Groupon iPhone App: Easy to get pieces of the UI to disappear

Date: 09/10/2013

Groupon iPhone App: Version 2.8

Description:

There’s a very minor bug with the current version of the Groupon iPhone app (Version 2.8).

This is a bug that is similar to bugs that are found in a large number of iPhone app.

This is easier to show than to describe, so please just take a look at the attached screenshots.

Here’s the basics of this bug:  From the “Confirm” screen for any purchase, there are options to “Add Payment Method” and “Enter Code” – if you toggle these two options at the same time, you will be take to screen that is activated from pressing “Add Payment Method.”  The problem is that the “Credit / Debit Card” text and the “Save” button disappear.

This isn’t that major of bug, and it does not result in a crash.  You can, in fact, get the “Credit / Debit Card” text and “Save” button to reappear by pressing the “Back” button once.

It is interesting, and this is the type of bug that reproduces with a large number of iPhone apps.

Steps to reproduce this bug:

1.     With an active Groupon account, launch the Groupon iPhone app (version 2.8)

2.     Select any purchasable item in the app

3.     From the “Confirm” screen, press and release the “Add Payment Method” and the “Enter Code” options simultaneously (takes some finger finesse)

4.     Note that the “Credit / Debit Card” header and the “Save” button have disappeared from the top of the screen

Result:  There is an easy way to get the text of “Credit / Debit Card” and the “Save” button to disappear from an add payment option screen inside of the iPhone app

Expected:  Menu text and buttons should not disappear from inside of the UI of an iPhone app

Update to the latest version of the Groupon iPhone app...

Select the "Buy!" option from any deal...

Select any deal...

It takes some two finger finesse, but select the "Add Payment Method" and "Enter Code" options at the same time, usually toggling "Add Payment Method" slightly before "Enter Code"...

Menu heading and "Save" button has disappeared...

This is how it should look.  Not a huge bug.

Groupon iPhone App: Easy to reproduce crash on the "Select City" screen

Date: 07/30/2013

Description:

I’ve found a very easy way to crash the Groupon iPhone app.

You’ll need a bit of two fingered dexterity in order to activate the crash.  This isn’t the type of crash that a regular user would hit.  It’s a whole lot easier to show than to describe, so please just look at the attached screenshots below if you’re interested.

There’s a city option under the “Featured” heading.  Selecting the city shown will take you to a “Select City” screen.

This “Select City” screen has two buttons at the top of the screen a “Country” button in the upper right and a “Cancel” button in the upper left. 

You can easily get the iPhone app to crash if you press both of these buttons at the same time, let both your fingers linger on the screen for a moment, and then release both of your fingers.

I’ve gotten this to crash the iPhone app numerous times now.

Steps:

1.     Launch the Groupon iPhone App

2.     Select the city option under “Featured”

3.     On the “Select City” screen, press and HOLD the “Cancel” button and the “Country” buttons at the same time

4.     Release the “Cancel” and “Country” buttons at roughly the same time (takes practice)

Result:  There is an easy to reproduce crash on the “Select City” screen – toggling the “Cancel” and “Country” buttons

Expected:  No easy to reproduce crash on the “Select City” screen

Select the city option.

Takes some practice - press and hold the "Cancel" button and the "Country" buttons at the same time.  Then release them at the same time.