Page Autoflow Not Working

[seekhim 3]

I have always been able to zoom my notes in and have the page autoflow to fit the text to screen. This function is still working on my Android Samsung Galaxy S4, but it suddenly quit working on my Android Google Nexus 7 tablet. Contacted tech support and they suggested I try a reinstall. I did, and then did not help. When I zoom in to make the text larger, it floats off the screen. I use Evernote and my tablet for preaching/teaching/public speaking and NEED this feature. Anybody else experiencing this problem?

[ObviousBob 140]

I didn't realize it SHOULD flow.. I can confirm it does not on either my Nexus 4 or Nexus 7.

[seekhim 3]

Thank you Bob in NV for your reply. Just to clarify, when I say autoflow, I mean when I zoom in on text, it gets larger and the margins adjust so that it still fits the screen.

 

This function still works on my Galaxy S4. Bob, I am assuming your Nexus 7 has updated to Kit Kat (4.4.2) as mine has. What version of Android do you have on your Nexus 4? I believe this is a Kit Kat bug. My tablet no longer autoflows in Evernote, Chrome or Gmail and it did in all 3 before. A couple updates back (before Kit Kat), Gmail even advertised this autoflow feature for Android devices.

[ObviousBob 140]

I'm running Kit Kat on both my Nexus 4 & 7. I only recently realized that you could zoom inside of Evernote, so I'm not sure if it did autoflow before 4.2.2 or not - I'll take your word that it did. Trying some other apps, Gmail doesn't do it and reading the New York Times in Chrome doesn't do it, so it seems to be broken everywhere.

 

I have always found the font size in Evernote to be too small - so being able to zoom in is pretty important. I also recently noticed that enlarging the Android system font size does not affect the contents of an Evernote note, only it's title, which to me is another thing that needs to be corrected.

[ObviousBob 140]

Googling around a bit, it appears that with the release of Kit Kat, any app that uses WebView for display no longer does text wrap. This mostly effects browsers, but I suspect explains what is going on with Evernote. So seekhim is absolutely correct in this being a downgrade from previous behavior, but probably something Google, not Evernote needs to fix.

[seekhim 3]

Yes, I can still zoom in and out with Evernote on my phone (Jelly Bean). I noticed other zooming behavior has changed since Kit Kat, so I contacted Google. After an hour on the phone, the best I got was "adjust the font size in your individual apps". I can use 18 point font and read my notes ok in Evernote, but as I said, I use my tablet for public speaking and the dynamic, on the spot zoom was a feature I used all the time depending on the environment.  I am hoping Evernote can work something out, but I, too, now suspect Google is responsible for this behavior. Very disappointed with Google's lack of interest in fixing something they "broke" with the new release. I purposely bought a Google tablet so I could have the best and newest updates. Frustrating!

[AsGodLeads 0]

I've encountered the same problem. I too have depended on uploading sermons, talks, etc. to Evernote and using (now) my Nexus4 to view when preaching, etc. Following your discussion, it does seem the word wrap problem has arisen with KitKat. I was assuming Evernote made a change in their latest version (skeptically imagining they removed text wrapping from the free version to try to require users to get premium).  But it frustratingly eliminates this type of utilization of Evernote for me. I ended up last time having to format document in a Word document to size/width that work on my smartphone and send it to phone as pdf.  Maybe another version of Android (like CyanogenMod) will retain autoflow funcition in new versions, but then I'll have to root my phone.

Indeed very frustrating. Hope Google gets a lot of heat to restore autoflow. Anybody you can suggest as to who I should register complaint with?

Thanks for identifying the source of this problem.

[seekhim 3]

AsGodLeads, just FYI, word wrap is not a feature of Evernote premium accounts...I am a premium member and I am having the problem. Because I rely so heavily on Evernote, my work-around has been to finish my document in Evernote then select all and up the font size to 18 points. That is readable on my tablet. Frustrating to have to do it this way, but it works.

