way you could have documented it.” He introduced me to iNaturalist and boom. It all began. This app is awesome. It feels like a real life pokedex and is an absolute must have for people interested in flora, fauna and fungi. This new app is awesome and definitely feels cleaner than the classic app. My only (minor) complaint is the seemingly inability to add multiple photos of an observation when first documenting it. The classic app, I was able to attach multiple photos before it uploaded. This one you seem to only be able to attach one picture, then after it uploads, you can add more. But that is so minor that it really doesn’t matter. This app is a permanent staple on my phone and exactly what I was looking for.

Edit: the adding multiple photos functionality is there, it just took me a bit to find it. It’s actually implemented in a very sleek way and I really like it.

Developer Response ,

Thank you for the feedback, we're glad you're enjoying iNat!

With the new app it's actually easier to add multiple photos of one observation than it previously was, but getting to that functionality is more opaque (we're working on improving it). If you long press on the camera button, you'll see all new observation options, including the ability to import multiple photos at once (and group them into different observations if you want) and also take multiple photos with the camera that can then be made into one observation. You can also turn on Advanced Settings to access those options without long pressing.

Overall Great! Two Suggestions

I’m very happy to see some of Seek’s best features integrated into iNaturalist. I’ll use iNaturalist much more now, especially since the AI camera is soooo much faster compared to Seek. Overall, I think this is a great next step for the app and have enjoyed using it so far. I hope the developers will consider two additions. First, it would be helpful to be able to copy the coordinates from one observation to another in the app. It is super annoying to have to zoom in on a map while looking at a rural area without a lot of landmarks to find the right spot when I could just copy and paste from another nearby observation. The search function also didn’t bring up some towns in Colorado as an option so the location/map feature seems a bit incomplete/unwieldy. (I’m also not sure why some of my observations didn’t have a location when the observations a few minutes later did.) Second, it would be helpful to be able to crop photos in the app itself. Otherwise, thank you for these great updates!