We’re excited to announce the release of Nova Comm v2.2.0-beta! This update brings a host of new features, improvements, and enhancements to make your messaging experience smoother, more interactive, and more reliable. Here’s what’s new:

New Features

Share Codes for Easier Connections

• Each user now has a unique 8-character share code for quick and easy sharing.
• Share codes are uppercase alphanumeric for better readability.
• Added a copy-to-clipboard button in the settings for share codes, with feedback when copied.
• You can now search for users by either email or share code when starting a new chat.
• The UI has been updated to clearly indicate both search methods.

Interactive Chat Commands

• Spice up your chats with new commands:
  • /flip - Flip a coin.
  • /roll [X]d[Y] - Roll X dice with Y sides (e.g., /roll 2d6).
  • /shrug [message] - Add a shrug emoji to your message.
  • /giphy [search] - Send a random GIF matching your search.
  • /me [action] - Send an action message in third person.
  • /poll [question], [option1], [option2]... - Create a poll.

Message Editing

• Edit sent messages with a clean and intuitive UI.
• Includes undo support for quick corrections.

Enhanced Group Chats

• Create groups directly from the search pane with a new toggle.
• Select multiple users and add a group name before creating a group.
• Improved UI feedback for group creation.

Help & Support Pages

• New Report, Support, and Feedback pages:
  • Report Page: Report users or messages with proper validation and error handling.
  • Support Page: FAQs and ticket submission for assistance.
  • Feedback Page: Submit suggestions and view app statistics.
• Integrated links to these pages in the settings menu.

Improvements

Chat Navigation & Security

• Verifies user access before loading chats.
• Unauthorized chat attempts fail silently, and the URL is cleaned up automatically.
• URL-based navigation for valid participants is now supported.

Typing Indicators & Status Tracking

• Typing indicators now handle cleanup and timeouts more reliably.
• Online/offline status tracking has been moved to Firebase Realtime Database for better reliability.

UI & Design Enhancements

• Introduced a new pages.css file for consistent styling across all new pages.
• Improved form styling, spacing, and typography hierarchies.
• Added hover states and transitions for interactive elements.
• Responsive adjustments for mobile devices.

Account Status Page

• Visual indicator of your current account standing.
• List of past warnings with dates and reasons.
• Clear visualization of the 5-step warning process.
• Secure access control ensures only you can view your warnings.

Quality of Life Updates

• Character Counter: Visual feedback as you approach the message limit.
• Connection Status Indicator: Shows when you’re offline and reconnects automatically.
• Image Pasting: Paste images directly into the chat for quick sharing.
• Loading Skeletons: Improved perceived performance with placeholders while content loads.
• Mobile Gesture Hints: Helpful tips for new users on mobile devices.
• Retry Options: Better error handling with retry buttons for failed messages.
• Improved Textarea Behavior: Smoother typing experience with better resizing and handling.
• Offline Support: Enhanced functionality when offline, including message queuing.

Bug Fixes & Reliability

• Fixed issues with failed messages by adding a retry button.
• Added a network status indicator with reconnection handling.
• Improved error handling across the app for a more seamless experience.

Thank you for being part of the Nova Comm beta! We hope you enjoy these updates. As always, your feedback is invaluable—let us know what you think!