 

As to who to talk to at Google, I talked with them for almost an hour. They would tell me they could not tell me anything about Evernote since it was not their product. We worked in Chrome and I am the one who found where the font could be made larger (a setting, not pinch/zoom). Once I pointed this out, they acted like that was my solution. I asked to speak to a supervisor because nothing was being accomplished. That did not help me either. Two most frustrating things talking to Google...they did not appear to have a Nexsus 7 specialist (one Google rep has to know all Google products enough to give good tech support?) and the supervisor was supposed to follow up with me, but all they did was tell me about the setting in Chrome to make the fonts larger (the setting I showed to them because they did not know where it was!). An hour on the phone for nothing.

 

For a while, I was getting daily communication from Evernote. They asked me to send the file I was working with and even log files, but last communication said they were not able to replicate the problem and they would keep looking into it (that was 10 days ago). Getting ready to follow up with them now. Using my tablet for preaching was one of the main reasons I bought a tablet. And I researched a couple different tablets and chose the Nexus 7 because it is Google's tablet and I thought it would receive the best Google support. That has been a disappointment as well.

[seekhim 3]

I just sent this link to the support ticket for my problem. It seems that Google has changed its WebView component with KitKat. If Evernote uses this to zoom and wrap text, this may be the issue. I am hoping to hear back from Evernote support.

[AsGodLeads 0]

Thanks for the updates, seekhim, regarding your pursuit of a resolution. It does seem that it will inevitably be resolved with time, but hopefully your inquiries will hasten the process. I will watch this site to see if you get any helpful response from Evernote support.

[seekhim 3]

Evernote support emailed me on 1-13-14 with this reply:

 

We apologize for the inconvenience, however it appears there is currently a bug causing this.
We appreciate you taking the time to send us this error. We have filed an internal bug report with the QA team lead. She will classify and fix the bugs in the order determined by the project Lead.
Unfortunately this is not something I can fix for you at this time.
Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience. 

[AsGodLeads 0]

getting somewhere!

[ObviousBob 140]

Evernote support emailed me on 1-13-14 with this reply:

 

We apologize for the inconvenience, however it appears there is currently a bug causing this.

We appreciate you taking the time to send us this error. We have filed an internal bug report with the QA team lead. She will classify and fix the bugs in the order determined by the project Lead.

Unfortunately this is not something I can fix for you at this time.

Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience. 

Interesting, as this implies it is an Evernote bug, not an Android bug. Hope it is easy to fix.

[Mafaldo 2]

Evernote support emailed me on 1-13-14 with this reply:

 

We apologize for the inconvenience, however it appears there is currently a bug causing this.

We appreciate you taking the time to send us this error. We have filed an internal bug report with the QA team lead. She will classify and fix the bugs in the order determined by the project Lead.

Unfortunately this is not something I can fix for you at this time.

Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience. 

 

For me the page autoflow stopped to work when at the same time both in Evernote and Dolphin Browser after the to Android 4.4.2 in my Nexus 7. It is a known problem:

 

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=62378

 

Apparently Evernote for Android is using this WebView component (as many others Android apps).

 

There seems to be a workaround for this problem: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19986305/no-more-text-reflow-after-zoom-in-kitkat-webview/20000193#20000193

 

So I guess it is a question of waiting for the next release of Evernote for Android to have this issue solved. I hope it is quick.

[Mafaldo 2]

I went on investigating this issue.

 

Apparently Google decided to replace the old WebView (based on Webkit) to a new WebView based on Chrome. This newest version of Webview does not yet support Page Autoflow (if it will ever).

 

As Evernote for Android uses this component, it has now lost this Page Autoflow feature. What do they plan to do about this? Who knows? Evernote is a great product but their communication strategy is poor. I cannot see in their blog any entry regarding this problem.

 

The Dolphin browser for Android was also affected by this change in the WebView, but they have reacted quickly and apparently they have bundled with the new versions of Dolphin Browser the old WebView component (not shipped in KitKat), Can't the developers of Evernote also use this solution until a better solution is found?

 

I'm a user of Evernote from the early days but only started to use it heavily when I bought my first tablet and became a premium user. Now I am (was) an everyday user of Evernote and I am dishearted by this lack of reaction.

 

After my tablet was updated to KitKat (about november last year) I bricked my Tabled and installed a Cyanogenmod ROM (which then han an older version of Android). But about one week ago I installed and updated version of the Cyanogenmod which shipped KitKat and I'm now again having this problem.

