2024.14
2024-04-22
Introducing Universe widgets. You can now add a widget directly to the home screen and keep tabs on your site’s vitals— including weekly traffic, subscriber count, and account balance from payments made on your site.
Plus, we’ve fixed a number of annoying text issues to ensure your site always looks as flawless as you intended.
2024.12
2024-04-08
Selecting text in the text block used to be difficult. Sort of like herding cats. Not anymore. We fixed that.
2024.10
2024-03-18
The designer in your pocket has leveled up again: introducing image generation. Add an image block, select “Generate,” and use the magic of AI to create the perfect graphics to your site. Can’t find the right stock photo? Conjure up a unique image that reflects the vibe of your site. Looking for something more artistic? Generate consistent, sketch-like designs that give your site a hand-drawn feel. Need branding? Generate a logo for your brand—and use the background removal tool to create a transparent image you can use everywhere.
2024.7
2024-03-04
The designer in your pocket has leveled up again: introducing image generation. Add an image block, select “Generate,” and use the magic of AI to create the perfect graphics to your site. Can’t find the right stock photo? Conjure up a unique image that reflects the vibe of your site. Looking for something more artistic? Generate consistent, sketch-like designs that give your site a hand-drawn feel. Need branding? Generate a logo for your brand—and use the background removal tool to create a transparent image you can use everywhere.
2024.6
2024-02-20
Your phone buzzes on the table. You turn it over. It’s a notification. Someone just subscribed to your site. You smile.
You can now opt-in to be notified when subscribers sign up for updates.
2024.5
2024-02-14
Your phone buzzes on the table. You turn it over. It’s a notification. Someone just subscribed to your site. You smile.
You can now opt-in to be notified when subscribers sign up for updates.
2023.47
2023-11-13
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Please mind our new appearance. We’re still the same app you use to build your corner of the internet, now with a new icon and fresh coat of digital paint.
Starting today, you’ll find Universe on your device via our new globe icon. The globe is a ubiquitous symbol for the World Wide Web. The internet that connects all of us and turns us into a network of thinkers. Creators. And dreamers.
When the real ones at Apple recognized Universe with an Apple Design Award this summer, we were overwhelmed by the interest and excitement from Creators around the world. And we were excited to see more people making the internet a more diverse, fun, and—yeah—weird place. To us, that’s what really connects with the possibilities the World Wide Web originally presented. And still presents today.
Our new primary color blue is, in fact, a rare color. Rarely found in nature. Often experienced through translucencies—the sky, the ocean. These primordial spaces inspire us to think deeply about how we came to exist and why it is that we express ourselves.
As rare as it is in nature, blue exists easily on screen. And we hope this neon + vibrational blue inspires you to tap into your dynamic creative energy every time you open the Universe app.
Tying it all together is the web aka net aka Grid within the globe. The fundamental tool used to build and manage all Universe sites.
We’re feeling refreshed. Inspired. Ready for the next new thing.
We’re betting you’ll be the one to build it.
See you on the ‘net.
2023.46
2023-11-03
GUS, the designer in your pocket is now a writer, also. Use AI to add, improve, or update text anywhere on your site. Whether or not you used GUS to build your site, you can now generate text with the magic of AI. Need a tagline for your site? GUS will have a suggestion. Want to make your writing feel more professional? Select “Change Tone” and GUS will polish it up.
This release also includes a new and improved experience when adding a block to your site, providing you with a better glimpse of all of the block options available.
2023.45
2023-10-30
GUS, the designer in your pocket is now a writer, also. Use AI to add, improve, or update text anywhere on your site. Whether or not you used GUS to build your site, you can now generate text with the magic of AI. Need a tagline for your site? GUS will have a suggestion. Want to make your writing feel more professional? Select “Change Tone” and GUS will polish it up.
This release also includes a new and improved experience when adding a block to your site, providing you with a better glimpse of all of the block options available.
2023.44
2023-10-23
This update is brought to you by the Universe Dept. of Delousing the Internet. We’ve improved the speed of loading images when you have a large photo library, and fixed a couple of bugs that resulted in crashes. A refreshed Universe awaits inside.
2023.43
2023-10-19
This update is brought to you by the Universe Dept. of Delousing the Internet. We’ve improved the speed of loading images when you have a large photo library, and fixed a couple of bugs that resulted in crashes. A refreshed Universe awaits inside.
2023.42
2023-10-16
This release is…a digital juice cleanse. Improvements await inside.
2023.41
2023-10-10
This release is…a digital juice cleanse. Improvements await inside.
2023.40
2023-10-04
This release is…a digital juice cleanse. Improvements await inside.
2023.39
2023-09-25
Static chatter on the transmission. Turning different dials and knobs to adjust and clear the airwaves.
This release includes bug fixes and improvements.
2023.38
2023-09-18
Looking for the perfect photo for your site? We've got you covered. As of today, you can use thousands of high-quality stock images at zero cost. Simply add an image block, choose Unsplash, and browse the gallery to discover stunning, free visuals to add to your sites.
This release includes support for iOS 17.
2023.37
2023-09-14
Looking for the perfect photo for your site? We've got you covered. As of today, you can use thousands of high-quality stock images at zero cost. Simply add an image block, choose Unsplash, and browse the gallery to discover stunning, free visuals to add to your sites.
2023.36
2023-09-11
Looking for the perfect photo for your site? We've got you covered. As of today, you can use thousands of high-quality stock images at zero cost. Simply add an image block, choose Unsplash, and browse the gallery to discover stunning, free visuals to add to your sites.
2023.35
2023-08-17
You’ve got a designer in your pocket. As of today, the first iteration of GUS is available to all users in the app. Chat with GUS to lock in an idea. Sit back and watch the AI assistant work magic. In a matter of minutes, you've got a beautiful new site. Change what you like with the GRID editor and you're online. Yeah, that fast.
This release includes bug fixes and improvements.
2023.34
2023-08-02
You’ve got a designer in your pocket. As of today, the first iteration of GUS is available to all users in the app. Chat with GUS to lock in an idea. Sit back and watch the AI assistant work magic. In a matter of minutes, you've got a beautiful new site. Change what you like with the GRID editor and you're online. Yeah, that fast.
This release includes bug fixes and improvements.
2023.33
2023-07-31
You’ve got a designer in your pocket. As of today, the first iteration of GUS is available to all users in the app. Chat with GUS to lock in an idea. Sit back and watch the AI assistant work magic. In a matter of minutes, you've got a beautiful new site. Change what you like with the GRID editor and you're online. Yeah, that fast.
This release includes bug fixes and improvements.
2023.32
2023-07-26
You’ve got a designer in your pocket. As of today, the first iteration of GUS is available to all users in the app. Chat with GUS to lock in an idea. Sit back and watch the AI assistant work magic. In a matter of minutes, you've got a beautiful new site. Change what you like with the GRID editor and you're online. Yeah, that fast.
2023.31
2023-07-10
Someone asked us to add a Threads icon to the link block. So we added a Threads icon to the link block.
2023.30
2023-07-05
We’ll get right to it: The #1 requested feature from our Creators is here! With this update, you can finally undo and redo edits with the tap of a button. Now you can see how your title looks in a few different fonts and colors, try resizing or masking an image, or add a block without having to remember precisely how things were before. Simply tap undo to revert a change, or redo to re-apply it.
2023.29
2023-06-26
As part of our commitment to inclusivity + unlocking the power of AI to make beautiful, accessible sites, we’re auto-generating alt text for new images added to your sites. For an extra layer of customization, you now have the ability to edit this alt text as well!
2023.28
2023-06-12
This week, we're revamping the grid. Look into the digital pond that is our editor and you’ll find a new UI. We’re introducing a new feature that we’ve fondly started calling the "lily pad" — use this button to add new blocks, control the grid density, add rows, and much more. This lily pad may just have an extra trick or two tucked under its petals, but we’ll save that leap for later.
2023.27
2023-05-31
Sweeping up the digital dust bunnies and polishing the virtual surfaces. A spick and span Universe is ready for you. This release includes bug fixes and improvements.
2023.26
2023-05-22
Siphoning off bugs, unclogging the code. Good as new. This release includes bug fixes and improvements.
2023.25
2023-05-15
This release is…a digital juice cleanse. Bug fixes and improvements included.
2023.24
2023-05-01
Pruning the digital garden, trimming the hedges, and planting fresh pixels. A blooming Universe for your enjoyment.
This update includes improvements.
2023.23
2023-04-12
Dinero, quid, dollar or euro— speak fluent cash with the PayPal Block. Today, anyone in nearly 200 countries can use the new PayPal block to start taking payments through their site.
2023.22
2023-04-03
When creating a new site, you can now swipe through our entire collection of templates at once. Feeling overwhelmed by the options? Tap a filter like “online store” or “portfolio” and we’ll serve up a selection of our favorite purpose-built templates. Take your pick.
2023.21
2023-03-22
What’s your favorite color? Ours is cosmic latte— the color of the universe. See it for yourself by dropping the hex code (#FFF8E7) in the custom color picker. With this release, it’s even easier to tap those keys and make your favorite color appear.
2023.20
2023-03-14
Sometimes the new punk rock hair style doesn’t work out. Or the paint you thought was green turns out to have a blue tint. Sometimes you just want to start over. Now, at least for your website you can. You can now restart your website with a new template anytime. We’ll automatically carry over your domain, your products, your orders, and your metadata. But you get a clean slate for the design of your site.
2023.19
2023-03-07
We swallowed the internet and chewed up the rugs and picked off the cobwebs and mopped up the floors.
This release incudes bug fixes and enhancements.
2023.18
2023-03-01
Slathered some ointment all over our digital wounds. Fixed some bugs. Good as new.
2023.17
2023-02-27
Slathered some ointment all over our digital wounds. Fixed some bugs. Good as new.
2023.16
2023-02-24
Breathe in, breathe out. Move forward, move backward. Sometimes the simplest actions are the most useful ones, which is why we’ve cleaned up our layering functionality //
Move that image block forward. Push that video block backward. Oh, and we told your layers to stop rearranging themselves whenever you tap a block. Go ahead, see for yourself.
This release includes bug fixes and enhancements.
2023.15
2023-02-21
Breathe in, breathe out. Move forward, move backward. Sometimes the simplest actions are the most useful ones, which is why we’ve cleaned up our layering functionality.
