New Blockchain.info Android Update Is A Mix of Hits and Misses

Blockchain.info is one of the most popular Bitcoin wallet solutions available today, although not everybody is a big fan of this concept. In fact, there is a lot of confusion as to how blockchain.info must be the actual Bitcoin blockchain while it is just a visual representation of the network itself. The recent Android wallet update rolled out by the company is not winning over many people either, although the new design has certain advantages.

Also read: Bitcoin Mixing Services Pose Certain Risks

New Blockchain.Info Android Wallet – Slick Design

Part of the most recent Blockchain.info Android Bitcoin wallet update focuses on the redesign of the application itself. Whereas the app previously looked rather bland and boring, the new design is more user-friendly and pleases the eye. Gone are the square buttons, as they have been replaced with circles.

Another change to the Blockchain.info Android wallet is how the pin validation process seems to run a lot smoother compared to previous versions. Opening up the wallet now happens in the blink of an eye, rather than waiting for a few seconds to load. That is, assuming the service is not down for maintenance or server issues, but we’ll get to that later.

The general UI of the Blockchain.info wallet has been redesigned as well, to look more “streamlined” rather than just presenting a palette of slabs and blocks. The previous version of this wallet felt a bit Spartan in its look and feel, but the newer version is a lot more inviting to both novice and experienced users. Plus, the transaction overview has been revamped as well and looks very familiar to most online banking interfaces.

Additionally, the developers have added a neat Map feature to find Bitcoin merchants and retailers near you. While this feature works quite smooth, the map does need some updates, as the list of locations seems to be outdated a bit. Luckily, users can add new locations to the map, which will lead to a more updated overview down the line.

Still Some Kinks To Work Out

Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to this update as well, depending on what type of Android Bitcoin wallet user one might be.  There is still no word on enabling hierarchical deterministic wallet support, a feature that has been requested by a multitude of users for quite some time now. In fact, it remains unclear as to whether or not this feature will ever make it to the Blockchain.info wallet.

Custom spending has also been removed from the Blockchain.info Android wallet – or so it seems at last – which is not something many users will appreciate. Furthermore, the new release still has its occasional crashes and bugs on Android 5.1, which should not happen in the first place.

Another thing that has been removed is the fiat value of every Bitcoin transaction at the time of being broadcasted. Granted, this feature has always been a bit buggy at best, but it was a nice addition for those among us who make a living paid in Bitcoin. Looking up the exact values is not a major annoyance, but it’s a shame to see such a useful feature removed completely.

What are your thoughts on this Blockchain.info Android wallet update? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Google Play Store

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