Wikimedia Apps/Android FAQ


 * If you are looking for iOS FAQ, please check here

General info

 * What is the difference between the Android app and the mobile web version of Wikipedia?

The Wikipedia App provides an optimized and streamlined experience for searching and reading Wikipedia content. Being a native app, it allows articles to load faster, and with less data usage. It also delivers a more responsive interface that is more consistent with other Android apps that you love. It adds features that are not available (or not possible) in the Web version of Wikipedia, such as saving pages to the device for later reading, and sharing content and images from articles to your favorite social media apps.

Of course, the app is still under development, and does not yet have some of the features that are available on the Wikipedia mobile website, such as watchlists, collections, and notifications.

The most recent changes to the app may be found in the Play Store listing for the app, or here.
 * Where can I find the latest release notes?

Check our team page to find out more
 * Who develops the Android app?

What devices are supported?
Our app works on all Android devices running version 2.3 (Gingerbread) and higher.

As of September 30 2015, we have ended active support for the app on devices with Android version 4.0 and below. If you have a device that runs Android Gingerbread, Honeycomb, or Ice Cream Sandwich, you will still be able to install the app from the Play Store, but it will be a "frozen" version of the app, and will no longer receive updates, with the possible exception of occasional critical security patches or crashing bugs. We will, of course, continue active development of the app for devices with Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich MR1) and higher.

What features are available on the Android app?

 * Search for articles

Tap the "Search Wikipedia" bar at the top, and type your search term.

The app will give you a list of Wikipedia articles based on your search query.

The app automatically searches articles based on their title, as well as their full text, to provide the best possible match.


 * Set/change Wikipedia language

Searching Wikipedia is performed only in a single language which, by default, is set to the language of your Android device.

To change the Wikipedia language, go to the main app menu (top left) and select "More", then select "Wikipedia language".


 * Search within page

From the top-right menu (three dots), select "Find in page".

You will be able to type text to search within the current page, and the search results will be automatically highlighted and scrolled into view.


 * Read in different languages

From the top-right menu (three dots), select "Read in other languages".

This will show a list of languages in which the current article is available for reading.


 * Share interesting facts to social media

When you long-press on the text within an article, you can highlight portions of the text, then use the buttons in the top menu to "copy" the selection to the clipboard, or "share" the selection.

If you select "share", you will be able to share the selection as plain text, or an image card that contains the text printed on top of the most relevant image from the article.


 * Saved pages

From the top-right menu (three dots), select "Save page" to save the current page for later reading, even when you're offline.

You will be able to access your saved pages by going to the main app menu (top left) and selecting "Saved pages".


 * Nearby

Go to the main app menu (top left) and select "Nearby" to see Wikipedia articles about places near you, based on the GPS location of your device.

We do not store or track your location over time.


 * Editing

Tap on the "pencil" icon next to section headings in an article to start editing.

This permission is required so that the app can integrate with your user account on Wikipedia, so that your preferences and saved pages will be synchronized between devices when you are logged in. (This feature is currently under development.)

The app does not store your Wikipedia login credentials on the device, and it does not access any non-Wikipedia accounts on your device, nor any other aspects of your identity.

This permission is only required in Android versions earlier than 6.0 (Marshmallow). For Android 6.0 and above, this permission is not required.

Why does the app need the Location permission (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION)?

This permission is required for the app to find your current location when using the Nearby feature. (This permission is not required to use Nearby, but you will need to manually move your map to your current location if the permission is denied.)

Why does the app need the Photos/Media/Files permission (WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE)?

This permission is required so that the app can temporarily save images for sharing via other apps (as in Share a fact).

This permission is only required for older Android releases.


 * Is the connection between the app and Wikipedia encrypted?

You can email us at: mobile-android-wikipedia at wikimedia.org