Recent changes to App inventer causing problems

[ng91]

Dear MIT App Inventor Team,

I have the same issue after updating the Companion App from Version 2.75 to 2.76.
My phone is a Galaxy 23Ultra; OneUI version 7.0; Android Version 15.

Today with Companion App Version 2.75 it looked like this

After just updating your app to Version 2.76 it looks like this

So not sure if this is really related to the new look since my system settings haven't changed but the app version did.

However, when we have to consider this now in future, how can we do this with App Inventor (that navigation bar is still considered as boundary as before)?

Thanks for looking into this.

Best regards

[Ray_Cortopassi]

I'll try resizing the arrangement to a percentage instead of fill parent, but that would mean that it's possible that the app would look different on different devices. It seems we can't use fill parent anymore without getting interference with the navigation bar!

[ng91]

I just tried the same but didn't work for me.
Would be interesting to know if it works for you.

Thanks + Best regards

[ABG]

@Ray_Cortopassi

Seems to me it should be possible to have an option to use an older version, especially since new versions might break things.

Here are all the options I've seen so far to future-proof your app:

Project Properties Theming:

Screen1 flags:
Show Status Bar and TitleVisible:

Maybe there is some combination that still works for you?

[Ray_Cortopassi]

Those are the first things that I tried setting to Invisible, made no difference, navigation bar still covered up at the bottom

[TIMAI2]

You might try applying this extension:

[FREE] Hidebars - an extension to display app full screen

UPDATE Aug 2025 - since the adoption of API35 (Android 15), some of these features no longer work Description Didn't really mean to write this extension, I just fell down the rabbit hole, and its creation was the only way out! The extension should make your app display in full screen, even into the cutout, and the system bars become available via a swipe. Cutouts and notches came into being in 2018 on Android Pie (9) devices. There are probably only a few devices with both a cutout/notch and …

some bits don't work now but it might provide some respite with swipeable nav and status bars

[ABG]

How about Theme = Classic?

That sounds like the option for firm control:

Pick a design theme for your app. Themes change the appearance of an app, such as how buttons and text look. The most common themes are:

• Classic: This theme stays consistent whether you are looking at an Android, iOS, or the screen layout in App Inventor’s designer. Choose Classic if you want detailed control of the appearance of your app.

[ng91]

Hi ABG,

thanks for your reply but all the things are known and do not work at least in my case.
Please note again, that no parameters have been changed system-wise. This was just happening after updating the Companion App from 2.75 to 2.76

I could restore my basic layout now after some trial and error but don't see any logic behind.

Initially:
I had 3 horizontal arrangements with height seized as follow:
a = 10%
b = 75%
c = 15%

With companion app version 2.75 everything worked fine.
After updating to 2.76 I got the mentioned issue. (please se screenshots)

No i was changing my arrangements heights as follow:

a = automatic
b= fill parent
c = automatic

With this I could receive the initial proper layout.

As soon I change any of the arrangements heights to a percentage the issues with the navigation bar occurs.

Maybe this helps a bit in trouble shooting.

Please note again: It happened after updating the app from 2.75 to 2.76

BR

[Ray_Cortopassi]

Well I tried making the arrangement which contains everything 90%, it didn't work! In fact the Navigation grew bigger! WTH screenshot doesn't show the increased navigation bar

[ABG]

There is a lag in time between the ai2 server being updated and the code.appinventor.mit.edu being updated.

You might find respite there until the main (only?) dev @ewpatton gets back from vacation.

[ng91]

@Ray_Cortopassi : How many arrangements do you have?
Instead of working with percentage you may try to work with "fill parent" and "automatic" height. This at least worked in my case. ( so removing all percentages from height settings)

[ABG]

I checked the Release Notes at
https://appinventor.mit.edu/ai2/ReleaseNotes.html
and searched for items that might be relevant to these problems.

This looks suspicious:

• Fix edge-to-edge appearance on Android 15 cause status bar to be white text on white background (it will use the project’s PrimaryColor instead)

It's not a smoking gun, but it's circumstantial.

[Ray_Cortopassi]

Tried classic, didn't help, looks the same

[Ray_Cortopassi]

Lots of arrangements. Each row is an arrangement so 15 Vertical arrangements in a main vertical arrangement. I tried setting the main vertical arrangement to 80%, didn't work, next I'll try setting the individual vertical arrangements to a smaller percentage.

[Ray_Cortopassi]

Am I going to have to deal with this if I try to update any of my other apps?? Geez

[ABG]

Here's another straw to grasp at:

We've talked space, but how about time?

Screen1.Height and Width are not always available at Screen1.Initialize time.
It takes time for AI2 run time to lay out the Screen, and maybe fight with Android for space?

Sometimes you have to add a Clock Timer delay at app start time before grabbing those two values and using those values to lay out your Screen and component sizes.

[Ray_Cortopassi]

That's what I originally had, fill parent

[Ray_Cortopassi]

Never had that problem before

[ABG]

It happens mostly to people using the Canvas.

[ng91]

Dear Ray,

What may could help is, (as it was successfully for me):

Put your "bomb" and your button next to it in a horizontal arrangement and set the height to automatic.
Then take another horizontal arrangement below. Set the height to "fill parent" and put all your 15 arrangements inside.

So on your Screen1 there would be in total 2 "main arrangements" one with the bomb + button (height automatic) and one with all your 15 smaller arrangements (with height fill parent). This at least helped in my case.

I was removing all percentages in the height setting from arrangements on the Screen.