 

Now, what can I do? Should I try to brick again my Tablet and try to install again an older version of Android? Should I change to another product instead of Evernote? Should I buy a WIndows Tablet and forget about Android?

 

Any of this solutions involves time and/or money. It would be helpful if Evernote shared with its users how they plan to deal with this, because we are the ones that are the most affected.

[seekhim 3]

Yes, Mafaldo, I also researched this further and found the same things you did. I contacted Google via email using an addresses they used to correspond with me and asked them what they planned to do. NO RESPONSE.

 

The last word I heard from Evernote was what you see above.

 

I LIKE Android and, as I told Google, I got "their" tablet (Nexus 7) over Samsung's Android tablet so that I could have the quickest updates, best support, etc. Wow...that seems to have been a wrong choice.

 

I, too, wish Evernote would communicate a plan of action. I have a upgrade on my phone next month. I could switch to a Windows phone and Windows tablet, too, but like you said, a lot off time and money. I have been an Evernote Premium user for a couple years and frequently promote them to my friends. colleagues and anybody who will listen. I think this may be a consequence of Evernote's preference for iOS over Android. Frustrating!!

[Mafaldo 2]

Yes, Mafaldo, I also researched this further and found the same things you did. I contacted Google via email using an addresses they used to correspond with me and asked them what they planned to do. NO RESPONSE.

 

The last word I heard from Evernote was what you see above.

 

I LIKE Android and, as I told Google, I got "their" tablet (Nexus 7) over Samsung's Android tablet so that I could have the quickest updates, best support, etc. Wow...that seems to have been a wrong choice.

 

I, too, wish Evernote would communicate a plan of action. I have a upgrade on my phone next month. I could switch to a Windows phone and Windows tablet, too, but like you said, a lot off time and money. I have been an Evernote Premium user for a couple years and frequently promote them to my friends. colleagues and anybody who will listen. I think this may be a consequence of Evernote's preference for iOS over Android. Frustrating!!

 

Well, regarding the preference of iOS over Android, I cannot understand why they delivered Evernote for Android if they were not really commited to keep it working in the long term. All software nowadays relies on third party libraries or components that at some point stop working as expected (specially if they are provided for free and are maintained by Google). But here is where the developers come into action and react to minimize the consequences to the end users of the application (or this should be the way).

 

I'm ok if Evernote decides to leave Evernote for Android as a second priority. I understand that it is much more difficult to guarantee a good user experience in Android than in iOS. And that the Evernote developers must be as frustrated with these changes in KitKat as the end users. But they should communicate that to the users: "If  you want stability and good UX in Evernote go for iOS, we cannot guarantee that in Android". Then I could decide to move to iOS or to remain in Android and search a substitute for Evernote.

 

I'm using Evernote for a very important project, and I need to have confidence that Evernote will still be usable in the long term and that my data will be safe and available. These latest events are making me lose confidence in Evernote.

[ObviousBob 140]

I use Evernote on OS X, IOS and Android. It is quite clear to me that for Evernote, Android is a second class citizen - creating and editing notes on Android is way more buggy and less user friendly than the other versions. 

 

That said, the autoflow problem seems to be caused by Google, not Evernote. Still, this is serious enough from my point of view to get a quick solution/workaround from Evernote.

 

But I don't agree at all with the idea that it is so much harder to create a good user experience on Android. There are plenty of examples - just check out Simplenote or Keep - where developers create pleasing, bug free apps with similar functionality to Evernote. I suspect that Evernote is mostly an Apple shop - so they aren't that impacted by the problems with the Android version, and they don't have the Android expertise that they have for IOS and OS X.

[seekhim 3]

I don't know what Evernote can/will do with this issue (Evernote, response??), but here is what Google said to me regarding the change in web view in KitKat. I have been a staunch Android supporter, but this may very well be a deal breaker for me.

 

Hello Rob,

Thank you for contacting Google. I have read the article that you provided in your last email and consulted with a supervisor about the issues you are having.

What you seem to be experiencing is a feature that was removed when updated to the KitKat operating system. Rather than an issue or a bug, it seems that this is an aesthetic preference which means that there is unfortunately no further troubleshooting for what you are experiencing. 