Move that image block forward. Push that video block backward. Oh, and we told your layers to stop rearranging themselves whenever you tap a block. Go ahead, see for yourself.
3.64.1
2022-11-09
Digital space waste. High fidelity cleanup.
3.64.0
2022-11-01
wtf is DNS ???
tl;dr it’s a way to command center your site and business on the internet. Add subdomains, custom email addresses, and more. Tbh you don’t have to fully understand DNS to take advantage of all the things it can do for you + your site.
DNS…
Do not siphon
Do not steal
Does not sync
Domain name system
Domain name s?
Domain n?
I caved. I googled.
No way. It's domain name system. I'm smarter than I look.
About a year ago we decided to cut acronyms from our vernacular. It was a great 3 days. No stodgy, coded business-speak. No one scratching their heads and turning to Google. No one feeling left out. But the acronyms crept back in. Because one thing’s for certain: acronyms are a very helpful shorthand if you’re in the know. A simplification, a better format, an improved system. Acronyms are kind of like this release, which is all about putting the tools the pros use, into a palatable, dead simple format. Domain Name System (DNS) is essentially the way the internet indexes and connects information associated with domain names. Now you can access some powerful DNS settings that will help you further carve out your corner of the internet. Create custom subdomains to reinforce your brand across the web. Connect to Google Workspace, iCloud+, and Zoho for personalized email addresses. And connect to Google Search Console to monitor your search traffic and rankings. We’re constantly working to put the tools you need to grow your business directly into your hands. So you can build your empire on Univer.se. From the phone up. EJT. WSYOT. (*Everything just clicks. We’ll see you out there.)
Also, we’ve updated our Commerce tools to include your merchant name on your customer’s credit card statements, so they can scan their statement and see your business name. This’ll help reduce any disputes or chargebacks + give your business a more professional feel across customer touchpoints.
3.63.0
2022-10-19
Written on World Mental Health Day.
Sometimes words reveal their full weight slowly, over time, as we age. There are certain words that have taken me longer to internalize and understand. Integrate. Integration. “My therapist says I’m trying to integrate,” my friend tells me as he plays with blades of grass on the lawn. He was struggling with the fine-flaked limits that separate stability from chaos. To understand integration, I had to experience his momentary disintegration. To brush up against the edges of falling apart.
We’re all looking to integrate. We all want to accept ourselves and fold in the outer layers of self into a unified whole. To present ourselves fully. But sometimes we lose our footing. Sometimes things fall apart. And that’s ok too. We’re building Univer.se to help you present yourself to the world and our tools are built with the intention of getting you there quickly. Creative work can mean pushing out against the boundaries of self and that can be challenging— that can take time. But if something isn’t revealing itself to you in Univer.se, we’re here to demystify and get you to a place of understanding. And with this week’s release, we’re going to get you there even faster.
We’re integrating with Zendesk, the aptly named software that will strengthen our live chat experience. Seamlessly connect with our whip-smart support squad when you need help with Univer.se. If we’re ever away or pulled in different directions, you’ll get a push notification when we’re ready to lend a hand in real time. Just another way we’re trying to integrate and become the best version of ourselves, so you can bring your full self to the internet. And we’re stoked to see that version of you out there.
3.62.0
2022-10-04
Fixing the small things can be just as important as building shiny new things. So we did.
3.61.0
2022-09-27
I have this meditation app where the guy in my headphones tells me to “begin again”. I'm sometimes in a space where I know what that means and sometimes I can't quite grab onto it. Sometimes everything seems so clear and obvious. And sometimes we’re just trying to get a grip. I've been thinking a lot about the creative process. About this mechanical, physical operation. About having an idea and seeing it through. The middle’s chaotic + seductive, but why do we put shit out there? What’s the point? Is it Virgil Abloh creating for his 17 year old self - is it John Updike writing for a teenager in a library a little east of Kansas? Maybe it’s for self - to become. Can we just leave it at that? Can we leave it at that and come back to it later? Nothing’s linear. We write a line and rip it up. Throw some clay then ball it up. There’s thrashing and struggle and containment and desire and everything’s pent up and then you release. You hit publish. You fire off the tweet. You put the song out there. Everything is still for a moment. You take a deep breath. And you begin again.
This week’s release is all about letting you decide when to begin again—as we do the same.
Begin building or updating pages for your site and come back to them whenever is best for you, as we round out our Autosave features to enable you to have true Drafts of your pages. Leave the Editor anytime, and your drafts will be saved. You’ll no longer have to decide between publishing or losing edits.
Begin understanding and reaching your audience with new Marketing Integrations in the app. So you can fire your ad agency. Or, never think about hiring one. You are your own ad agency. You got this. Get all the data and customer insights you could dream of. Connect your Meta Pixel to retarget ads and create lookalike groups for your audience. Super necessary if you’re running or plan to run ads on IG Stories + Facebook. Plug in your Google Analytics Pixel to gain next-level insights into where your audience is coming from, move some product, and grow your business. Our whole vibe is leveling the playing field and putting the tools the pros use into your hands. Equal access to tools. Everything you need to grow your sites and shops. (note: these tools are powerful– they’re basically like reading your customer’s minds).
And begin finding Universe at our new home, which is also our name: Univer.se. Same pronunciation, same great everything. So now your free sites can be accessed at onuniverse.com, or the shorter and crisper univer.se. We’ve whipped up support articles and you can always reach out to us with any questions. More to come. We’ll see you out there.
3.60.3
2022-09-21
Uploading patch. Just a quick fix. All set.
3.60.2
2022-09-12
If we love something, we keep coming back to it. Dog-eared books, worn-out shirts, the same songs stuck in our head on repeat. We retrace our steps. We practice the same chords over and over again. We see the same friends, we text an ex. We fall into patterns and history repeats itself. Are we caught in an infinite loop?
We find comfort in the familiar + search for meaning in chaos. Sometimes it’s intentional. Sometimes through force of habit. We hit the same apps on accident. We see ghosts, walk through walls, move through seasons and storylines. We repeat things so often, it’s important to remind ourselves that time isn’t cyclical, it’s spiral. We never cross the same river twice.
With this release, we’re making it easy to come back to your favorite Text Styles. Now you can define your text’s signature style for titles, subtitles, captions, paragraphs + more. We’re introducing a new Text Palette design where you can scroll through Text Styles and group attributes like font, size, and color. So you can quickly replay the hits and apply them throughout your pages and site. We made a tactile and playful wheel that feels familiar. It’s inviting. It’s memorable. You’re gonna have a lot of fun playing with text. Just don’t text your ex. We all know how that ends. We’ll see you out there.
3.60.1
2022-09-08
Who invented words? And terms? How do we come to terms? How do we arrive at them? I was sitting in a sun-soaked room one morning, eating breakfast, when my friend said “isn’t it crazy that breakfast was invented?” Freud’s nephew invented the modern breakfast as part of a PR campaign to get folks to consume more bacon. How do we come to terms? How do we arrive at them? I’ve always loved the names of groups in the animal world. We know the basic ones like ‘school of fish’ and ‘flock of sheep’ - but ‘gaggle of geese’? Flamboyance of flamingos! Murder of crows. Epic. What would we call a group of blocks on the Grid? A batch of blocks? A pack, a cluster, a flock? How do we come to terms? How do we arrive at them? Julia Berners gifted us those delicious collective nouns for animals back in 1486. And with this release, we’re inventing a new term for blocks that are grouped, connected, and magnetically moved around the Grid together, herdlike. We’re calling it Group Block, and it’s going to massively transform the way sites are built on Universe.
Group Block introduces a whole new dimension of composability to the Grid. Previously, there wasn’t a way to group content blocks together and move or resize them as a single unit. With Group Block, you can cluster blocks together and copy, paste, drag, and drop those groups freely across your pages. Duplicate complex and layered compositions across your site. Build menus or site headers and copy/paste them for site consistency and navigational ease. Create product capsules that showcase your designs with prices and descriptions batched together and copy/paste/edit to quickly- and uniformly- build out a collection. Pair a video with some text and layer, lock, drag, and drop. Simple as that. You can even nest Group Blocks inside of each other for precise alignment and scale. Build fractal landscapes and highly polished websites. Dive deeper into the Grid than ever. This is how we invent things. Together. We can’t wait to see where you take us.
v3.59.0 What’s New:
Create Group Blocks— composable blocks that allow for complex groupings of blocks that can be moved, copied, pasted, and resized as a single unit. Group Block lets you:
- Create a Group
- Resize a Group (cropping)
- Copy and Paste a Group
- Nest Group Blocks within Group Blocks
3.60.0
2022-09-01
If we love something, we keep coming back to it. Dog-eared books, worn-out shirts, the same songs stuck in our head on repeat. We retrace our steps. We practice the same chords over and over again. We see the same friends, we text an ex. We fall into patterns and history repeats itself. Are we caught in an infinite loop?
We find comfort in the familiar + search for meaning in chaos. Sometimes it’s intentional. Sometimes through force of habit. We hit the same apps on accident. We see ghosts, walk through walls, move through seasons and storylines. We repeat things so often, it’s important to remind ourselves that time isn’t cyclical, it’s spiral. We never cross the same river twice.
With this release, we’re making it easy to come back to your favorite Text Styles. Now you can define your text’s signature style for titles, subtitles, captions, paragraphs + more. We’re introducing a new Text Palette design where you can scroll through Text Styles and group attributes like font, size, and color. So you can quickly replay the hits and apply them throughout your pages and site. We made a tactile and playful wheel that feels familiar. It’s inviting. It’s memorable. You’re gonna have a lot of fun playing with text. Just don’t text your ex. We all know how that ends. We’ll see you out there.
3.59.0
2022-08-16
Who invented words? And terms? How do we come to terms? How do we arrive at them? I was sitting in a sun-soaked room one morning, eating breakfast, when my friend said “isn’t it crazy that breakfast was invented?” Freud’s nephew invented the modern breakfast as part of a PR campaign to get folks to consume more bacon. How do we come to terms? How do we arrive at them? I’ve always loved the names of groups in the animal world. We know the basic ones like ‘school of fish’ and ‘flock of sheep’ - but ‘gaggle of geese’? Flamboyance of flamingos! Murder of crows. Epic. What would we call a group of blocks on the Grid? A batch of blocks? A pack, a cluster, a flock? How do we come to terms? How do we arrive at them? Julia Berners gifted us those delicious collective nouns for animals back in 1486. And with this release, we’re inventing a new term for blocks that are grouped, connected, and magnetically moved around the Grid together, herdlike. We’re calling it Group Block, and it’s going to massively transform the way sites are built on Universe.
