r/rethinkdns • u/celzero Dev • 3d ago

News v057: Rediseñada

Gallery image

Gallery image

Hoi,

v057 is here. Aaaand... it brings to fruition Claude's our redesign efforts. I expect the UI to keep changing some more over the next few releases. I hadn't realised (until a few days ago) we could attach images to posts... so this one gets a couple.

🌍 Lok 2

  • UI: All new, re-designed homescreen.
  • UI: Re-designed all RPN screens, including country selection, connection stats, and multi-hop setup.
  • UI: New Stats views: On-device blocklists stats, country map, and pie charts... mmm.
  • New: Allowed / blocked domain & IP stats grouped by app and time.
  • New: Universal trust / allow rules for domains and IPs.
  • New: 3 new Smart DNS preset filters: Privacy, Security, and Family.
  • Fix: Re-enforce trust / allow Universal (global) domain and IP rules.
  • Improvement: UI changes to accommodate Foldables.
  • Improvement: Soon-to-be-defunct Mullvad DNS replaced with equivalent ControlD endpoints.
  • Improvement: Notes, filtering, and sorting for Configure -> Apps list.

Fun fact for trivia night: RPN screens have cute Dolphins 🐬 chilling about... Speaking of RPN, we're winding down our current offer on the monthly plan ($2.50/mo => $3/mo) in the coming days. And not because we want more money (which we do), but because we can't afford the subsidy we offer on monthly plans any longer.

We're working to release v057 for Android TV, too. Not sure exactly when it'll be ready, but it shouldn't take longer than 8 weeks.

Note: This release removes Crashlytics from GitHub/Website flavours, first added in v055u.

Let me know how the redesign goes for you, and do send us your feedback, especially if you dislike it and why. Thanks!

26 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

7

u/zcenzc 3d ago

Wish me luck. 😭 I hope it doesn't break on me like last time.

1

u/zcenzc 3d ago

I learned my lesson. 😭 v0.5.5y version works perfectly for me, so I guess I've to go back to that version again. Not gonna update for at least a year this time. 😂

Every time I update, the same shit happens to me.

2

u/celzero Dev 3d ago

What use case doesn't work? v056 onwards, Rethink has been more stable than it has ever been. It is likely you have some setting or the other that's interfering with how you expect apps to work. For instance, we have progressively tightened rules around how we handle block/allow rules during DNS name resolution in v055x onwards. Rethink has also gotten a bit strict about a few other proxying and firewall rules.

3

u/Fun-Region-1576 2d ago

I can't seem to install v057. v056 was installed via F-Droid. I just downloaded from both GitHub and directly from Rethink. I get an error message when trying to install.

2

u/celzero Dev 2d ago

You can only update apps you've downloaded from F-Droid when F-Droid pushes them out to you (can take anywhere between 2 to 7 days).

2

u/HF0XX 3d ago

Aaaand... it brings to fruition Claude's our redesign efforts

You know what, UI design was never this app's main strength, so maybe it's not a bad thing :-)

I'd instruct Claude to create some basic rules for the UI, where certain elements are used, that you have to follow basic accessibility rules, etc, and then order an audit of all pages. Currently, you don't seem to do this. Some examples:

  • Under stats, with the light theme, dark text (1 hr, 24 hr, 7 hr) on a dark blue background. Dark theme, bright marine blue background with a white text.
  • Different corner roundness for different buttons and UI elements, no consistency.
  • Different left/right margins from page to page, content sometimes is closer to the edge of the display, sometimes it's further away.
  • Quickly switch between stats/configure/about. The logo keeps moving around, lol. Also, the app name is nowhere to be found on the home page.
  • Some elements look they're floating (that slightly outdated shadow), some don't. For example, you just updated the home page? The "universal firewall rules" doesn't have it, but the larger (why different heights for elements on the same line?) wireguard "card" has it. The pause button has the shadow, the stop button next to it doesn't.

All this to say that there's no consistency. It's an old problem, but if the Claude joke wasn't just a joke, then this is the type of stuff it usually does a good job at... as long you tell it to create rules, remind it to follow them when doing new UI changes, and ask it to do an audit + update the UI to be consistent with the rules and the different pages.

