Yanosik test with a new look. I checked what changed

A few days ago, Yanosik developers announced the launch of a new look in the mobile application for both Android and iOS. One of the assumptions was to provide more convenient access to the most important functions on the home screen. Are we really dealing with a step in the right direction? I decided to check it out.

The new Yanosik is here!

Yanosik is one of the most popular applications among Polish drivers. Yes, we will find really strong competition, like Waze navigation, but Yanosik is still the most important and even the only right choice for many people.

It’s not necessarily used in the form of typical car navigation, as it’s average in that regard. Usually it plays the role of a communicator between drivers who warn each other about various situations on the road – here it is difficult to find an application that can boast of such numerous and accurate data.

If you’re wondering if the navigation module has been improved in the latest update, I can tell you right away that unfortunately it hasn’t. I drove about 200km and I still wouldn’t choose Yanosik as an application to get me to my destination. It’s still better to grab Google Maps and use the Polish application mainly in the form of a “communicator” to warn about various events on the road.

Of course, the main change introduced in the latest major update is the redesigned home screen and that’s what we’ll be focusing on. Please note that the main changes concern the application launched on the smartphone screen and not the version available in Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. You can download this update from Google Play and the App Store.

Redesigned home screen

The significantly refreshed start screen is intended to make it easier for the driver to access the most important functions of the application. All this should also be presented in a more legible way, so that the use of the application is simply more comfortable.

As the makers themselves state, Now the home screen consists of 9 tiles with frequently used functions – Motorway tickets, car insurance, Autoplac car ads and Yanosik garage search engine, among others. Under these tiles we also have two new tabs – Devices and History. In the first you will find information about all Yanosik devices and how to use them. On the second tab you can check the history of your vehicle.

Also new to the home screen is the Destination Carousel, which features a horizontally scrolling list of previously saved favorite locations. In addition, the carousel has information such as the approximate travel time and the current weather at the destination.

One of the most important solutions in Yanosik has also been updated, which the developers call the Report Keyboard, which is used to report various situations on the go. Added to the already available options is the ability to use the SOS function, that is, to call emergency services or a tow truck, add fuel prices and make significant changes to the map.

How does the new home screen work?

As already mentioned, one of the goals was to provide users with more convenient and faster access to the most important functions. I have to admit that it actually worked. I used to feel overwhelmed after going to the home screen. The information displayed just below the account description and the “Report” and “Navigation” buttons was provided in a way that was not necessarily readable and suitable for a driver’s application. There was just too much text and the individual elements seemed too small.

The new start screen is much easier to read, where we don’t have a lot of notifications with descriptions of new functions in the foreground, but a set of 9 tiles. In addition, it actually facilitates and improves access to the functions that we are interested in.

In the previous version, I felt lost at times, and some of the buttons pinned to the bottom edge of the screen were superfluous for me. Yes, now these buttons have been moved to tiles, but it’s easier to ignore the unnecessary ones, and we also get quick access to features that previously required a lot of clicks.

A travel destination carousel also works well, to which we can pin favorite places – work, home or even frequent visits to the gym or restaurant. This makes it easier to enter the destination and is also given in a clear and convenient form.

The whole thing is definitely a step in the right direction. I dare say that only now the main screen is clearer and more convenient to use. In addition, the application now looks as if it was actually made for drivers, because the previous excess of information and texts had a negative impact on readability.

Errors and interface problems

Yes, the redesigned start screen in Yanosik works very well, but the update brought numerous problems. I will add that I tested it on LG G7 with Android 10 installed and all fixes available.

Well, the application starts with a light theme by default, which is not very comfortable in the car at night. Much better in such a scenario is Dark Mode, which is present in the Android app but doesn’t necessarily work properly.

After going into settings and enabling night style, I didn’t notice any change at first. I was still struck by the excess of white background. Restarting the application helped, but the effect was far from what was expected. In fact, some elements appear with a dark theme, others remain white and some subtitles become invisible, so we don’t always know what a particular option offers or what’s hidden under the icon. Also, the navigation map stays active even with the light theme.

The UI visibly crashes when night mode is selected. I omit the visual aspect, but simply then, if we don’t remember all the options available (disappearing text), using the application becomes difficult or even impossible. I hope this gets fixed in one of the next updates as I can’t imagine using Yanosik at night with the light theme on.

The problem does not appear in the iOS version, but here the explanation is very simple – the dark theme is not available for the entire application at all. We can only set the navigation view in night style and then we have a dark theme replacement. Opinions on the Internet indicate that the update broke Yanosik’s operation in Apple CarPlay – in extreme cases, for some users the application does not start at all on the car screen. However, I did not notice this problem at home – Yanosik works perfectly in CarPlay. I will add that my configuration is an iPhone 12 Pro and a Volvo XC60 running Android Automotive.

The new home screen in Yanosik is a good idea, but…

Let’s get to the summary. I find that the redesigned home screen works better than the previous one, and the application is noticeably cleaner and just plain easier to use. It’s possible that for many users, the home screen will actually become the center of the application and not treated as a dubious useful addition – that’s what happened in my case. I’ll admit that I’ve started glancing at the home screen more often and taking advantage of the features it offers.

It’s a pity that the Android application has UI issues after installing the latest update. The bugs that appear after enabling night style remind me of an early beta version that wasn’t supposed to be released to all users.

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