What's new
Updates
ISO (In Search Of), A plain-language look at what changed on ISO App. We add a short week summary most Sundays (usually by Monday), not every small fix, just what neighbors might notice. For legal and policy changes, see Terms and Privacy.
July 26, 2026
Glass brand lock-in, clearer posting, and sturdier phone apps
- Brand. the glass magnifying-glass ISO mark and purple + mint palette are consistent across web, favicons, share images, and the native apps — Minimal Line neighbor art instead of animal mascots.
- Hey, In Search Of…. the post form headline matches what ISO means (not “looking for”), so posting and the feed speak the same language.
- Positioning. home and ads say it plainly: Marketplace wasn’t built for ISOs; ISO App puts your ask first.
- Native apps. more reliable Apple / Google sign-in on iPhone and Android, full-bleed app icons, and store build bumps for resubmission / compatibility.
- Families creatives. new social art for “new baby / new apartment” and pay-it-forward free posts — same brand frame as the product.
- Earlier this week. optional Phone verified badge on Profile (July 23 below).
July 23, 2026
Phone verified — optional trust step
- Optional SMS verify on [/profile](/profile). confirm a US mobile with a one-time code to earn a Phone verified badge (not a background check).
- Inbox caution. if someone hasn’t phone-verified yet, threads show a short safety note — meet in public, no off-app deposits.
- Easy signup stays. email / Apple / Google / Facebook still work; phone is the extra step for the badge.
July 12, 2026
Privacy avatars (retired)
- Update. we retired the faceless privacy-avatar picker. Profile photos are now your Google / Apple / Facebook sign-in photo when available, otherwise initials.
- Signed-in chips. neighbors still see how you signed in (Apple ID, Google, Facebook, or Email) — account control, not a background check.
- Week in brief. Sign in with Apple, App Store safety tools (block / delete account), and the indigo + mint brand refresh shipped earlier this week — see July 11 below.
July 11, 2026
Sign in with Apple, App Store fixes, and a fresh look
- Sign in with Apple. Continue with Apple on [/signup](/signup) and [/login](/login) alongside Google and Facebook — required when those options are offered on iOS.
- Safer neighbor tools. agree to Terms with zero-tolerance copy at signup; Block member in inbox; Delete account on Profile; camera/photo permissions for listing photos on iPhone.
- Brand refresh. indigo + mint palette, typographic ISO wordmark, and everyday-people illustrations (no cute-animal mascots). Blog heroes updated to match.
- Loading & login. clearer “logging you in” feedback; OAuth redirect reliability on the web and in the native shell.
July 7, 2026
ISO App on your phone — App Store & Google Play
- Native apps. ISO App submitted to the Apple App Store and Google Play (US). Same Browse, Post, and Inbox as [heyiso.app](https://heyiso.app), with a home-screen icon.
- Mobile sign-in. Google and Facebook open in your phone’s browser and return you to the app — the flow we needed for in-app login on iPhone and Android.
- Calmer mobile UX. loading screen while sign-in finishes; light tap feedback; optional first-ISO walkthrough when you open Post.
- Testing. Android starts in a small closed test; iOS goes through Apple’s review queue.
June 29, 2026
Founding Neighbor clarity, outreach, and quieter branding
- Founding Neighbor. clearer messaging for the badge and first-ISO moment; staff can manage profile photos when helping neighbors.
- Browse & account. marketplace-style browse layout, square photo crop, and a tighter account menu on mobile.
- Home & SEO. reverse-Marketplace framing on the home hero; better ranking for in-search-of / WTB / LF language.
- Ops. founder daily/weekly logs into Slack; cross-post seed tools improved for back-to-back staff work.
- Visual tone. began phasing out mascot watercolor art toward a calmer neighbor-facing look (full refresh landed July 11).
June 22, 2026
One-screen posting and a sturdier Browse feed
- Post in one place. ISO, trade, and Buy Nothing composers are a single screen (photo, title, budget or trade, and options). No extra “continue to price” step.
- Browse & Inbox. fixed a server error that could show “This page couldn’t load” on the neighbor feed or Messages when you were signed in. Refresh if you still see it.
- Still ahead. founder intro video and more ways to celebrate neighbors who pass things along (Buy Nothing / community free). We’ll share here when those land.
June 17, 2026
Facebook sign-in and open signup
- Facebook sign-in. Continue with Facebook on [/signup](/signup) and [/login](/login). ISO App completed Meta business verification (the business behind the app, not a background check on every neighbor).
- Open signup, any valid U.S. ZIP works; we still grow Bay Area neighbor density first. Removed the old greater-Bay / outside-Bay waitlist cards on sign-up.
- Trust copy, signup and FAQ explain what Meta verification means vs the verified-email badge on listings.
June 15, 2026
Faster browsing, clearer cross-posts, and help with your first ISO
- Speed. Browse and your dashboard load faster after you sign up, with calmer placeholders while the feed appears.
- Cross-posts. when we mirror a Facebook or Nextdoor listing, the card shows the original neighbor’s name (first name, or first plus last initial). Open the listing to see it was cross-posted and tap through to the original.
- Heart = interested. save listings you care about with the heart; posters see when neighbors show interest (we only show a “+” when more than one person has tapped).
- First ISO tips. a short how-to when you finish your profile, plus a replay button on the post screen; optional email if you opted into neighbor tips.
