For the next version of Etsy for Android I am thinking about adding a widget so all you Etsy lovers can get your fix right from the homescreen on your Android devices.  The only question is…  What should the widget show?  What do you want to view on your homescreens?

So far, my ideas are:

• Recommended listings for you (as long as your account is linked).  I can give you the option of approving, or disapproving recommended listings to refine what is recommended to you.  I thought this could be a nice way to pass the time on a journey, you might find a few gems you wouldn’t have found otherwise.
• Featured listings.  The listings on the main Etsy.com website are always interesting, would you like a look through those?
• New items from your favourite shops.  I’m not sure if this is achievable to be honest, but I’m sure I could make something work.
• New sold items from your shop.  A quick view on your recent transactions and whether they’ve been marked as shipped or paid.

One thing to bear in mind is that the widget should not have to update constantly to be useful, as this will run away with all your battery.  The last item on the above list seems like it would have to be VERY up-to-date to be useful, and I’m not sure it’s a good idea.

The plan will be to eventually have a choice of widgets available to you.  But for now, I have to choose something first, so what’s it to be?

EDIT: Etsy have just announced that they are discontinuing the recommended listings feature, so that one isn’t an option any more I’m afraid.

Version 3.1 will add the ability for you shop owners to relist sold items, which you’e been asking for for a while, so I hope it does the trick.

Also included is the ability to browse items by category, hopefully you can all spend a bit more time trawling through Etsy listings now that it’s a bit easier. Download here

To get the app click here

Hopefully it means that the app is now accessible to everyone that wants it!

In version 2.4 shop owners can now create new listings, as well as renew and remove existing listings.  I was hoping to squeeze in re-listing items (when sold out/expired) but didn’t quite get it done in time.

The other good news is that the guys over at Etsy.com have made an addition to the API which allows developers like me to access shopping cart data.  This means that in the near future I can add the ability to add and remove items from your cart using my app!  The actual payment and transaction would still need to be done through Etsy.com’s website, but it’s a step in the right direction at least.  I’m quite excited to get the new features added so I’ll be working hard to get it done.

Hope you enjoy the update.

Etsy for Android version 2.3 has now been released on the Android Market. Click here to download it.

This version adds the ability to edit listings and upload images amongst others so it’s well worth a look if you are a shop owner.

Finally, apologies to anyone who downloaded the new version in the first few hours it was available.  I originally released it with a HUGE bug that would crash the app whenever you tried to use it in landscape mode.  This issue has been fixed and everything should be working now.

Version 2.3 will allow users to update their shop listings and also add photos to listings.  The problem is that I’m not an Etsy seller!  I can test in the Etsy testing environment and make sure nothing major is going wrong.  But this doesn’t give me the insight that real users do so I need you guys to tell me if I’m doing this correctly and in a way that really helps you do what you need to do.

If you are interested in getting a shot of the new version before it hits Android market then let me know at feedback@etsyforandroid.com.  All I ask is that you give me some feedback, good or bad, and some suggestions as to how to improve it.

Update: beta testing is now closed for this version.  If you are interested in testing later version then keep and eye on the site and I’ll post again.

The new version adds the ability to do a bit of shop management. Quick access to view your listings and view orders that have been placed. Along with that you can set the orders to paid/unpaid and shipped/unshipped.

Hopefully the app can now start being a bit more useful to you shop owners. More to come soon.

The new version has had a substantial facelift from the previous version so it’s looking a lot nicer than before. The other major update is the ability to link to your etsy.com account and manage your favourite listings and users.

Next up I’m hoping to do a bit of shop management, I know it’s high on the list for many users so I’ll keep working and keep you updated.

The new version is includes a host of bug fixes to stop all the force closing that has been reported to me recently, sorry about that!

In other news I am working on a new version of Etsy for Android which will be a lot more helpful to Etsy users, keep checking back for more information and you can always email me with your suggestions for Version 2 in the meantime.

New features:

• Advanced Search.
• Search for items using keywords, materials or tags.
• Sort items by relevance, price or date.
• Refine results by minimum and maximum price.
• Search shops by name.
• Improved item view including views, hearts, tags and materials.
• Share items and shops with friends using Facebook/Twitter/Email etc.

Click here from your Android device