Group Block introduces a whole new dimension of composability to the Grid. Previously, there wasn’t a way to group content blocks together and move or resize them as a single unit. With Group Block, you can cluster blocks together and copy, paste, drag, and drop those groups freely across your pages. Duplicate complex and layered compositions across your site. Build menus or site headers and copy/paste them for site consistency and navigational ease. Create product capsules that showcase your designs with prices and descriptions batched together and copy/paste/edit to quickly- and uniformly- build out a collection. Pair a video with some text and layer, lock, drag, and drop. Simple as that. You can even nest Group Blocks inside of each other for precise alignment and scale. Build fractal landscapes and highly polished websites. Dive deeper into the Grid than ever. This is how we invent things. Together. We can’t wait to see where you take us.
v3.59.0 What’s New:
Create Group Blocks— composable blocks that allow for complex groupings of blocks that can be moved, copied, pasted, and resized as a single unit. Group Block lets you:
- Create a Group
- Resize a Group (cropping)
- Copy and Paste a Group
- Nest Group Blocks within Group Blocks
3.58.1
2022-08-09
Technically speaking, this release has absolutely nothing to do with baseball. But I’m on a flight out east to Boston, close to where I’m from, where everything is about baseball in these dog days of summer. So I guess it’s on my mind. Call it nostalgia, call it force of habit—I look up who the Red Sox are playing. Kansas City. This is quite serendipitous because what this release is about is a reshuffling. And when I think of shuffle - any kind of shuffle - I think of Kansas City. If you don’t know the movie Lucky Number Slevin, there’s this terminal scene where Bruce Willis explains how the Kansas City Shuffle works. Classic con-artist misdirection. You look left, I move right...I catch you by surprise, even though you thought you were along for the ride. Our version of a Kansas City Shuffle has profoundly less hijinx involved. Just the classic “shifting things around in the app to make everything more clear”. Why obfuscate? Ok, I’ll get to the point. Previously, it took a couple of taps to navigate to the Commerce section, which was one tap too many for our liking. So we moved it out into the open and gave it some space to breathe. A front row seat in the app as a main feature. To get that spot opened up, we had to slide out the Home tab and shuffle Pages to the left. So yeah, we slid in the Commerce tab and stole home base. Alright. Maybe this has everything to do with baseball. And that’s a Kansas City Shuffle, baby.
v3.58.0 What’s New:
- A fresh position for the Commerce tab in the app. Commerce is now in the main navigation tray for a more intuitive in-app flow. We removed the Home section so you can head into the app and edit your Pages and view Commerce activity straight away.
- We’re introducing a new tab to the Text Block Palette. The Block tab will contain all general block properties (like background, padding, and block actions). This will allow the Style tab to focus on Text Style properties.
3.58.0
2022-08-04
Technically speaking, this release has absolutely nothing to do with baseball. But I’m on a flight out east to Boston, close to where I’m from, where everything is about baseball in these dog days of summer. So I guess it’s on my mind. Call it nostalgia, call it force of habit—I look up who the Red Sox are playing. Kansas City. This is quite serendipitous because what this release is about is a reshuffling. And when I think of shuffle - any kind of shuffle - I think of Kansas City. If you don’t know the movie Lucky Number Slevin, there’s this terminal scene where Bruce Willis explains how the Kansas City Shuffle works. Classic con-artist misdirection. You look left, I move right...I catch you by surprise, even though you thought you were along for the ride. Our version of a Kansas City Shuffle has profoundly less hijinx involved. Just the classic “shifting things around in the app to make everything more clear”. Why obfuscate? Ok, I’ll get to the point. Previously, it took a couple of taps to navigate to the Commerce section, which was one tap too many for our liking. So we moved it out into the open and gave it some space to breathe. A front row seat in the app as a main feature. To get that spot opened up, we had to slide out the Home tab and shuffle Pages to the left. So yeah, we slid in the Commerce tab and stole home base. Alright. Maybe this has everything to do with baseball. And that’s a Kansas City Shuffle, baby.
v3.58.0 What’s New:
- A fresh position for the Commerce tab in the app. Commerce is now in the main navigation tray for a more intuitive in-app flow. We removed the Home section so you can head into the app and edit your Pages and view Commerce activity straight away.
- We’re introducing a new tab to the Text Block Palette. The Block tab will contain all general block properties (like background, padding, and block actions). This will allow the Style tab to focus on Text Style properties.
3.57.0
2022-08-01
I was staring at those stunning pictures the James Webb Telescope is churning out and listening to an astronomer talk about how we’re getting to the core of the universe, to the moments closest to the big bang, where we can learn about the elements that make us up. And as I’m looking at these photos, these snapshots in time, where the light we’re seeing has traveled a very long distance to be here with us, she turns toward the camera, narrows her eyes, looks straight at me and says, “how can we understand ourselves if we don’t understand where we come from?” Woah.
I am not an astronomer. More of an armchair iPhone philosopher. But I think we’re all in search of lost time. Hoping to center. In search of early marks that can instruct us on our path. It’s important to preserve our early work, however unrefined, so we have something to look back on – something to help us understand ourselves and navigate the present. Universe (the company) agreed with that sentiment and we pushed out our autosave feature a couple of months ago. With this release, autosave is there for you in the earliest moments of your onboarding experience. Now, if you’re new to the app and working on a site and exit the app for some reason, your work will be saved as an “unpublished” page when you head back in. Kind of like a snapshot of the last edits made. Ready for you to continue working on whenever the stars align. We’ll see you out there.
v3.57.0
Polish Week updates:
- Autosave is now supported in onboarding
- Link Block accessibility improvements
- A few more visual improvements (like polishing discounts UI) and also some edge cases we proactively track down and work to improve (like a far-out, uncommon bug related to type spacing).
3.56.1
2022-07-23
Remember in high school when you would 2.1 space your English papers to hit a higher page count? For me, that was my first experience playing around with text spacing. It was a clever trick, but it taught me the lesson that a slight, nearly imperceptible permutation in text spacing materially impacts the rhythm and visual flow of the whole. Today we’re bringing that capacity to the Grid Editor with our Text Spacing tool. It’s going to dramatically improve the design and layout experience, bringing precise and adjustable spacing between characters, lines, and paragraphs. Now when you work with text, you can slide your finger to fine-tune spacing and create designs with impeccable kerning. Give your words some (( s p a c e to b r e a t h e )) or create text that feels [thisclose], overlaid, and experimental. This feature’s going to help your site stand out on the internet - whether you’re showcasing your design chops or rattling off fragmented transmissions into the void.
The right spacing creates texture that can make it feel like you’re synching breaths with your audience. And speaking of synching, we know how important it is to capture and portray our vast, rich, inner world on the wild terrain of the internet. It helps us feel seen and understood. It creates connection and builds trust. For this release, we worked hard to improve the experience of that connection between what you design in the app and what renders when you hit publish and view it on the web. We want your sites to line up exactly with what you see while you’re building. For example, we fixed a pesky Text Block bug where text sometimes snagged as you scrolled on the web, but didn’t show up as you were editing. Now when you hit publish, your site and the text you create within it, will look and feel just the way you intended.
There are far fewer rules on the internet than in high school, but for us, there are no clever workarounds, just intentional progress in building a creative platform where your sites and designs reflect your imagination as closely as possible. We know that it’s those slight, nearly imperceptible improvements that materially impact the whole. As always, we can’twaittoseewhatyoucreate.
3.56.0
2022-07-21
Remember in high school when you would 2.1 space your English papers to hit a higher page count? For me, that was my first experience playing around with text spacing. It was a clever trick, but it taught me the lesson that a slight, nearly imperceptible permutation in text spacing materially impacts the rhythm and visual flow of the whole. Today we’re bringing that capacity to the Grid Editor with our Text Spacing tool. It’s going to dramatically improve the design and layout experience, bringing precise and adjustable spacing between characters, lines, and paragraphs. Now when you work with text, you can slide your finger to fine-tune spacing and create designs with impeccable kerning. Give your words some (( s p a c e to b r e a t h e )) or create text that feels [thisclose], overlaid, and experimental. This feature’s going to help your site stand out on the internet - whether you’re showcasing your design chops or rattling off fragmented transmissions into the void.
The right spacing creates texture that can make it feel like you’re synching breaths with your audience. And speaking of synching, we know how important it is to capture and portray our vast, rich, inner world on the wild terrain of the internet. It helps us feel seen and understood. It creates connection and builds trust. For this release, we worked hard to improve the experience of that connection between what you design in the app and what renders when you hit publish and view it on the web. We want your sites to line up exactly with what you see while you’re building. For example, we fixed a pesky Text Block bug where text sometimes snagged as you scrolled on the web, but didn’t show up as you were editing. Now when you hit publish, your site and the text you create within it, will look and feel just the way you intended.
There are far fewer rules on the internet than in high school, but for us, there are no clever workarounds, just intentional progress in building a creative platform where your sites and designs reflect your imagination as closely as possible. We know that it’s those slight, nearly imperceptible improvements that materially impact the whole. As always, we can’twaittoseewhatyoucreate.
3.55.3
2022-07-05
Pricing’s tough. I used to run an online shop selling raincoats. As you can imagine, raincoats are pretty seasonal items. Winter and spring - excellent times to be in business. But summer hits and sales drop off. So I tested discounts in the warmer months. Raked in some cash. But then you start to wonder...did I go too low? Will people be forever anchored to this lower price point? Maybe I should lay off the high heat. Looking back, there’s really no need to overthink it. Prices fluctuate. Temperatures rise and fall. Nothing’s permanent. That’s what this release is all about. Now when you create a discount code, you can edit it whenever you’d like. Products not flying off the digital shelves? Bump up the discount without having to send out fresh codes. Think you went too low? Pare back the discount a bit. It’s all good. It’s all an experiment. Nothing’s permanent. And in that spirit, we'll have more updates to Discounts coming soon.