June 8, 2026
My ISOs, neighbor emails, and the referral pilot
- My ISOs. your signed-in listings live under My ISOs (not “Yours”); clearer photos on cards; tap a listing image for full size; easy copy-link sharing from detail pages.
- Neighborhood cross-posts. we can bring Facebook and Nextdoor posts into ISO with listing photos and neighbor names so the feed stays useful while more people join.
- Neighbor email. optional tips by email (Day 2–30) with unsubscribe; a note about the neighbor-help pilot on Day 4; at most one marketing email per day during backfill.
- Neighbor-help pilot. through Aug 31, 2026: post a live ISO plus two email invites from [/refer](/refer) to qualify; community-first copy and in-app checklist; fulfillment media consent in Terms and Privacy.
- Trust & sign-in, signup and inbox reliability fixes; a clearer page if the site is briefly out of sync after an update; Meta business verification in progress for Facebook sign-in (button stays hidden until approved).
- Events, World Cup hub and blog discoverability; messaging copy tuned for families.
June 5, 2026
Faster app, easier free feeds, delete posts, and price hints
- Speed. Browse and ISO pages load faster: cached public feed, listing expiry handled once a day (not on every page load), and lighter inbox checks.
- Buy Nothing / free. Free tab in the mobile bottom bar; feed switcher on Browse (All ISOs · Free items · ISOs open to free · Trade); desktop Offer something free button.
- Your posts. permanently delete a listing (not just hide it from the public feed). Message threads stay in Inbox; we keep a private safety record on our side.
- Price hints (beta). after you post an ISO, we can scan eBay for similar sold listings to help you price and spot leads (when the tool is configured).
- Events. more Bay Area event hubs (Giants, Warriors, Shoreline, theatre, and more).
- Mobile. compose nav (ISO / Trade / Buy Nothing), first-ISO walkthrough, and polish on your listings feed.
May 31, 2026
Blog art and clearer signup
- Blog. neutral index cards and wordmark share previews; photo heroes when branding ships.
- Sign up / log in. Terms, Privacy, FAQ, and safety links visible before you create an account.
May 26 – June 1, 2026
Festival merch guide, trust copy, and calmer UX
- Blog. [After Griztronics: ISO & trade fest merch](/blog/after-griztronics-iso-trade-festival-merch) for Gorge crews trading tees, pins, and ISOs.
- Trust docs, FAQ, Terms, and Privacy clarify that email confirmed (confirmation link or Google/Facebook sign-in) is a trust badge, not a background check.
- Copy, friendlier login, signup, and photo-upload messages; less jargon when something goes wrong.
- Griztronics pilot, event signup + trade feed links unchanged (`GRIZTRONICS26`).
May 19–25, 2026
Blog, trade, offers, and discovery
- Blog at /blog. neighbor guides on trade swaps, layoffs & the secondary market, ISO vs Facebook Marketplace, and community free / Buy Nothing.
- Trade. landing at /trade and a dedicated trade feed (/browse/trade) for swap ISOs.
- Seller offers (beta). save what responders offer from a thread, a matching panel on your ISO, and My offers to track them.
- Greater Bay. more ZIPs can sign up; distance chips on Browse so you know how far you’re willing to go.
- Sign-in. Facebook sign-in wired (pending Meta approval); email confirmation and password reset.
- Media. YouTube Short on About and home; footer social links.
May 12–17, 2026
Buy Nothing, sign-in, and cross-posts
- Buy Nothing feed at /browse/free. post items you’re clearing out with a dedicated offer flow on the dashboard.
- Community-first story: give what you can, take what you need. updated /giving, FAQ, and feed copy.
- Sign-in polish: Google on production, email confirmation and password reset, clearer links after you click an email.
- Trust in the nav: Founding Member and related badges beside your name when signed in.
- Posting UX: paste a photo from the clipboard when creating ISOs or Buy Nothing listings.
- Cross-post seeding: bring Facebook/Nextdoor posts into ISO with title, notes, and a shareable page.
May 6–11, 2026
Trust, discovery, and guardrails
- Reporting, light posting and message limits, and moderation so spam has a harder time.
- Distance chips on Browse and poster badges on cards.
- Campus .edu badges, travel radius, and broader Bay ZIP support for supported schools.
- Audience pages at /for; refreshed learn-page art; clearer Terms, Privacy, and FAQ.
May 2026
Giving, trust, and guardrails
- Neighbor gifts filter treats #nonprofit like other giving tags (#buynothing #donation #gift #free).
- Founding Member, campus, and Verified email badges on listings, inbox, and threads.
- Light posting and message limits; 72-hour guard on high-risk wording for brand-new accounts.
- Optional description outlines when posting (vehicle, housing, tickets).
May 2026
Profile & discovery
- Travel radius as distance chips on Browse.
- Audience landing pages at /for (students, families, collectors, and more).
- ISO / LF / WTB learn page and expanded Terms for neighbor-to-neighbor deals.
Earlier beta
Core experience
- ISO feed, public listing pages, in-app messaging, saves, and status (open / pending / found).
- South Bay ZIP gate with campus email expansion for supported schools.
Why we post updates
You deserve to know what changed and why the app might feel a little different after you refresh. When we share news on social, we'll often link here so you get the full picture, not just a headline.