A perennial question on the Forum is how to increase the number of identifiers and identifications. It seems like the new app could be an opportunity to address that challenge, but while I like what I’ve seen of iNaturalist Next so far, it could do more to facilitate use of the app by identifiers.
I’d like to suggest an identification mode within the app. It could be accessed from within Explore mode so as not to clutter the home screen, and would have similar features to those of the Identify mode on the web, which could include:
ability to swipe to the next or previous observation
mark observations as reviewed when moving to the next observation
ability to save a customised set of filters to come back to (for example, if I like to identify cultivated cacti in Bolivia that I haven’t reviewed before, it would be nice to save these filters so I could access them quickly)
fewer steps to add an ID (have the search box available to type in straight away, rather than have to click Suggest ID and then click the magnifying glass)
ability to add annotations (suggestion from @wildwestnature)
ability to quickly mark captive/cultivated, and perhaps other DQA variables
perhaps, ability to see a list of species recorded nearby, like the Compare tool on the web
What do others think? I can imagine spending some time when on public transport or in a waiting room doing some identifying to pass the time, but it’s not nearly as smooth in any of the apps, including Next, as it is on the web.
Is there a possibility of considering this functionality for iNaturalist Next, either for its official launch or in a future version?
So the observer is actually an identifier and then wouldn’t the observation be an identification? We wonder if this terminology is going to create confusion among new users relative to existing users.
Perfect description, I totally agree. I estimate the speed for IDying in iNat next is about half as fast as in iNat for IOS.
However, whith the filter options I restrict my IDying activities to observations that need an ID and that didn’t review earlier (and are in my field of expertise). With that the number of observations I move to RG might be similar.
(BTW: DQA variables are available in iNat next, though somewhat hidden)
I think these are great suggestions. Especially the swiping between observations would be a game-changer for in-app IDing.
I personally would probably continue to use my laptop due to not wanting to use up so much mobile data, but I think it could help increase the number of IDers which is desperately needed for many taxa
Will there be an easy way to identifiers on the iNaturalist Next app? What’s an easy way to identify observations on iNaturalist Next App? On the desktop version, you can use the Identify tool, which presents observations needing identification in a grid format. It lets you filter by location, taxa, or specific users, making it simple to focus on areas or species you’re familiar with. Clicking on an observation provides detailed information like photos, notes, and maps, helping you make accurate identifications quickly and efficiently.
I moved your request to the iNat Next Discussion category and this existing topic which seemed to fit the question you had. We’re not accepting specific feature requests for iNat Next at this time (see https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/about-the-inaturalist-next-discussion-category/54831), but discussion of topics like this is encouraged!
