Airbnb Open Announcement: New Airbnb Mobile App

[Lizzie]

Hello Everyone,

We are keeping you up-to-date with the announcements from this year's Airbnb Open and this one is jam packed. Next up: New Airbnb Mobile App!

Being available as a host while you’re on the go is very important to you. You’ve told us that the most powerful mobile hosting tool you have could be better and that’s why we’ve spent the last year learning from hosts to make significant changes to the Airbnb mobile app.

We’re excited to tell you about the improvements. We’re gradually rolling out these features, and we’ll be making them available to more hosts in the weeks to come.

Here's a preview of some of the features:

1. Inbox: reliability, right from the start

We have invested in technology that will make your inbox feel faster and easier to use.

2. Inbox search & archiving: find what you need, hide what you don’t

Now you can remove old messages using the archive feature to keep things clean and simple. You can search by guest name or keyword and you’ll see any messages that match your search.  

3. Saved responses: to save you time

You can type a message once and reuse it again and again with just 2 taps. You can also type messages on your computer and they’ll show up on your phone for use later.

4. Improved calendar: schedule and pricing details at a glance

The new calendar is designed to show check-in and checkout dates more clearly. We also added a “details” view so you can see the price of any date just by scrolling over it.

5.  Resolution center: solve simple problems, faster

It’s great for settling simple problems with guests, and now it’s available on your phone too.

6. Change reservation: make trip adjustments anytime

This will now be available on iphone. 

7. Photo messaging: when a picture’s worth a thousand words

With photo messaging you can attach photos to your confirmed guest's messages.

8. Stats: performance and reviews, at your fingertips

The new stats feature includes richer details to help you see what’s going well and what guests think you could do a bit better.

Want to know more, visit this blog post. 

There is quite a lot covered here, what do you think? 🙂

[Linda108]

@Lizzie  You are right!  There is a lot to absorb from the Open.  My head is spinning.  In your summary you mention Iphone and phone.  Would you know if some features are Iphone specific and others available for Android based phones?

[Lawrene0]

It all sounds good. Looking forward to the changes. Hoping the photo-sharing goes both ways. Guests sometimes want to send a photo to hosts, too. I guess I will find out!

[David-and-Fiona0]

Hi @Lizzie. You know I love Airbnb but **bleep** I wished they would roll out these initiatives concurrently on al platforms. 

[Nick---SuperHost-At-Anva0]

Hi Lizzie

My account updated to the new style calendar on my computer today

I am so disappointed with it, and have spent some time sending feedback to Airbnb and now searching the community for other people's views.

The new calendar gives much less information on one screen and is much more difficult to navigate.

Can you offer your hosts the option to either use the old calendar or the new one?

Nick

[Lizzie]

Hello @Nick---SuperHost-At-Anva0,

Thanks, this is really good feedback and I will pass this over to the team who are working on this. Are there any particular features on the new calendar that you are referring to specifically?

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Nick---SuperHost-At-Anva0]

Thanks for your prompt response Lizzie, I appreciate it!

Below are my thoughts on the new calendar, there seem to be others on this comunity forum who are also not happy.

• Cluttered appearance
• Not all listings on one screen, have to scroll down to view
• Notes on non Airbnb bookings not visible on calendar main screen
• Only 14 days displayed, previously much more
• 4 of these days are historical days already passed also, and more difficult to identify current day to plan all the check in and check outs for the day
• Not so clear when a date booked by non Airbnb guest (hash vs. price)
• Could scroll forwards in old calendar, now a rigid forward to specific point in time, making planning longer staying guest stays more difficult
• Why can’t hosts have option to use either the old or the new calendar?
• Was a host focus group involved in the new calendar design?
• The old calendar helped me manage my portfolio of properties well, this new calendar is not so helpful or user friendly!

If I can be of any further help, I would be delighted to give my input if it will help give us back the funtionality we have lost, and any further changes are enhancements not backward steps!

Nick

[Nick---SuperHost-At-Anva0]

Just to be clear Lizzie, I am refering to the new calendar on the computer app, not the new calendar on iPhone which has not been rolled out to me yet.

Nick

[Eyjólfur0]

Photo messaging is not working on my iPhone 6 anymore? Is there a way to send a bug report?