3.55.2
2022-06-29
For a minute there, the GIPHY Block wasn’t searching for GIFs properly. But now it’s all patched up. Thanks to Polish Week (the week our engineers add finishing touches to the product). So, in honor of that work, I searched “Polish Week” in the GIPHY Block so I could slap a commemorative GIF on my site. A lot of nail polish GIFs came up. This is important because in my tests, building a site on Universe is actually more fun if you have some paint on your thumbs. It adds some extra vibrance and dimensionality and you can even use the Color Picker tool to perfectly match your physical look. We also fixed an issue related to memory usage, but sadly, GIFs for "memory usage" weren't as inspiring. The work, however, is incredible and sites will hum along in the background like a dream because of it. Enjoy!
3.55.1
2022-06-08
Sometimes we're just quietly sweeping in the background making edits. Improving a few things here and there. Autosave and Discount Codes went live recently, so we've made some enhancements to both. Improving accessibility. Polishing the products to help things run smoother. This is a quick Polish Week release, so I'm gonna keep these notes pretty short and sweet, too. Just a light dusting of words. Keeping my fingers loose and limber. Gotta stretch. Don't want to pull a tendon tripping over the keyboard when I start writing about the fire releases we've got lined up for ya. Coming soon.
3.55.0
2022-05-31
Attn Sellers: You asked. We answered. Discount Codes. They’re now live in the app to create and send out to your customers. Slap a code on your site and watch the sales roll in. Knock a few bucks off to show your friends and fam some love. Throw out some codes to drum up some business + rake in the cash. Good for you. Good for the wallet. Design that’s easy on the eyes. Make a buck. Make a bucket.
This release gives our Pro subscribers the ability to make custom discount codes to send out. Make a code. Turn it on. Turn it off. Codes are automatically applied site-wide. Simple. And it’ll be followed very closely by an even more robust version with features like discount editing, settings (i.e. take $5 off $50 or more), and tools to schedule discounts in the future. So this is just the start of a very good thing. And it’s only gonna get better. Stay tuned.
3.54.0
2022-05-12
Autosave is now live in the editor. App crashes happen. Phone calls happen. Maybe you’re switching between apps to find a reference photo for your site and Universe closes to preserve system memory. Or you get a call from your sister and you haven’t talked in a minute, so you pick it up and the app closes. With autosave, you can get right back where you left off. It’s the equivalent of a generator during a storm. Real nice to have.
I donno - the sister calling just brought this up, so step back in time with me: you’re a kid playing hours of ps1 and you’re almost at the end of your game and your sister wants to watch a Very Important Show™ that’s on in 5 minutes, but you need another hour and you tell her (in perfectly nice english) to go watch the show somewhere else and she presses the power button in retaliation “because she’s older” and you— to say you lose it is an understatement — but you lose more than just your progress in the game.
That’s life pre-autosave. The progress is gone. And even though you’re older now and you’re an adult, the feeling is still very real. Autosave protects you from that feeling. You never have to feel that way again. Plus, there’s something uniquely game-like about building a site on Universe. Without autosave, memories could be stirred. The unconscious could bubble up. We’ve got autosave now. Work’s protected. We’re good. You’re good. Pick up the call from your sister. Your work will be here when you get back.
3.53.2
2022-05-09
There are people underneath me banging very loudly. I don't know what types of tools they're using but they're reinforcing the foundation. And they are loud. Seismic retrofit. Shockwave absorption. All i know is it's commotion. Too much. But it'll help keep a roof over my head when a big one lands. And we've got a big one coming. For sure. (In the app and also in California). But this week at Universe, we're setting the foundation. Moving things around to prepare for a major release. We've hinted at it before. Custom Blocks. In your hands in a matter of weeks. Only a matter of weeks.`
3.53.1
2022-04-05
We have another Polish Week update in store for you this week. Polish Week is our chance to come together as an engineering team to tackle and ship some of our most requested features. This week, we focused on accessibility. VoiceOver and our Grid-based layout paired beautifully to support us in building a set of tools that allows for guided access in designing a website on your phone. VoiceOver guides the navigation of our Drag and Drop functionality, announcing discrete placements across the GRID. You can also use VoiceOver to layer blocks on top of each other for more complex arrangements and designs. It’s a step closer in our mission of allowing everyone to build the internet and we’re really proud to share this work with you. Enjoy!
V3.53.1 What’s New:
- Accessibility improvements to navigating on the Grid
- Code cleanup to set the stage for future work
- Fixed a few Shopping Cart bugs on the Web
3.53.0
2022-03-24
Just a quick update to the app this week that’ll be helpful in the event you decide to part ways with us. You can now fully delete your account. We’re not advocating for it, but it’s there if you need it. Now, with the tap of a button (and then another button just to be sure), all your sites and information will be removed from our servers. Gone. Bye. Erased. Whisked off into the ether. It’s kind of like pulling the ripcord from Universe. Or maybe it’s more like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. You can now Eternal Sunshine us. Of course, you’re always welcome to come back and start over. We just won’t remember you. Which could be kind of nice. Fresh eyes and some fresh intention. Might not be such a bad thing after all.
3.52.3
2022-03-16
Release Notes:
We’re always pushing to make things better. But what does ‘better’ really mean? Who is ‘better’ in service of? We think inclusion makes things better -- more energy, more input, more substance, more life. This week’s release focus was around accessibility and it played out on two surfaces: the Grid Editor and the Explore page. So now we have improved accessibility for both- all in service of creating and highlighting inspired work. Everyone should be able to build the internet. For us, that's sacrosanct. Will it make the internet better? We think so. See you out there.
What’s New:
- Accessibility improvements to the Explore screen
- Accessibility improvements to Grid Editor navigation
- Fixed a crash related to SoundManager
- Cleaned up some palette module UI/UX issues
- Fixed a bug preventing some users from uploading videos
3.52.1
2022-03-14
We’re always pushing to make things better. But what does ‘better’ really mean? Who is ‘better’ in service of? We think inclusion makes things better -- more energy, more input, more substance, more life. This week’s release focus was around accessibility and it played out on two surfaces: the Grid Editor and the Explore page. So now we have improved accessibility for both- all in service of creating and highlighting inspired work. Everyone should be able to build the internet. For us, that's sacrosanct. Will it make the internet better? We think so. See you out there.
What’s New:
- Accessibility improvements to the Explore screen
- Accessibility improvements to Grid Editor navigation
- Fixed a crash related to SoundManager
- Cleaned up some palette module UI/UX issues
3.52.0
2022-02-14
1/5/22
I am on a train called the Sunset Limited.
In a small room. Sequestered.
I think of home town runaways and high speed getaways and freighters heading west. I am coursing east, bound for New Orleans, away from the sunset. It's hard to crane my neck back enough to see the colors melt into the desert's edge.
1/8/22
We're releasing our Color Picker in a few weeks and I google "color of the universe" out of curiosity. Apparently someone's decided on the color of the universe (cosmic latte), and given it a hex code (#FFF8E7). You can google it or take my word for it. Cosmic latte is the millennial pink of the far reaching galaxy.
1/10/22
I get a package in the mail. No return address. No note from the sender. Nothing.
Inside are two beautiful Japanese color guide books. This makes sense. I'm helping name the preset colors and gradients. I ask around the office. We don't have an office. I ask around on Slack. Everyone denies sending these books. But I know it was someone here. I become suspicious of my coworkers.
1/16/22
I'm sitting across from some people at a dinner party and they start talking about seeing people only as colors. I nod and listen, but I am not on enough acid for this conversation, so I leave.
1/18/22
I like to think that people with synesthesia are just a fractured glitch in the simulation. Like, they have their body firmly planted on the ground, but one arm's out the window in a wormhole– a disembodied hand walking around out there, living some tasty technicolor dream.
1/20/22
We ask why the sky is blue and forget the answer. Everything is reflected, refracted, shape-shifted, and summarily redacted.
1/26/22
I play with our Color Picker for the first time: This is a tantalizing chromatic feast. Changing the background color on your site is now as intoxicating as wandering the halls of a James Turrell exhibit. Create custom colors and gradients and save them. Choose the angle where the light informs the gradient. Drenched, just dripping in color. Phantasmagoric realms of self-expression. This is a serious art tool. Every color, instantly placed on your site to preview and play around with. I'm floored. You know that feeling when you're jealous of someone for getting to experience something with fresh eyes that you wish you could experience again for the first time with fresh eyes? That's how I feel right now.
We're releasing our new Color Picker today, folks. Enjoy it - It's a hell of a ride.
3.51.6
2022-01-21
There’s something about this time of year. The night creeps up on us earlier, we throw on extra layers. I should be cozy and go with it, but there’s this unreconciled want that’s hard to shake off. I want the days to be longer. I want the nights to be warmer. I want this sweater to not itch the back of my neck.
It all evens out soon enough, as we steep into winter’s descent. But for now, I’m restless. I miss the late afternoon sun. I want to bleach my hair and recapture my youth. I’m sitting on a couch next to our CEO, Joe, and we’re talking about buzzing our heads and dyeing our hair. There’s an alternate version of ourselves in the not-so-distant future, with shocks of fluorescent green sprouting from our heads. “So do we do it?” “No, really - what color?” We start looking at examples on instagram. But this is a leap before you look situation. It’s not something you stew over. It’s just something you do. Because we need a change. Because we are alive. We shapeshift. We change our kit of parts. We emerge. We transfigure. We transform.
And that’s as true for hair color in this liminal season of autumn-- as it is for designing your site. This week, we release our new Theme Engine into the world. Effortlessly- yet judiciously- swap thematic elements on your site and see them persist across all your pages. Choose from 50+ Themes or create your own. Themes are going to help you make quick design decisions to create beautiful sites that can change and evolve with you - all with a swipe.
So dye your hair. Tear down the wallpaper. Change your site as much as you like. Throw up a fresh coat of paint. It’s time to tap into that static undercurrent brimming and bristling. Then burst. Try your best. Then do your worst.
What’s New:
- Select a site theme, or create your own, and apply the same style across all the different elements ( button color, fonts, page background, etc.) and pages of your site.
- Themes introduces Text Styles, so text can be classified as a title, subtitle, caption, etc.
