We are excited to announce the release of phpFox version 5.1.13, which includes a variety of improvements to enhance user experience, security, and performance across the platform. This update focuses on UI/UX enhancements, admin features, mobile app accessibility, and more robust security measures.

Now let’s dive into discovering how phpFox version 5 (Metafox) version 5.1.13 can transform your workflows and streamline your processes.

? What’s new in the release?

1. Core Updates

UI/UX Improvements

Frontend Web:

• Language Detection: The platform now automatically detects and sets the language based on the user’s browser settings.
• Login with MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication): After logging in with MFA, users will be taken back to the original page they were on. The first authentication option will be selected by default for convenience.
• Unified Icon Style: All icons across the platform now have a consistent design using an outlined style.
• Social Login Layout: Improved the design of the social login buttons for easier sign-ins.
• Homepage Navigation: Clicking “Home” or the site logo will now scroll the page back to the top.
• Authenticator Page: We’ve removed the “Create Account” link to streamline the login process.
• 
  

Admin CP

• Countries (Localization): FIPS Code and Geonames Code are now optional when creating or editing states.
• City Auto-Complete: For inactive members, the City field now supports auto-completion.
• Cron Jobs: Added a detailed settings page for managing scheduled jobs with cron commands.
• Email Inactive Members: Improved the interface for processing inactive member emails.
• Health Check: Enhanced the process for monitoring the queue worker’s status.
• Install/Reinstall App: Added a popup notification to confirm successful installation.
• MFA for Admins: Admins logging in with MFA will now be redirected straight to AdminCP.
• Storage Settings: Storage options are hidden unless they are fully configured.
  

Other Enhancements

• Progressive Web App Support: Added Progressive Web App (PWA) support for Chrome users.
• WYSIWYG Editor: The site’s offline message now supports a WYSIWYG editor.
• Site Statistics: Added a new page to manage and view site statistics.
• Notification Control: Admins can now disable notifications for the entire app.
• Brute-force Protection: Enhanced the system’s ability to protect against brute-force attacks.
• Performance: Improved performance by preventing unnecessary cache resets during certain actions.
• AdminCP Translations: Added support for translating components on the AdminCP site settings page.
• Batch Email Processing: Emails sent to inactive members are now processed in batches to reduce the risk of being flagged as spam.
• Theme Update: The background defaults for the Flatten theme have been moved to the asset folder.
• Backup Control: Added environment variable support to control site backups.
• Database Validation: The installation wizard now performs better checks for database versions.
• Smart Banner Positioning: Admins can now adjust the position of the Smart Banner.
• Bug Fixes
• Numerous bug fixes have been applied to enhance the stability and performance of the platform.
• MFA Requirement: Admins can now require specific user roles to enable MFA for added security.

2. App Updates

? Story

• View Archived Stories: Users can view archived stories that were created on the same date.
• Multiple Text in Stories: Users can now add multiple text elements to their stories for more creative expression.
• Reaction App Permissions: The permissions for reactions now apply to stories as well.
• UI/UX Improvements
• Story Archive Page: Improved wording for clarity on the Story Archive page.
• Mobile Menu Text: Updated the text in the Story Archive menu for better readability on mobile devices.
• Comment Section Layout: Improved the layout of the comment section within stories for a cleaner look.
• Bug Fixes
• A number of bugs have been fixed to improve overall functionality.
  

? Sticker

UI/UX Improvements:

• Improve the sticker file type on the listing page in the mobile browser layout.
• Improve the order of the sticker collection on the All Stickers/ My Stickers tab for the web browser and mobile app.
• Bug fixes

? Chatplus

• Profile Viewing: Users can now view other users’ profiles directly from the “Reacted by” popup.
• Version Warning: A warning message will appear on the AdminCP Dashboard when a new version of the ChatPlus server is available.
  
  UI/UX Improvements:
• Phrasing Updates: Improved and refined text throughout the app.
• Text Field Focus: The cursor now automatically appears in the text field when a conversation is opened.
• File Upload Progress: A progress bar now shows for each file when sending multiple files at once (videos, audio, etc.).
• Edited Messages: An “Edited” icon now appears on messages that have been edited.
• File Names: Improved how file names are displayed in the Files tab.
• Audio Playback: Enhanced the playback rate for audio messages.
• Mobile Apps
• Playback Speed Control: Users can now choose playback speeds (1x, 1.5x, and 2x) for audio messages.
• Reaction List Layout: Improved the layout when viewing the reaction list by icon.
• Bug Fixes
• A range of bugs have been fixed to ensure smoother performance.

? Marketplace

• Short Description Setting: Added a setting to show or hide the short description when creating or editing a listing.
• Listing URLs: Now supports slugs in the listing URL for cleaner links.
  
  UI/UX Improvements
• Photo Reordering (Mobile): Users can now reorder photos when adding or editing a listing on mobile.
• Label Positioning: The “Sold” and “Expired” labels have been moved to the same position as the “Sponsor” and “Feature” labels for consistency.
• Bug Fixes

? Group

Group Members Sorting: You can now sort group members by name or by the date they joined.

UI/UX Improvements

• Search Page Layout: The layout of custom fields on the Search Group page has been updated for a better experience.
• Member Count Permission: The member count now respects the “Who can view members?” permission, regardless of the group’s privacy settings.
• Updated Terminology: The term “Publish Date” has been changed to “Created At” for consistency.
• Cover Photo Size: The group cover photo now matches the size of the listing and detail covers.
• Group Rules Management: Added a message that appears when users deactivate or activate the Example Group Rules.
• Mobile Apps
• Admin/Moderator Labels: Admin and Moderator labels now appear on posts and comments for better clarity.
• Member Search Page: The selected sub-tab on the Search Members page is now centered for easier navigation.
• Bug Fixes
• Various bugs have been fixed to improve the overall experience.

? Subscriptions

• Manage Reasons: Added search filters on the Manage Reasons page for easier navigation.
• AdminCP Performance: Improved performance on the Manage Packages and Manage Subscriptions pages, especially when Google and Apple payment methods are disabled.
• Manage Comparison: Administrators can now use drag-and-drop to reorder comparison items.
• Bug Fixes: Various bugs have been fixed to enhance overall functionality.

Other minor improvements and bug fixes for:

• Invitation
• Blog
• Reaction
• Search
• Newsletters

*Note: For a detailed improvements list of phpFox 5.1.13 , please visit our official 5.1.13 Release Notes for a deeper understanding of the update.

? The package of phpFox 5.1.13 is available for you to download in our Client Area. To update your phpFox site to version 5.1.13, run the upgrade routine following our Update Instructions. Update today and unlock a world of possibilities with phpFox version 5 (Metafox)! We highly recommend you back up your site and database before updating. And remember to check with 3rd-party experts about the compatibility of all the apps/templates you use.

? For the new phpFox version 5 (Metafox) installation, you can follow the Installation Guide.

More information about phpFox version 5 (Metafox) features can be found on our page here.