Medium 2.0 Gets A New Logo And A FAB, Adds An Explore Section And Highlights, And Looks Great On Any Marshmallow Device

I have been trying to write about Medium’s 2.0 update for a few hours, but I got lost using the app, enjoying it, and I even decided to sign up and write one of my first non-Android stories in years. That’s how you know the app is not just good, it’s great. I have always thought about joining Medium, but I never felt compelled to. I guess this update was the final push I needed, and I decided to pull the trigger and dive deep in the service.

But let’s get back to Medium’s update. You may recall that the app was released mere months ago, but it has seen a steady stream of improvements since then. Those developers sure do work fast and are clearly committed to making the experience awesome on Android. Version 2.0 was released yesterday and it proves just that.

First up is a new logo. Gone is the black M and in its place, there’s a playful, bending green M, with shadows and color changes. (There’s a whole story about how the logo came to be… on Medium.) Next is the use of native Android fonts for buttons and navigation, leaving the fancy ones for the stories. Then there’s a more prominent green FAB to publish new stories and recommend the ones you’re reading.

A new Explore section also finds itself next to the Home, with trending tags, new authors, 5-minute reads, and top stories tucked in. There’s also a new Notification option in the side menu to catch up on what’s happening with your stories. Mentions are supported as well, so you can immediately @ any other user inside your story.

medium-2-highlights medium-2-notifications

Oh yippy, a few people actually liked what I wrote!

But my favorite feature has to be the new highlights and quotes. You can now select any text inside the story you’re reading, highlight it, respond to it, and more. Medium even built support for Marshmallow’s floating text selection box, which I find awesome.

Here’s the full official changelog, followed by the link to download the app from the Play Store. If you’re on Medium or you do decide to try it out now, I’m @khouryrt.

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