- 50+ all new Themes (and growing)
- Themes introduces new Templates
- VoiceOver Rotor Controls for Accessibility
3.51.5
2022-01-10
There’s something about this time of year. The night creeps up on us earlier, we throw on extra layers. I should be cozy and go with it, but there’s this unreconciled want that’s hard to shake off. I want the days to be longer. I want the nights to be warmer. I want this sweater to not itch the back of my neck.
It all evens out soon enough, as we steep into winter’s descent. But for now, I’m restless. I miss the late afternoon sun. I want to bleach my hair and recapture my youth. I’m sitting on a couch next to our CEO, Joe, and we’re talking about buzzing our heads and dyeing our hair. There’s an alternate version of ourselves in the not-so-distant future, with shocks of fluorescent green sprouting from our heads. “So do we do it?” “No, really - what color?” We start looking at examples on instagram. But this is a leap before you look situation. It’s not something you stew over. It’s just something you do. Because we need a change. Because we are alive. We shapeshift. We change our kit of parts. We emerge. We transfigure. We transform.
And that’s as true for hair color in this liminal season of autumn-- as it is for designing your site. This week, we release our new Theme Engine into the world. Effortlessly- yet judiciously- swap thematic elements on your site and see them persist across all your pages. Choose from 50+ Themes or create your own. Themes are going to help you make quick design decisions to create beautiful sites that can change and evolve with you - all with a swipe.
So dye your hair. Tear down the wallpaper. Change your site as much as you like. Throw up a fresh coat of paint. It’s time to tap into that static undercurrent brimming and bristling. Then burst. Try your best. Then do your worst.
What’s New:
- Select a site theme, or create your own, and apply the same style across all the different elements ( button color, fonts, page background, etc.) and pages of your site.
- Themes introduces Text Styles, so text can be classified as a title, subtitle, caption, etc.
- 50+ all new Themes (and growing)
- Themes introduces new Templates
- VoiceOver Rotor Controls for Accessibility
3.50.1
2021-10-12
What is space, really? Too much space and we float off, lost in the expanse. Too little and we feel closed in. We retreat. There’s always the push and the pull. We flee the cramped confines of our city apartments to breathe some fresh country air, only to miss the coziness of a crowded room. We need compromise. A layer of control to balance out and land somewhere in between. Maybe a bigger yard. Or a weekend away. Maybe we just need to rearrange the furniture and clear the clutter. In poetry, space gives us pause –– permission to take a breath. Because what’s left unsaid is just as important as what’s written. And with this release, that’s what we’re introducing –– the ability to add space and specificity around your blocks. We’re calling it Block Padding, which is a term we borrowed from CSS. There’s something nice about using the same language for the GRID as CSS. We’re working to achieve the same thing –– precise alignment for form and flow and rhythm to your site. Now when you add a block, you can adjust the spacing around it. Use Padding to fine-tune layouts. Draw the eye in. Let your mind pour out onto the page. We can’t wait to see what you create.
What's New:
Introducing Block Padding. Block Padding allows you to compose and add spacing around buttons, text blocks, and image blocks.
3.50.0
2021-10-06
What is space, really? Too much space and we float off, lost in the expanse. Too little and we feel closed in. We retreat. There’s always the push and the pull. We flee the cramped confines of our city apartments to breathe some fresh country air, only to miss the coziness of a crowded room. We need compromise. A layer of control to balance out and land somewhere in between. Maybe a bigger yard. Or a weekend away. Maybe we just need to rearrange the furniture and clear the clutter. In poetry, space gives us pause –– permission to take a breath. Because what’s left unsaid is just as important as what’s written. And with this release, that’s what we’re introducing –– the ability to add space and specificity around your blocks. We’re calling it Block Padding, which is a term we borrowed from CSS. There’s something nice about using the same language for the GRID as CSS. We’re working to achieve the same thing –– precise alignment for form and flow and rhythm to your site. Now when you add a block, you can adjust the spacing around it. Use Padding to fine-tune layouts. Draw the eye in. Let your mind pour out onto the page. We can’t wait to see what you create.
What's New:
Introducing Block Padding. Block Padding allows you to compose and add spacing around buttons, text blocks, and image blocks.
3.49.2
2021-09-20
This week, we’re excited to introduce Block Layering to the GRID. Previously, when you tried to drop a block over another one, it was like a game of cat and mouse, with the blocks magnetically opposed to taking up the same space. “Two things cannot occupy the same space.” We learn this in physics. At the other end of the hallway we conjugate verbs. The lessons sink in. They are learned. They give the world weight. They interpolate our reality. This city never sleeps. Eventually, things bubble up. We surface emotions. Expose our layers. Emerge. We are emergent. Without layering, there would be no texture. No overture. No resplendent arrangement of chords. So we learn and unlearn. We look to waves. Waves can occupy the same space at the same time. So maybe Block Layers are more like waves. Which we’re about to make. Big time.
What’s New:
Introducing Block Layers. You can now move and arrange blocks over each other. You can overlay text on top of images. You can rearrange their order. You can compose and collage. You can slap a ‘sold out’ sign over a drop. We could keep going, but we’re limited by our imaginations. We honestly cannot wait to see what you create. It’s going to blow us away.
3.39.0
2021-01-19
Meet the Download Block. Whether you make videos, zines, mixes, or anything in between, you can now sell (or give away) whatever you make as a digital file.
To get started, just add the Download Block to your site, upload your PDF, MP3, MOV, or any other file type, and name your price. Then you can start selling right away—with no shipping or overhead required.
Paid downloads are a great way to expand your online store, but you can also offer files for free. We can’t wait to see what you create, upload, and sell.
3.38.2
2020-12-20
You know what they say... teamwork makes the dream work. Starting today, you can invite other people to edit and manage sites on Universe with Shared Sites.
Getting started is easy. Head over to the Settings tab from your site dashboard. When you invite a new collaborator we will generate a one time use code for you to share with them however you'd like. When you share it we'll include a link with instructions for your new collaborator to get started. You'll need a Universe Pro subscription to invite collaborators to your site.
3.38.1
2020-12-18
You know what they say... teamwork makes the dream work. Starting today, you can invite other people to edit and manage sites on Universe with Shared Sites.
Getting started is easy. Head over to the Settings tab from your site dashboard. When you invite a new collaborator we will generate a one time use code for you to share with them however you'd like. When you share it we'll include a link with instructions for your new collaborator to get started. You'll need a Universe Pro subscription to invite collaborators to your site.
3.38.0
2020-12-15
You know what they say... teamwork makes the dream work. Starting today, you can invite other people to edit and manage sites on Universe with Shared Sites.
Getting started is easy. Head over to the Settings tab from your site dashboard. When you invite a new collaborator we will generate a one time use code for you to share with them however you'd like. When you share it we'll include a link with instructions for your new collaborator to get started. You'll need a Universe Pro subscription to invite collaborators to your site.
3.37.2
2020-11-24
This one's BIG. Today we're launching Universe for Mac, a magical new Universe app for creating websites, online stores, and so much more with your computer. We've completely overhauled the Universe experience to work perfectly with a mouse and keyboard, bringing all the power and ease-of-use of our grid editor to your desktop. Download it today for free on the Mac App Store today!
As an added bonus, we've also updated the iPad app to support many of the changes we made for Universe for Mac :)
Enjoy!
3.37.0
2020-11-12
This one's BIG. Today we're launching Universe for Mac, a magical new Universe app for creating websites, online stores, and so much more with your computer. We've completely overhauled the Universe experience to work perfectly with a mouse and keyboard, bringing all the power and ease-of-use of our grid editor to your desktop. Download it today for free on the Mac App Store today!
As an added bonus, we've also updated the iPad app to support many of the changes we made for Universe for Mac :)
Enjoy!
3.36.3
2020-10-27
There are so many apps that can help you create and run your business on Universe. Check out the Apps We Love section in the app and take a look at some of our favorites!
This release also includes small update to Universe Shipping that allows you to set shipping weight for products by the ounce to make it easier to ship smaller items.
To get started with Universe Shipping, simply tap on an order from your dashboard to create UPS and USPS labels. To make things even easier, labels are paid for seamlessly from your account's balance.
In addition to Shipping, we made some other great improvements to the selling experience:
- You can now collect a phone number with your orders
- You can now add a notes field to your orders to collect info from your customers
- Your customers can now order more than one of a specific item from the checkout screen
Note: Universe Shipping is only available to sellers and purchasers in the US at launch.
3.36.2
2020-10-07
There are so many apps that can help you create and run your business on Universe. Check out the Apps We Love section in the app and take a look at some of our favorites!
This release also includes small update to Universe Shipping that allows you to set shipping weight for products by the ounce to make it easier to ship smaller items.
To get started with Universe Shipping, simply tap on an order from your dashboard to create UPS and USPS labels. To make things even easier, labels are paid for seamlessly from your account's balance.
In addition to Shipping, we made some other great improvements to the selling experience:
- You can now collect a phone number with your orders
- You can now add a notes field to your orders to collect info from your customers
- Your customers can now order more than one of a specific item from the checkout screen
Note: Universe Shipping is only available to sellers and purchasers in the US at launch.
3.36.1
2020-09-29
Say goodbye to waiting in line at the post office to ship your products. Introducing Universe Shipping—create shipping labels, get the best rates, and pay for postage all without needing to leaving the app.
Just tap on an order from your dashboard to create UPS and USPS labels. To make things even easier, labels are paid for seamlessly from your account's balance.
With Universe Shipping, we're taking another step towards setting up and managing your online business as easy and smooth as possible. We think you're going to love it.
In addition to Shipping, we made some other great improvements to the selling experience:
- You can now collect a phone number with your orders
- You can now add a notes field to your orders to collect info from your customers
- Your customers can now order more than one of a specific item from the checkout screen
Note: Universe Shipping is only available to sellers and purchasers in the US at launch.
3.36.0
2020-09-24
Say goodbye to waiting in line at the post office to ship your products. Introducing Universe Shipping—create shipping labels, get the best rates, and pay for postage all without needing to leaving the app.
Just tap on an order from your dashboard to create UPS and USPS labels. To make things even easier, labels are paid for seamlessly from your account's balance.
With Universe Shipping, we're taking another step towards setting up and managing your online business as easy and smooth as possible. We think you're going to love it.
In addition to Shipping, we made some other great improvements to the selling experience:
- You can now collect a phone number with your orders
- You can now add a notes field to your orders to collect info from your customers
- Your customers can now order more than one of a specific item from the checkout screen
Note: Universe Shipping is only available to sellers and purchasers in the US at launch.
