New UMBC App Now Available to Download for iOS Devices

The new redesigned UMBC app is now available for download in the Apple App Store for free and requires iOS 7.0 or later. The app is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and is optimized for iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus. The Android version of the app will launch later this Summer. 

 

If you have a UMBC account, you can log into the app for personalized content. After logging in once, when you return to the app, you can use Apple’s Touch ID or a 4-digit PIN to quickly log in again. If you don’t have an account, you can still access all the features in the app as a guest.  Note that people using DUO second factor authentication cannot log into the app at this time. This will be corrected in a future update.

Once inside, the app has four distinct tabs -- Home, Search, Places, and Events -- to help you find what you are looking for. Home features the latest updates from both myUMBC and the UMBC homepage. With a simple arrow toggle, you can switch between both sites easily. You can also share any content by tapping the three dots in the top right of the app and then tapping copy link which automatically adds the link to your clipboard.

Search features an adaptive search engine, allowing for results from many UMBC sites such as the UMBC directory, groups, departments, and the UMBC FAQs. Collier Jones, lead architect for myUMBC, said “You don’t have to know what you are looking for, we’ll try to help [with universal searching]” 

When you first open the Search tab, there is a recent section for your past searches and a trending section that shows resources others are looking for. Your favorites are underneath trending, and anything you favorite on the web version of myUMBC automatically appear in the app. Also included is a QR code scanner that can scan posters and signs around campus.

Places provides hours, offices, maps and upcoming events for all the places around you. Need to navigate around campus? Google Maps is integrated in helping you navigate to any location on campus. Along with a Building Directory that allows you to search for all buildings including student housing and lecture halls found on campus, there is also a transit tracker that shows all the routes currently in service.

Events lets users see what's happening right now, along with upcoming events. You can also browse different event calendars such as Arts & Culture and the Athletics calendar for all the upcoming games. 

Jones said that the app is designed to be really simple, and will be updated with more features making it more even more robust in the future.