It's Gonna Be May... a New Mobile App Update, Pixelated Avatars, Revamped Story Pages and More

Exciting news! Our monthly product update is here! Get ready for the latest mobile app update, Apple’s Memoji-inspired pixelated avatars, “April Shower Brings May Flowers” Color Theme, better story pages layout, fresh top writers ranking page, and more!🚀

This product update reflects changes to the platform fromMarch 1st until May 3rd, 2024.

New for Writers

New Mobile App Update: Version 2.0 Just Landed

The 2.0 Version has brought HackerNoon’s original polling data, and active technology polls, into The HackerNoon App to help you stay on the pulse of the internet’s trends. Stay in the loop with the latest tech discussions, cast your vote, and contribute your insights to poll topics—all from your phone! Here's how: Navigate to the homepage, scroll down, and tap on "Poll of the Week"  - this will lead you to a collection of completed polls.

This release also includes major improvements to the mobile writing experience. We added hundreds of story templates to make it easier to start writing and made the headline story function more like Apple Notes and Google Keep, editable in the story draft itself and within story settings. Breakthrough ideas can come from tiny keyboards!

And that's not all. We improved and sped up authentication to save you a few precious moments upon opening the HackerNoon App, and changed the user tab so that once you tap it, you’ll get instantly directed to your user profile where you can easily update your information or navigate to settings. Check it out for yourself:

Emoji Credibility Indicators are Live on GitHub and Figma

Emoji Credibility Indicators by HackerNoon are now live on Figma and Github!

Our open-source pixelated emoji pack was designed to communicate context about a story's content on HackerNoon and you can be amongst the first to try them!

What will you get from this open-source package?

1. Pixelated Emojis, designed on a 24px grid.
2. Well crafted SVGs
3. Fully customizable
4. Ready to use for development via GitHub Repo and Figma!

HackerNoon's Enhanced Top Writers Ranking: Explore the New Page for Tech Categories' Leaders

The latest evolution of HackerNoon's Top Writers ranking now features a dedicated page for each of our Tech Categories. This feature aims to spotlight HackerNoon’s exceptional contributors and refine and enhance readers’ experience, making it easier to discover and engage with the tech’s leading voices.

What's New?

1. Dedicated Pages: Each Tech Category now boasts its own dedicated Top Writers page, offering a comprehensive showcase of the most prolific writers. If you visit https://hackernoon.com/writers/programming you’ll see each top writer’s profile, including name, handle, bio and avatar, tags of expertise, and their placement on the ranking.
2. Real-Time Updates: Our Top Writers ranking is updated daily, ensuring users remain up-to-date with the latest contributors in their favorite categories.

How Does This Improve Your Experience?

If you’re a reader, this ranking is a great place to find new authors and subscribe to their work. And if you’re a writer… well, wouldn’t you like to land a top spot? Find out how here. Happy reading!

New for Readers

Create Your Own Pixelated Avatar With Hackernoon

Pixelated avatars have just landed on HackerNoon, and now you have the power to create your own!

Add some fun to your profile, and improve your experience at HackerNoon while ensuring your profile reflects your true essence.

Get your customized avatar:

1. Go to your profile page settings.
2. Click the “Create Avatar” button - you can’t miss it!
3. Have fun creating your avatar!
4. Hit “Save Avatar” and it’ll automatically replace your old placeholder image.

New Theme Alert🌸

"In a world of petals and pixels, let your content flourish." - GPT, Chat

Experience the all-new HackerNoon theme by clicking the paintbrush icon, choosing BlossomBytes, and hitting save. Watch as the design gets instantly transformed:

One-Tap Google Signup and Login? Yup, HackerNoon Has It!

HackerNoon continues to simplify the signup process, and if you have a Google account, then this one is for you - meet the One-Tap Google Signup and Login. This feature leverages the security and convenience of Google's authentication system, making it easy to access HackerNoon with a single tap, whether you're a seasoned writer or a new reader eager to explore our platform, ensuring a hassle-free experience.

All you need is:

1. Google's Chrome browser on your computer;
2. To be logged in to your Google account.

With these two requirements checked off, you’ll be able to visit hackernoon.com and with just one tap, sign up or log in. Here’s what it looks like:

What if I don’t have a Google account?

No problem! You can either follow our regular Signup flow (learn more here and here), just make sure you have an active email, a GitHub, or an X account, and you’re all set! Click here to create a HackerNoon account!

Story Page Redesign

Story pages have received a fresh makeover! Translations and TLDR summaries now share the spotlight with the story title, enhancing navigation. Easily identify stories with multiple authors in the "About the Author" section, along with various CTAs. Enjoy the playful pixelated icons for bookmarking, reacting, commenting, and sharing, adding a fun touch to interaction. Moreover, wider stories now occupy more screen space, ensuring better readability.

New for Brands

Tech Press Release Page

For our beloved brands, a new package just landed: Tech Press Release!

Publish your announcements onto HackerNoon and join our trusted +4K brands worldwide.

That's all folks!