3.35.3
2020-09-10
We made a big improvement to the editor with this release - now you can move any size block around the grid and surrounding blocks will automagically get out of the way, making it super easy to rearrange and organize blocks on a page. Now nothing will get between you and your ideas! Enjoy :)
3.35.2
2020-08-27
We made a big improvement to the editor with this release - now you can move any size block around the grid and surrounding blocks will automagically get out of the way, making it super easy to rearrange and organize blocks on a page. Now nothing will get between you and your ideas! Enjoy :)
3.35.1
2020-08-25
We made a big improvement to the editor with this release - now you can move any size block around the grid and surrounding blocks will automagically get out of the way, making it super easy to rearrange and organize blocks on a page. Now nothing will get between you and your ideas! Enjoy :)
3.35.0
2020-08-18
Your orders data can now be exported so you can track, manage, and fulfill them any way you like. Head over to the Orders Dashboard in the app and try it out.
3.34.0
2020-08-12
If you're looking for a reason to upgrade to Pro - this just might be it. Pro subscribers now get payouts in 2 days so the money you make selling online with Universe gets into your hands much faster. Happy selling!
3.33.1
2020-07-21
Sometimes you want to get those logos and photos looking just right on a page, so we added a new setting that lets you adjust any image to fit inside a block. Add the Photo Block to a page and you'll see the new toggle to activate it with the flip of a switch!
3.33.0
2020-07-08
Sometimes you want to get those logos and photos looking just right on a page, so we added a new setting that lets you adjust any image to fit inside a block. Add the Photo Block to a page and you'll see the new toggle to activate it with the flip of a switch!
3.32.0
2020-06-23
Update your device to the latest version of iOS to get the best of Universe.
3.31.1
2020-06-15
This one's big. Introducing product and inventory management—the fastest and easiest way to create products, add inventory, and sell online. We gave the payment block a complete makeover to simplify the store creation process and give you better tools to sell.
• The payment block has been updated to help you create products
• When you create products, you can now add variations like size and color
• Each variation can have its own price so it's easier to sell things like quantities or sizes at different price points
• Products now have support for inventory so you can add stock for each item and automatically track supply as orders come in
• The checkout system has been updated to make it easy for your customers to see what's in stock and buy the exact product they're looking for
These tools add powerful new abilities to help you sell online and, best of all, they're available to everyone for free. Try adding the payment block to your site and take it for a spin. Enjoy!
3.31.0
2020-06-10
This one's big. Introducing product and inventory management—the fastest and easiest way to create products, add inventory, and sell online. We gave the payment block a complete makeover to simplify the store creation process and give you better tools to sell.
• The payment block has been updated to help you create products
• When you create products, you can now add variations like size and color
• Each variation can have its own price so it's easier to sell things like quantities or sizes at different price points
• Products now have support for inventory so you can add stock for each item and automatically track supply as orders come in
• The checkout system has been updated to make it easy for your customers to see what's in stock and buy the exact product they're looking for
These tools add powerful new abilities to help you sell online and, best of all, they're available to everyone for free. Try adding the payment block to your site and take it for a spin. Enjoy!
3.30.3
2020-05-31
Lights. Camera. Action. You can now upload videos up to 15 minutes long. Enjoy!
3.30.2
2020-05-26
Lights. Camera. Action. You can now upload videos up to 15 minutes long. Enjoy!
3.30.1
2020-05-19
Rearranging blocks on your page just got a whole lot easier. The grid will automatically scroll up and down when you move blocks towards the edges of the editor. Give your site a makeover and try it out.
3.30.0
2020-05-12
Rearranging blocks on your page just got a whole lot easier. The grid will automatically scroll up and down when you move blocks towards the edges of the editor. Give your site a makeover and try it out.
3.29.1
2020-05-05
This release includes some updates to the home tab that will help make it easier for you to learn how to get the most out of Universe. The main section in the home tab will now automatically present you with new guides, and we've added an all-new payments section that includes guides to help you get started with selling on Universe.
More on the way! Enjoy :)
3.29.0
2020-05-05
This release includes some updates to the home tab that will help make it easier for you to learn how to get the most out of Universe. The main section in the home tab will now automatically present you with new guides, and we've added an all-new payments section that includes guides to help you get started with selling on Universe.
More on the way! Enjoy :)
3.28.0
2020-04-27
We made some great new updates to the payments dashboard, thanks to your feedback. Here's what's new:
- Payouts will now show in the payment dashboard's transaction list so you can always see when money (and how much) is being deposited to your bank account.
- You can now view and edit the bank account you use for payments. Tap the settings icon next to your balance to do this.
- You can now edit the email address that shows when an email receipt is sent to your customers.
Enjoy!
3.27.0
2020-04-20
Monthly subscriptions are back. We wanted to make it easy for anyone to unlock Universe Pro, so we're adding a lower commitment, month-to-month subscription. Get a custom domain and email, edit your site with access to all of our blocks, and so much more.
Enjoy!
3.26.1
2020-04-07
Introducing the new payment block, the easiest and fastest way for anyone to start accepting Apple Pay and credit card payments online. Use it to make that first sale, grow your business online, and make money doing what you love.
The new payment block is free for everyone to use and, for a limited time, we're covering the transaction fees on your first $1000 dollars to help you get started.
Features Include
- Apple Pay support
- Collect shipping info
- Custom button styles
- Manage payments
- Automatic cash out
The internet is open for business.
3.26.0
2020-04-06
Introducing the new payment block, the easiest and fastest way for anyone to start accepting Apple Pay and credit card payments online. Use it to make that first sale, grow your business online, and make money doing what you love.
The new payment block is free for everyone to use and, for a limited time, we're covering the transaction fees on your first $1000 dollars to help you get started.
Features Include
- Apple Pay support
- Collect shipping info
- Custom button styles
- Manage payments
- Automatic cash out
The internet is open for business.
3.25.0
2020-03-31
Bug fixes and performance improvements.
3.24.1
2020-03-24
Something new in this one. Maybe you'll find it ;)
3.24.0
2020-03-23
We're at the last stretch. Meet us here next week to see what's next :)
3.23.0
2020-03-20
Some more changes under the hood. We're getting closer.
3.22.3
2020-03-17
Some more changes under the hood. We're getting closer.
3.22.2
2020-03-07
We made some changes under the hood for some big things on the way.
3.22.1
2020-03-06
We made some changes under the hood for some big things on the way.
3.21.2
2020-02-17
Last week we introduced direct link support for the Soundcloud, Youtube, Vimeo, and Giphy blocks. We added support for more URL types for the Giphy block so you can get your GIF on without having to worry about which link to use.
Keep an eye out for what's coming next. It's big.
3.21.1
2020-02-10
We're trying something a little different for people who are new to the app. Share Universe with your friends and we'll let you know how it turns out :)
3.21.0
2020-02-03
The grid got a little more magical this week. We made some upgrades that should make setting up your pages and adding content way more fun:
- It's here: You can now add rows to the top of the grid. Simply pull down on the page like you would refresh and you'll magically see a new row appear. We gave the guy who made it a promotion.
- So you got a little excited and added too many rows. No worries, you can select empty rows anywhere on your page and delete them now too! Simply draw on the grid to select the row(s) you want to delete, and you'll see a new 'delete row' button.
- You can now paste links directly into Youtube, Soundcloud, and Giphy blocks to embed the exact content you want onto your site. No more feeling like a crazy person trying to find your content through search.
Just like last time, more surprises on the way.
3.20.1
2020-01-27
Did you know that you could pull down on your site dashboard to see all of your sites? Turns out a lot of people missed that. We added a label to make it clearer and fixed some other bugs.
3.20.0
2020-01-18
Some great new updates to your email subscriber list this week:
- You can now manually delete subscribers from your list so it's super easy to manage new signups. As a bonus, we've added some updates on our side that will prevent duplicate signups altogether.
- We've made an update so that you can now send custom emails to subscriber lists larger than 500 emails.
Oh, and you might notice a little change with the publish button in the grid editor :) Lots of website goodies to come. Stay tuned.
3.19.1
2020-01-14
Bug Fixes.
3.19.0
2020-01-13
Bug Fixes.
3.18.8
2020-01-08
Bug Fixes.
3.18.7
2020-01-07
iPad will no longer double font size when publishing text blocks with some languages and emoji.
3.18.6
2019-12-30
Fix a bug preventing purchases from succeeding
3.18.5
2019-12-23
We added the ability to buy a lifetime Pro subscription! For one flat fee, you'll get Pro services for life on your site, a great deal to end the year.
We also made some smaller improvements and fixes:
- Pro badges will no longer show up on blocks and themes if you are already Pro
- Fixed a crash on the domain search screen
- Fixed a bug for subscribers who have more subscriptions than pro sites and trying to upgrade a site to use an available subscription
3.18.2
2019-12-05
Super secret under the hood changes.
3.18.1
2019-12-03
Some fixes under the hood
3.18.0
2019-12-02
We updated the text block, making it easier to edit large amounts of text. Now, when you tap a block to edit it, it won’t scroll to the bottom of your text—the cursor will be placed exactly where you tapped. There a bunch of technical stuff under the hood, but in the end it all feels exactly like it should.
Pro tip: while editing text, hold the space bar. You can move your cursor around anywhere for quick editing. If you move it to the top or bottom of your text, your canvas will scroll along with it. It’s a major improvement to working with text.
Also: we updated the Pro tab to include our latest styles, fixed a bug with emojis not saving properly, and hit a few other small fixes.
3.17.0
2019-11-25
Pro themes, promo code support, and a handful of bug fixes.
The fixes:
- Text shadows now work properly
- Duplicating a page now includes the right name
- Video uploads won’t incorrectly cancel in some situations
3.16.0
2019-11-18
A bunch of updates to our onboarding flow: Pro templates, ability to go back and forth, a bunch more specific archetypes (with pretty new icons). We also fixed some text issues: font sizes and weights are preserved between themes, bold button stays properly selected, and emojis now work properly.
3.15.1
2019-11-13
This update introduces a special offer for longtime creators and allows existing blocks to be edited freely.
