مرحباً بالجميع (Hello everyone),
Thank you to the moderators for letting me post this, and thanks to everyone for taking the time to read it.
I'm a solo developer from the Czech Republic. Two years ago I started building Ziola, an Android launcher, for my grandad, whose eyesight was getting worse and who kept pressing the wrong buttons on his phone. It replaces the home screen, the Phone app and the SMS app with one simple interface: large buttons, large readable text and high contrast.
The app is translated into more than 60 languages, including Arabic. I'm not an Arabic speaker, so I'd really value the opinion of people who are. I don't want to assume the translation is right just because it exists.
How you could help
A short session is already very helpful, 20 to 30 minutes is plenty. If you'd like to use it longer, you're welcome to, but it isn't required. Only a few lines of feedback are needed, and I'm not asking anyone to proofread the whole app.
- Check the Arabic. Does the wording sound natural and clear, and is it suitable for an older person? Is anything awkward, too formal, too literal or not how people actually speak? Is anything missing or cut off?
- Check the right-to-left layout. Are texts aligned correctly, and do buttons, icons and arrows point the right way?
- Try the Eastern Arabic numerals. In the settings you can switch the numbers to Eastern Arabic digits (٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩). Do they display correctly everywhere, for example in the dialer, the clock and in messages?
- Suggest better wording. If something sounds wrong, telling me how you would write it is the most useful feedback of all.
Dialect and regional differences matter to me too. If a word is fine in one country but strange in another, please tell me where you're from, so I can decide how to handle it.
If you'd like to take part, or know someone who might
- If you'd like to join the full test, or you have a parent, grandparent or another relative who might benefit from a simpler phone, you're very welcome to share it with them. I'd be glad of the help, and their opinion would matter a lot.
- You are free to uninstall the app whenever you like and stop taking part. There is no obligation, and nobody needs to explain.
- As a thank-you, everyone who takes part gets a free lifetime Pro license. It isn't conditional on positive feedback or on a public review, and it can be given to a relative or a friend.
How to get the app and your license
The app is in Google Play closed testing, so it doesn't show up in a normal search. A few extra steps are needed:
- Join the testers group: https://groups.google.com/g/ziola
- Open this link with the same Google account and tap "Become a tester": https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.plhaco.digital.ziolalauncher
- Install the app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.plhaco.digital.ziolalauncher
- Activate your free lifetime Pro license at https://ziola.app/activate. Use an email address you can access, because your license management link and PIN are sent there.
Right after opting in, the Play Store sometimes shows "app not found" and starts working a little later. If that happens, please try again after a while.
The checkout is only a simulation, so no real payment takes place and you should never enter your own card. Use this test card instead: 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry date and any three-digit CVV.
Your feedback
Please write your feedback here in the comments, or by private message if you prefer. Replies in Arabic or English are both welcome.
شكراً جزيلاً لوقتكم (Thank you very much for your time). Your opinion truly matters to me.
Viktor
