This week a new build became available (2024.6.728) to download for those Premium Plus members that are currently testing the Second Life Mobile Private Alpha app. In this new build there are loads of fixes and updates (see below for what’s new).
New network connection / disconnection icons
Changes drop shadow/blur on toolbar icons slightly
Fix to parcel name handling
Fix to handling of BOM bodies when loading an avatar
Fix to Android start up logo
Fix to profile scrolling
Fix profile image aspect ratio
Login images now JPEGs
Report issue form now only item available from logged out login screen
Fix to scrolling in chat
Fix to online friends status
The mobile team at the lab have made a lot of good progress during the past six months with the private alpha phrase of Second Life mobile. There is probably a lot of work going on behind the scenes now adding new improvements and fixing stuff while following the roadmap. I am interested in hearing more at SL21B about whats coming next for Second Life mobile.
Adult Rated Regions Restrictions On Second Life Mobile Private Alpha
This week the lab provided a new update on the current adult rated region restrictions. The first goal is to launch in the App Store / Play Store. Once achieved the mobile team will be moving forward with ways to access more content as well as expanding features. The lab will be giving more updates at SL21B.
Hopefully we will hear more information very soon.
New Android Alpha builds and iOS builds are now available as of 10th May 2024 bringing a more clearer organized Settings menu, displaying the latest version numbers/licensing info along with many user inferface fixes.
In the latest builds it is no longer possible to visit Adult-rated regions using Second Life mobile app. Favourites are now marked visually to indicate if the chosen location cannot be visited.
New Settings menuGeneral Settings Developer ToolsFeedback About – New version numbers
Public Beta Coming Soon
The lab are now planning the big transition of the Second Life mobile app from Private Alpha phrase to the Public Beta phrase very soon. It’s not clear on if Public Beta will launch before or after SL21B. I think Public Beta will most likely start end of Q2 2024.
The Public Beta phrase would include Premium members and Basis members I would guess and then more developments/new features will be rolled out later in 2024/2025+. There is a lot to still look forward to with Second Life mobile.
Q1 2024 – 1st January – 31st March
Q2 2024 – 1st April – 30th June – 98% chance
Q3 2024 – 1st July – 30th September – 95% chance
Q4 2024 – 1st October – 31st December – 80% chance
The lab have said that “expanding the audience for the app means that we must comply with app store requirements, including limits on the types of content that can be displayed in apps”. The lab are working on finer controls for content maturity in order to allow maximum freedom while complying with app store requirements
What’s New ?
UI changes
Menu > Settings is more clearly organized
Menu > About Second Life displays version number and licensing info
UI fixes
Timestamps no longer display while typing messages
Text in the title bar no longer wraps, so you can close groups with very long names
Automatic login when app is opened
Display “Unnamed parcel” when parcel name is empty
Keyboard no longer obscures text fields (Android only)
Sorbon Beach (The Lost Gardens of Apollo) removed from Mobile
Early Days Of Alpha Testing
Overall good progress has been made since the lab first announced (5 months ago) for Private Alpha on 13th December 2023. It’s good the lab have been informing the Second Life on a regular basis on the progress it’s making.
I have been currently testing out the early access versions of the Second Life Mobile Private Alpha since late January 2024. So far the mobile experience has been getting better since the start of 2024 with really useful improvements and fixes.
The UI changes recently have improved the mobile experience a lot but there is a ton of things missing (not yet rolled out) like add the SLT time, Linden balance, group notices, mini-map/world map, option to take snapshots, inventory much more. The lab are working hard through the roadmap for Second Life mobile and soon everyone will be able to use it.
I am looking forward for when new improvements are made to the Second Life mobile app and when the wider audience can start using it.
On 15th April 2024 a new build was released for Second Life Premium Plus users that are currently testing out the Second Life Mobile private alpha app. The Second Life mobile team have now rolled out new additional updates to avatar rendering as well as avatar shapes and deformers.
This is very exciting news and another step forward in the right direction I think towards the beta phrase (expected mid-late 2024). This latest build version is now available to download for iOS and Android users. Good progress and development has happened since the start of 2024. More feedback is needed though to make the Second Life mobile app even more awesome.
What’s New In Version 2024.4.649
Avatar rendering improvements
Avatar shape and deformers now reset correctly
Attachments placement fixed
Hopefully soon the lab will include those on Premium accounts and then basic accounts to help test the Second Life mobile app. No timeframe has been given for when this will happen.
I will blog on the latest Second Life mobile development updates soon.
Linden Lab just published a blog post named Mobile Update: April 2024 – new builds, avatar updates! via the Second Life official blog. The lab have made alot of good progress over the past two months from improving avatars and improving teleports which have been at the top of the list.
New Android and iOS Alpha builds were published on Wednesday 3rd April. It’s best to update the Second Life mobile app via the app store.
The lab have now fixed issues with group chat messages. More improvements and new builds are coming very soon. Yay.
Avatar Rendering
“If your avatar depends on an avatar shape deformer, you should immediately notice the changes to avatar rendering! Avatars that didn’t render at all before, or didn’t look the way you intended, now render correctly”.
Teleports & Streaming Audio
“Teleports are also greatly improved – no more getting stuck on a loading screen! If you’re on a parcel with streaming audio, you’ll now be able to use standard audio controls to stop/start and change the volume (tap main menu > tap the audio metadata at the bottom of the screen)”.
Wider Availability
The wider availability for accessing Second Life on mobile will be announced soon. For now all Premium Plus subscribers are invited to participate.
I’m sure we will hear more details in the months ahead when more progress has been made by the mobile team at the lab.
On Thursday 15th February Linden Lab announced an update on Second Life Mobile Private Alpha latest developments. The latest Private Alpha release now adds support for streaming audio which is great news for everyone. The latest release comes with a bunch of improvements and bug fixes.
If you enjoy listening to music in Second Life then go to the hamburger > Settings > Developer tools > Enable Streaming Audio.
Streaming Audio Support
The private alpha testing is now available to all Premium Plus residents. I think the hope is that soon Premium residents will be invited then it will become more widely available.
The lab have made good progress with the private alpha development so far during the past three months. There has been big improvements to “connection stability, reduced the sensitivity of avatar movement, decreased the memory footprint of some inworld items”.
The user experience has been improved recently by “decreasing the sensitivity of pinch and camera controls, moved the camera target closer to the center of your avatar and we are iterating on the size of the area for the vstick”.
What’s next ?
The UI will be getting some refinement soon along with improvements to chat, teleports, avatar rendering and much more. The lab are reviewing feedback and will be giving more progress updates soon.
There is some time yet before Second Life Mobile moves from the Alpha phrase to the Beta phrase. I think roughly Easter time or possibly before the end of April 2024 for the first beta depending on development.
Daniel Voyager 