- PIN codes for the application protection
- Panic PIN code delete data secretly
- New design for navigation panel on Windows
- Various improvements
- Full list of changes + development history
- How to update to the latest version?
1. PIN codes for the application protection
Android application supports a digital PIN code for entering the application:
If allowed by rights in the settings, it activates the option for switching to the PIN code configuration screen;
Depending on the settings on the server, you can set up a PIN code from 4 to 8 characters; choose how often to request a PIN code after inactive time (counts after hiding the application).
If available, you can use biometrics (TouchID/FaceID) for authentication. The button allows you to block the application instantly.
PIN code input screen:
If you forget your PIN code, you can log off from your account. Thus, the PIN code resets.
This feature is already working in the Android application and will be available for iOS in the next version.
2. Panic PIN code delete data secretly
You can specify a special secret "panic pin code". You should set it up and notify employees.
If a person is in physical danger, and must unblock the work chat or tell someone the PIN code for unblocking, they can enter a secret "panic pin code" instead of the real one.
All chat data is deleted, the account is blocked, all copies are logged out from the server, and the administrators receive a notification about this event:
Also, if possible, the app sends the last known GPS coordinates of a user's device on the server.
This secret code is not stored and transferred on a user's device publicly. The server and client only exchange only the checksum of this code. That is why you can not worry about traffic interception, because it does not give anything useful for a hacker.
3. New design for navigation panel on Windows
Navigation buttons (private chats, conferences, contacts, and important notifications are now located on the vertical block on the left. We have changed some colors and the panel itself is now dark grey to be less distractive.
Vertical position allows adding more buttons for quick navigation (Kanban board for project management, bulletin board, internal forum, etc.). We are planning to add them gradually in the next versions.
The Old variant (horizontal placement) did not allow extending the navigation panel.
4. Various improvements
Improved the logic of the function for changing the input method (Alt+Z) when typing the text. If you select the text in the input field and press Alt+Z, then the input method changes for the selected segment only.
In the iOS application, the database is encrypted automatically by Apple Keychain.
If the application gets an error during the login process (incorrect password, login, unknown domain user, an incorrect domain password, etc.) — the app stops continuously connecting to the server and exits to the account manager. This change was on purpose to avoid situations such are blocking of domain users due to frequent connections with incorrect passwords. For example, when an administrator changed the domain user password, but nobody did it in the chat.
5. Full list of changes + development history
Development history with developers' comments
MyChat Client
[+] (ios) added encryption by Apple KeyChain for a database;
[+] (android) added option to use a PIN code for application protection;
[+] (win32) redesign of the navigation panel;
[*] (win32) geoiplookup.net stopped working, so we have started using another service for detecting MyChat users' IP location;
[*] (win32) improved the logic of the function for changing the input method (Alt+Z) when typing the text. If you select the text in the input field and press Alt+Z, then the input method changes for the selected text only;
[*] (win32) if the application gets an error during the login process (incorrect password, login, unknown domain user, an incorrect domain password, etc.) — the app stops continuously connecting to the server and exits to account manager;
[*] (win32) when receiving an image in the active chat, the image thumbnails load from the server, and the text array vertical size changes, the program knows whether to scroll it automatically down or not;
[*] (win32) opening/closing contact groups (Ctrl+3) by left mouse click only;
[-] (win32) rendering error in messages with smilies when loading history by mouse wheel scrolling or Alt+Up/Home: history is missing some messages. Fixed;
[-] (win32) option for disabling smilies does not work, fixed;
[-] (win32) disabling option for using smilies does not work in the settings templates that the application receives from the server. Fixed;
[-] Ctrl+PageDown after reconnection to the server on private dialogues could cause errors. Sometimes the index of an active private dialogue displays incorrectly too;
[-] (win32) fixed rendering for incorrect local links (e.g "1:", etc.);
[-] (win32) the tools for viewing history do not display edited messages, fixed;
[-] (win32) history rendering in conferences/private dialogues in the window for viewing history — issues with time stamps displaying;
MyChat Server
[+] a setting for using access PIN codes in mobile devices;
[+] technology for hidden deletion of all data, account blocking, and notifying an administrator about this event (panic pin code);
[*] increased the speed of the server's launch and restart process, especially when there are conferences with a large history. Sometimes, the time saved is 20 seconds or more;
[-] a bug in message delivery statuses in conferences and private dialogues when working with a couple of clients with different OS and connection speed;
[-] (admin) when creating a new settings template and the filter is on, then a list of the new template settings is not cleared visually. Fixed;
[-] error ID 33B3DAA7 occurs sometimes when requesting the history database, while a user is not a member of any conference.
6. How to update to the latest version?
Both commercial and free versions are updated in the same way. The server is updated first, then the clients. In general, this process is performed automatically.