What I am providing below is an email address for our feedback support team and a link to submit a feedback request. We are always growing here at Google and take all feedback very seriously. If this is something that you would like to see changed in the next Android OS update, I would highly recommend submitting feedback through these support links. This will get you in touch with the right people for your concerns.

Support email: feedback-support@google.com

Submit feedback request: https://sites.google.com/a/google.com/feedback-integration-guide/submit-feedback-requests

Once again, thank you for contacting Google and have a great day.

Thanks,

Robert

[AsGodLeads 0]

That is really hard to believe.  It seems like such a step backward as far as advancing functionality.  App developers should at least be able to have a way to incorporate test reflow into there apps.  I know, for example, the Adobe Reader app I have on my Android has "text reflow" as an option for reading pdfs.  If they can find a way to do it, then Evernote should be able to also it would seem.

 

Is anyone aware of other Android note apps that may have implemented text flow that works on KitKat?

 

Thanks, seekhim, for persisting to get some answer from Google.  How do we now get the ear of someone from Evernote?

 

 

[ObviousBob 140]

I agree this is a pretty disappointing attitude on Google's part.

 

And a quick check of some apps on my Nexus 7, I didn't really see any that do autoflow - which I guess is why only a few people have participated in this thread..

 

For my use of Evernote, a good workaround would be to make the font used when viewing a note larger - that is why I need to zoom in, the font is very small on the Nexus 7 (also true for the Nexus 4, but not as bad). Or better yet, eliminate the View/Edit modes, and have a single mode where the font follows the Android font settings, so the user can control the font size.

[Brent_Y 0]

I am having the exact same problem as I teach Sunday School from Evernote and have not been able to zoom in and have the text wrap anymore.

 

The quick fix is to change the size of the font in the note itself so that you don't need to zoom in. This used to not make any difference, but with the latest edit enhancements, the font size does effect how big it is in the Android app.

 

So for me, changing the font size to 18 in the Windows app causes the font to be a good size to read from in the Android one.

 

Hope they get a fix for this soon, but maybe my workaround will help you until then.

 

Brent

[ObviousBob 140]

I am having the exact same problem as I teach Sunday School from Evernote and have not been able to zoom in and have the text wrap anymore.

 

The quick fix is to change the size of the font in the note itself so that you don't need to zoom in. This used to not make any difference, but with the latest edit enhancements, the font size does effect how big it is in the Android app.

 

So for me, changing the font size to 18 in the Windows app causes the font to be a good size to read from in the Android one.

 

Hope they get a fix for this soon, but maybe my workaround will help you until then.

 

Brent

I'm glad this is working for you. I tried this for a while, but found that if I then edited the note on Android, strange things would happen - I'd end up with mixed fonts - one word in a small font, the rest in a larger font, or all the text would revert to the smaller font.

 

As long as you use the note in read-only mode, things should stay OK.

[Mafaldo 2]

I agree this is a pretty disappointing attitude on Google's part.

 

And a quick check of some apps on my Nexus 7, I didn't really see any that do autoflow - which I guess is why only a few people have participated in this thread..

 

For my use of Evernote, a good workaround would be to make the font used when viewing a note larger - that is why I need to zoom in, the font is very small on the Nexus 7 (also true for the Nexus 4, but not as bad). Or better yet, eliminate the View/Edit modes, and have a single mode where the font follows the Android font settings, so the user can control the font size.

 

Dolphin Browser for Android in Nexus 7 is doing Autoflow.

 

They go on adding useless features to Evernote (see http://blog.evernote.com) and leaving all the Nexus 7 users in the lurch.

[Mafaldo 2]

To make a test I removed all the format of the note and left it as pure text.

 

This doesn't work either. Even wiht text only notes the lines are not broken.

 

Is anybody from Evernote reading this?

 

Is there any plan to fix this in the future?

 

Can you provide us with some kind of feedback? Could you just acknowledge the problem?

[eugk 0]

I just bought a new tablet running 4.4.2 and have this no-reflow problem as well. I can't change font size in the Android app either! Why is Evernote for Android so crippled?