3.15.0
2019-11-09
Some big updates to the app this week. We're making some changes to what's included in the free and Pro version of the app. Moving forward, all free sites will be limited to using the text and image blocks (which still let you create a killer website). This doesn't apply to existing sites. You'll still be able to edit all the blocks on your site.
Why are we doing this?
Universe has evolved tremendously over the past year. And our customers have evolved too. We've grown from being a simple landing page builder to the most powerful web-design tool ever made for mobile. Our customers rely on Universe to make their livelihood and build their businesses, and we want to invest in helping them in the best way possible. This makes Pro more valuable to our customers and it gives us the resources to build everything they need. Win, win.
3.14.0
2019-11-05
Say things with style. Today we're rolling out a huge upgrade to the text block that lets you add bold, underline, strikethrough, and... wait for it...LINKS to any text on your site.4
3.13.3
2019-11-01
Fixed a bug with the Shopify block and large inventories
3.13.2
2019-10-23
Small fixes and tweaks
3.13.1
2019-10-22
Fixed a bug where photos uploaded to support would crash the app
3.13.0
2019-10-15
We added call and email actions to the button block, so that your visitors can get in touch super easily. With that, we updated the design of the action tab in palettes (formerly the link tab) to support an expanding menu of options. These actions are available on any block, not just the button block, which means that any piece of text, photo, or GIF is programmable. This is our next foray into making the elements of programming available to everyone without a single line of code.
3.12.0
2019-10-08
Sometimes things just click. Meet the all-new button block: design, style, and—for the first time—animate any kind of button for your site. Sell your products, drive sign ups, and add a little magic to those clicks. It's the little things.
3.11.1
2019-10-05
Bug fixes and improvements.
3.11.0
2019-09-26
Two things!
1. You can now hide top-level pages and all of their subpages. Just tap the gear icon on the page you want to hide.
2. We revamped the experience for setting up domains from other registrars (companies like Godaddy, Namecheap). Now, tapping on your domain from Settings will bring up a beautiful control panel, show your domain’s status, and help you get set up.
Enjoy!
3.10.0
2019-09-19
God said, "let there be light" and, in that moment, it was decided that all of man wanted darkness. Say hello to dark mode for Universe. We updated the app and editor to fully support iOS 13. Turn off the lights and go have some fun.
3.9.3
2019-09-10
You can do a lot with your site on Universe, and the code block lets you do even more. This week we gave the code block some much needed love and revamped our code gallery to show you some cool things you can do with it. Drop a code block onto a page and check out all the neat things we added.
Some things you can do with the updated code block:
- Embed playlists from Spotify and Apple Music
- Take appointments and surveys with Typeform and Calendly
- Make awesome word art to make your site feel extra
3.9.2
2019-09-06
Beep boop beep boop
Just some more engine work
3.9.1
2019-09-03
Some quick fixes to the mainframe.
3.9.0
2019-08-27
There's never been a more exciting way to create a blog on the internet. This week we're going to show you why. We added a new blog template, unlocked the grid by removing the minimum row limit, made it easier than ever to create, and made a bunch of small little tweaks to let you make any kind of blog you can imagine.
Check out the latest guide in the home tab and see for yourself.
Oh, the video block also got a huge upgrade with support for HD video :)
3.8.1
2019-08-22
A bunch of bug fixes!
3.8.0
2019-08-20
This week is all about pages. We added a handful of much-requested updates to make creating, moving, and linking to pages a whole lot easier.
Here's what's new:
- You can now move pages between sections on your site. Just tap the settings icon on any subpage and choose where you want it to go.
- It's now possible to link to other pages on your site now from inside the grid editor. Select a block, tap the Link tab of the palette, and choose your destination.
- We also added a handy button for creating new pages from the home tab. Just tap the +, choose your page type, and pick where you want it to go.
We also added a bunch of tweaks and fixes:
- Rotating your iPad no longer sometimes shows a funky blank space to the right
- Text scaling with themes works correctly now on iPad
- Support chats opened from notifications now open properly and 'contact us' buttons now open to the list of chats if you have an existing chat open
- Patreon link blocks now accept URLs instead of usernames
3.7.0
2019-08-12
Summer’s not over yet. Say hello to our summer theme collection: 17 beautiful new designs with new layouts, fonts, and colors. Try them out!
We also added a bunch of fixes and tweaks:
- When you make a new site, the theme you choose will now apply to all subsequent pages
- On iPad, there's now a dividing line between your pages and their detail view
- Fixed a bug where tapping to customize your domain would throw an error
- Fixed a bug where images would expand on-tap regardless of whether they were set to
- some other new hidden features for eagle-eyed followers :)
3.6.1
2019-08-06
We redesigned the Pages tab to be clearer, more intuitive, and easier to use.
Over the past month, we've unlocked what you can do with pages: add them anywhere, reorder them, and customize how they're navigated. Today's update presents all of those controls in one beautiful and simple interface.
—
This patch release includes a few bug fixes:
1. Changing your URL will now update on all tabs
2. You can set any page as your homepage by tapping the gear icon its detail page
3. Fixed a crash for some pages with many subpages
4. Edits made on the Pages tab are now reflected on the Home tab
3.6.0
2019-08-05
We redesigned the Pages tab to be clearer, more intuitive, and easier to use.
Over the past month, we've unlocked what you can do with pages: add them anywhere, reorder them, and customize how they're navigated. Today's update presents all of those controls in one beautiful and simple interface.
We also fixed a bunch of bugs to make things run smoother for everyone.
3.5.0
2019-07-30
Today we're introducing a brand new section to the app: the Home tab. It's a one-stop shop to see what's new, learn more about Universe, and quickly access your recent pages. Just tap on one of your sites to check it out.
We've been thinking a lot about how we can best educate, inform, and inspire creators directly in the app, and this is our first step. We'll keep it up to date with new content and features, so make sure to check back in frequently. See you there!
3.4.0
2019-07-23
First you could swipe, now you can scroll. Today we're adding the ability to change the way pages display on your site.
With timeline, we brought swiping to Universe sites. This made it possible to create things you could never easily create on the web: digital magazines, portfolios, journals, and lots more.
Today we're giving you choice in how your pages display. Instead of just swiping, you can now scroll through your pages. This lets you make a more traditional blog, and it opens up space for new forms of storytelling.
Controlling how pages flow is as easy as flipping a switch. Head over to your Pages tab, and you'll find the Presentation Style control at the bottom of your list of pages.
Create an infinite number of pages, reorder them any way you like, and choose how you display them on your site.
3.3.1
2019-07-18
Your site's menu is the first thing someone sees on your website. Today we're launching a brand new tool that lets you customize the look and feel of your site's navigation. Choose the style, colors, fonts, and more to make something totally unique to you and your brand.
No extra cost for Pro members, free for everyone to try.
—
3.3.1 is a patch release with a couple of fixes.
3.3.0
2019-07-16
Your site's menu is the first thing someone sees on your website. Today we're launching a brand new tool that lets you customize the look and feel of your site's navigation. Choose the style, colors, fonts, and more to make something totally unique to you and your brand.
No extra cost for Pro members, free for everyone to try.
3.2.0
2019-07-08
We redesigned the domain search screen to be cleaner, faster, and easier to use. Grab your perfect domain in seconds.
This release also brings bug fixes, including one that prevented mailing list subscribers for some users.
3.1.0
2019-07-02
The moment you've all been waiting for... You can now reorder pages and tabs on your site. Drag, drop, and move them around any way you like.
3.0.2
2019-06-28
We're back. Introducing Universe 3, a major update that brings a whole new look to the app along with an overhaul of its foundation. It sets the stage for the weeks, months, and years to come.
Believe it or not, when we first launched Universe it was a single-page site builder (and those sites didn't even scroll!). But what we heard from our creators was that they wanted to create more. The problem is that, at its core, our app wasn't designed to support a site with many pages, so simple things like reordering pages became nearly impossible.
We pushed forward as much as we could, and then about a couple of months ago we decided to commit to re-architecting the app to enable multi-page site creation in the best way possible. Going from shipping new updates every week to being heads-down on a long term project was a huge investment for us, but these upgrades are going to unlock a new wave of possibilities.
It's best to look at Universe 3 as a new *chassis* for the app, both the front-facing parts and the underlying technology that supports it. Today's update is just the beginning. To start, you can now add multiple pages to any tab on your site instead of just the homepage. As one of our top requests, this will let you create all kinds of new blogs and websites. There's a lot more that will follow in the weeks ahead as we shift back to our regular cadence.
Whether you're a new creator or someone who's been with us since the beginning, thanks for all your support and feedback. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and ideas fuel us. We're building a new web together—one that *everyone* creates—and this a leap forward along that path. We can't wait to see what you create next.
—
This patch release fixes a few bugs we noticed shortly after release!
3.0.1
2019-06-27
We're back. Introducing Universe 3, a major update that brings a whole new look to the app along with an overhaul of its foundation. It sets the stage for the weeks, months, and years to come.
Believe it or not, when we first launched Universe it was a single-page site builder (and those sites didn't even scroll!). But what we heard from our creators was that they wanted to create more. The problem is that, at its core, our app wasn't designed to support a site with many pages, so simple things like reordering pages became nearly impossible.
We pushed forward as much as we could, and then about a couple of months ago we decided to commit to re-architecting the app to enable multi-page site creation in the best way possible. Going from shipping new updates every week to being heads-down on a long term project was a huge investment for us, but these upgrades are going to unlock a new wave of possibilities.
It's best to look at Universe 3 as a new *chassis* for the app, both the front-facing parts and the underlying technology that supports it. Today's update is just the beginning. To start, you can now add multiple pages to any tab on your site instead of just the homepage. As one of our top requests, this will let you create all kinds of new blogs and websites. There's a lot more that will follow in the weeks ahead as we shift back to our regular cadence.
Whether you're a new creator or someone who's been with us since the beginning, thanks for all your support and feedback. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and ideas fuel us. We're building a new web together—one that *everyone* creates—and this a leap forward along that path. We can't wait to see what you create next.
—
This patch release fixes a few bugs we noticed shortly after release!
3.0.0
2019-06-26
We're back. Introducing Universe 3, a major update that brings a whole new look to the app along with an overhaul of its foundation. It sets the stage for the weeks, months, and years to come.
Believe it or not, when we first launched Universe it was a single-page site builder (and those sites didn't even scroll!). But what we heard from our creators was that they wanted to create more. The problem is that, at its core, our app wasn't designed to support a site with many pages, so simple things like reordering pages became nearly impossible.
