App release 2.14: search with ease

Dear friends,

We are happy to announce our first release of 2024! Version 2.14 of the Plum Village App is available now via Google Play, for Android phones and tablets, and via the App Store for Apple devices.

Building on the previous update, our focus has been improving the layout to make navigation easier. We will continue to work on this area in future updates, guided by the wonderful feedback we receive from the app’s users.

In this update, we have introduced a number of navigational improvements: a new search tab, labeled navigation tabs, and descriptions for folders.

Clearer tab navigation

The Plum Village App is navigated via five tabs at the bottom of the screen. Until now, each tab has been represented by one of these slightly cryptic icons:

Hopefully it has been satisfying to discover their meaning, but, to make it easier for newcomers to navigate the app, we have now added labels:

You may also notice that the final tab has changed. This was previously the ‘About the App’ tab, but since it’s not necessary to use this frequently, we have moved this information to Extras → Settings. Instead, we have replaced it with a new tab that we expect to be far more useful…

Introducing the search tab

The Plum Village App now contains thousands of guided meditations, talks, songs, and texts – in seven languages. As this digital library of mindfulness has grown, the app has become limited by its folder-based structure. We therefore chose to make the search feature more prominent in the app, hence giving it a dedicated tab:

Though similar to the previous search feature (which was available in every tab), the new search tab accesses the whole app. However, if you do wish to search within a specific folder, this can still be done using the search icon in the corner of that folder:

We will continue to improve the search tab in future, by adding additional options.

Folder descriptions

Most of the folders in the app are self-explanatory, but some require additional introduction. We have therefore begun to add descriptions to some of the folders; for example, the folder for the Way Out Is In podcast:

We hope this extra context will be helpful as you discover all that the Plum Village App has to offer!

Other improvements in v2.14

We have added icons to the Settings screen:

We have made small refinements to the video player introduced in the previous update, including a new icon for subtitles, and an easier-to-adjust position slider:

There is also a big improvement for Lusophone users: the app is now available in Portuguese!

In this update, we have also fixed many small bugs, including ones related to the Bell of Mindfulness.

Continuing the development of the Plum Village App

Our small team is working on gradually improving the design of the app, adding new features, and refining existing ones such as the Meditation Timer and the Bell of Mindfulness. To help guide us in this process, we invite you to offer suggestions, comments, and votes, on our public feedback board.

As has been the case with Buddhist teachings for millennia, there is no charge for the Plum Village App and its digital content. However, if your means allow, please consider offering a donation to support continued development of the app and the addition of new meditations, talks, and other resources.

If you are enjoying the app but are not able to donate at this time, you can alternatively support us by leaving a review on the App Store, Google Play, or TrustPilot.

You can also actively help our efforts by contributing subtitles in English or any other language.

If you experience any difficulties or bugs when using the app, please report these via our contact form; we will follow up by email to help.