We pushed forward as much as we could, and then about a couple of months ago we decided to commit to re-architecting the app to enable multi-page site creation in the best way possible. Going from shipping new updates every week to being heads-down on a long term project was a huge investment for us, but these upgrades are going to unlock a new wave of possibilities.
It's best to look at Universe 3 as a new *chassis* for the app, both the front-facing parts and the underlying technology that supports it. Today's update is just the beginning. To start, you can now add multiple pages to any tab on your site instead of just the homepage. As one of our top requests, this will let you create all kinds of new blogs and websites. There's a lot more that will follow in the weeks ahead as we shift back to our regular cadence.
Whether you're a new creator or someone who's been with us since the beginning, thanks for all your support and feedback. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and ideas fuel us. We're building a new web together—one that *everyone* creates—and this a leap forward along that path. We can't wait to see what you create next.
2.22.2
2019-05-30
More small fixes!
2.22.1
2019-05-24
Small fixes!
2.22.0
2019-05-07
The text block now automatically expands as you type to keep text from overflowing in the block. So whether you're writing a blog post or adding some lengthy product descriptions, the text will always look just right on your site.
2.21.1
2019-04-30
You now have the option to choose how you’d like to create a subsequent site. Pick between creating a site with your Instagram account, using a site template, or starting from scratch. You get to decide.
2.21.0
2019-04-23
We added 6 slick new page templates to help you build out your site: portfolio, discography, contact, event, filmography, and shop. You can think of pages as the building blocks to your site. Use them to tell your story, share your work, and connect with your audience. To try them out, just tap that big ol' plus button on your site dashboard.
Pro Tip: Apply themes at the bottom of the grid to add even more flavor to the page templates.
2.20.0
2019-04-16
This week brings a nice update to the gallery block: you can now import your Instagram photos! Just create a new gallery block, choose to add from Instagram, and enter your username.
We also fixed a bug with the video block that was causing a crash and made updates to our onboarding experience.
More soon!
2.19.0
2019-04-09
Lights, camera, action. You can now instantly upload videos to your Universe site—and it couldn't be easier. Just add a video block and we'll handle the rest. You can add as many 4 minute videos as you want. For free.
This is the one place on the internet where your videos can live without ads, without branding from YouTube or Vimeo, and without "recommended videos" by others. It's your theater. Design it your way.
2.18.0
2019-03-26
Say hello to the gallery block, an awesome new way to upload multiple photos with customizable layouts. Use it to make albums, build recipe books, sell your products and so much more. There are six different layouts to choose from, each one interactive in a unique way. Give them a try and let us know what you think :) Enjoy!
2.17.1
2019-03-23
Pro members are in for a treat this week. We’ve overhauled the Pro tab to include some great new how-to guides along with more info about all the benefits of Pro membership. Hop into the app and check it out.
If you haven’t tried Pro, take it for a spin with a free 7 day trial. It's like fine wine—only gets better with age.
—
This is a patch update that fixes video playback on Pro How Tos
2.17.0
2019-03-19
Pro members are in for a treat this week. We’ve overhauled the Pro tab to include some great new how-to guides along with more info about all the benefits of Pro membership. Hop into the app and check it out.
If you haven’t tried Pro, take it for a spin with a free 7 day trial. It's like fine wine—only gets better with age.
2.16.1
2019-03-13
See something you like in your feed? Show it some love with our new likes! Tap the heart as many times as you'd like to show you really care :) And when someone likes *your* updates, you'll get a new notification. We added a new notification center to the top right of the dashboard, where all of your likes will show up.
Also in this release:
- A new card-based design for the feed
- Relocated App Info / Settings menu to the bottom of the dashboard
Now, go spread the love!
—
This patch update includes a bug fix where some link blocks would disappear when you went to edit your site. We also tweaked the colors of the confetti for likes.
2.16.0
2019-03-12
See something you like in your feed? Show it some love with our new likes! Tap the heart as many times as you'd like to show you really care :)
And when someone likes *your* updates, you'll get a new notification. We added a new notification center to the top right of the dashboard, where all of your likes will show up.
Also in this release:
- A new card-based design for the feed
- Relocated App Info / Settings menu to the bottom of the dashboard
Now, go spread the love!
2.15.0
2019-03-05
Introducing templates! Universe now includes over 20 professionally designed templates to help you make the site of your dreams. The process for getting started couldn't be easier: just create a new site and follow the guided instructions. Of course, once your site is up and running you can edit it freely on the grid.
We're running this as a test in our new user experience, but if you want to give templates a try, anyone can create a second site for free and take them for a spin :)
And if you just want to apply the style from these templates to your existing sites, you're in luck. We've added 11 beautiful new themes, all for free.
Enjoy!
2.14.0
2019-02-26
Wouldn't it be great to see who follows you? Well, now you can. Tap on the followers tile on your site dashboard and see the sites from people who follow you.
You can also see all the sites that *you* follow by tapping the little icon at the top left-hand corner of your feed now. Oh, and you can now unfollow sites—just long press.
Some other things we snuck in with this release:
- A loading state for search
- Bug fix that caused some people to get stuck in onboarding
- Bug fix for setting up a custom email address
2.13.0
2019-02-19
This one is big. You can now search the entire Universe network, view any site, and follow it right from the app. It's amazing—you can get lost in it for days.
Open the explore tab and you'll find the new search icon right next to your feed. Search by name, domain, and subdomain, or if you're in the mood to wander, try searching by genre: store, musician, blog, portfolio, personal, business, etc. It's a totally new way to surf the web.
Don't forget that others can now find you too! Tell your friends, share across other networks, or tell a total stranger—the Universe network is now open for exploration.
2.12.0
2019-02-11
We've added an all-new help center into the grid editor, so now you can learn the basics, discover tips and tricks, and explore new features—all while creating your site. Tap on the little '?' icon in the top-right corner of the grid and check it out. You might learn something new ;)
2.11.0
2019-02-06
Up until now, Universe has been a "single-player" experience: the best tool to build your site. But we've found that the greatest inspiration often comes from interacting with other creators. Today we're introducing the Universe network: a new kind of community designed to inspire and empower.
Just like we've built our creation tool iteratively, week-over-week, we're going to build the network out the same way—step-by-step, with you all. This week's release is the first in a series of updates that will follow in the coming weeks and months.
To start, you'll notice the Explore tab got an overhaul. We updated Discover to showcase the most interesting sites on the network. And we added a new tab: Following. Updates—new pages, edits—from all the sites you follow will show up here.
This is an opportunity to build a new kind of social network, one that isn't powered by ads, incentivized to exploit your time, or creatively homogeneous. This is a network that turns the web into a community.
2.10.0
2019-01-29
The wait is over! All Universe sites and domain now include HTTPS / TLS protection. This means that your site will be recognized by search engines and browsers as secure, insuring that it shows up in searches and can be visited safely by everyone (no more "unsecure" warnings on your site).
TLS protection is included at no extra cost for all Universe subdomains, custom domains, and external domains purchased elsewhere.
Stay safe!
2.9.0
2019-01-24
This week, we welcome Michael, our first web-focused engineer. This means that you can expect your sites to load faster, show up higher in search engines, and other general improvements across the board. Give him a shout at michaelaldridge.onuniverse.com!
We also updated the creator journey to be more reliable and flexible. Tap the 'Keep Building' tile on your site dashboard to explore cool things you can do with Universe to level up your site.
2.8.0
2019-01-11
New year. New website. We're running a special offer to open 2019: Pro is 50% off when you sign up for an annual plan. Limited time offer until January 31. Take your site to the next level!
2.7.0
2018-12-27
2018 was a huge year for us. We set out to make it easier than ever for anyone and everyone to build the internet, and 225,000+ websites later, we couldn't be more excited about what we've accomplished. A big thank you for joining us on this journey. We're just getting started.
This week's release includes a test of our onboarding flow that includes homepage designs, making it easier to get started building your site.
Lots more to come in 2019. Until then!
2.6.0
2018-12-18
Big or small, building a website is a journey. Learn how to do more with your site through an all-new guided experience that helps you level up your website step by step. Start with the basics and work your way up to more advanced features. You'll find a new shiny blue tile on your dashboard on your site dashboard to get started.
Try it out and see where it takes you :)
2.5.1
2018-12-14
What can you do with Universe? Create a blog, setup a store, share your life, connect with your fans, tell your story.
But with a blank canvas, it's hard to know where to begin. Now we'll help you get started with purpose-built layouts for blog posts, photo galleries, announcements, about pages, and more.
Just tap the + button to get started!
2.5.0
2018-12-11
What can you do with Universe? Create a blog, setup a store, share your life, connect with your fans, tell your story.
Now, we help you unlock these possibilities whenever you create a new page.
The new creation menu provides a handful of starting points so you can worry less about layout and just get your word out. Tap the + button to get started!
2.4.1
2018-12-05
We've got a great new update and style pack for you as we make our way to the new year. You can now pick where you want your page to show up on your site after you create a new page. This makes it wayyy easier to set up your site just the way you like. Pick between adding a page directly to your site menu, timeline, or hide the page and make it only accessible via direct link.
To top it all off, there are 4 new themes and 3 new fonts carefully curated by Santa's favorite helper, the real Steve. Open up a fresh new page for your site and have some fun with them, they're pretty great :)
That's it for this week. Until next time <3
2.4.0
2018-12-04
We've got a great new update and style pack for you as we make our way to the new year. You can now pick where you want your page to show up on your site after you create a new page. This makes it wayyy easier to set up your site just the way you like. Pick between adding a page directly to your site menu, timeline, or hide the page and make it only accessible via direct link.
To top it all off, there are 4 new themes and 3 new fonts carefully curated by Santa's favorite helper, the real Steve. Open up a fresh new page for your site and have some fun with them, they're pretty great :)
That's it for this week. Until next time <3
2.3.0
2018-11-28
This week we’re adding 23 (!) new icons to the link block. These include a bunch of missing services (Reddit, Tiktok) as well as some fun new ones that are open to interpretation.
Other updates in this release include:
• A new notification banner that lets you know when there’s an issue with your subscription so you can make any necessary corrections to your billing
• A new form to help us collect feedback from people if they decide to delete their site
Enjoy!