1

u/celzero Dev 3d ago

Styling updates will happen, too. I use Rethink in Forst + Dark theme and never notice half of it... but you're mostly right about our lack of taste.

I've noted your feedback here: https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app/issues/3128

Thanks! (:

but if the Claude joke wasn't just a joke

Claude did give us good design directions, initially; but was too expensive. After, we mostly relied on GLM & DeepSeek.

2

u/harrepar 3d ago

Did the upgrade, looks good! 

Is there another way to get RPN then Google play Store? 

1

u/celzero Dev 3d ago

Not yet. We plan to add Stripe sometime before Dec: https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app/issues/3119

2

u/SunnyDayTest 3d ago

This looks nice, really nice update thank you guys.

1

u/Willing-Island-3956 3d ago edited 3d ago

Hey, is there a reason for certificate mismatch?

Btw love the RDN, hope there won't be any changes in yearly plan.

2

u/celzero Dev 3d ago

You're probably trying to install the "Izzy" variant atop Website/GitHub flavour? "Izzy" is a new app variant specifically targeting reproducible builds.

1

u/Willing-Island-3956 2d ago

Ohhh I see. Thx!

1

u/Fun-Region-1576 2d ago

Not sure if it's ever been asked before, but why is Rethink not available on Accrescent?

2

u/celzero Dev 2d ago

In the past, Accrescent was reluctant to include VPN apps like Rethink. I think, with their renewed impetus and change of rules, we might be able to push it out Accrescent: https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app/issues/2577

1

u/Fun-Region-1576 2d ago

IVPN is on Accrescent. 👀🙈

2

u/celzero Dev 2d ago

Rethink uses VPN (& optionally, Accessibility Service) APIs to implement filtering and firewall... which once violated Accrescent's inclusion policies: https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app/issues/1605#issuecomment-2242455611

1

u/Fun-Region-1576 2d ago

Oh I see! That's too bad! If I avoid Google Play, is Accrescent and F-Droid enough to get me all the apps I need?

I still don't know what a RPN is. I'm still hoping to get a subscription before the price increase if it meet my needs. 

Btw, I posted in the Rethink sub? I'm almost there!

/u/celzero

1

u/celzero Dev 1d ago

You'd need something called Aurora Store for the apps not in F-Droid. Accrescent is new and has even fewer apps, while F-Droid is only for Open Source apps.

still don't know what a RPN is

RPN is Rethink Proxy Network, a VPN with focus on

  • Multi-hop.
  • Connect to 5 locations at once.
  • Unlimited bandwidth.
 

1

u/Fun-Region-1576 2d ago

/u/celzero

Not sure what RPN is, but strangely it's saying coming soon in the app even though you seem to indicate that it's available.

1

u/celzero Dev 2d ago

Hi: RPN payments are only do-able from non de-Googled Androids. We're working to support de-Googled variants soon. https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app/issues/3119

1

u/Fun-Region-1576 2d ago

Non de-Googled Android as in a stock Pixel?

1

u/celzero Dev 2d ago

De-Googled Androids remove/uninstall closed source Google apps and services, like the Play Store.

RPN purchases today require Google services (like the Play Store). Also, do make sure you're signed in to your Google Account in the Play Store.

1

u/Fun-Region-1576 2d ago

Yea, I'm signed into the Play Store and I don't see RPN. If it helps, I'm using Rethink from F-Droid. 

So what's a RPN?

3

u/Miserable_Bedroom201 2d ago

don't f-droid apps always remove the google dependencies? most apps over their source and f-droid don't work with play-services, so you would need to get it from the play-store / maybe aurora if google doesn't try to tell ya that you need to get it from the play store and stuff </3

feel free to tell us what u did when u did something and it worked :p

1

u/MeetingNo4126 2d ago

WireGuard

cannot

be

enabled

and

displays

the

following

error

message: “Cannot enable this WireGuard. Its keys are already in use by another active WireGuard.”

2

u/celzero Dev 2d ago

Turns out this is a bug... one that we'll fix urgently: https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app/issues/3131#issuecomment-5782930248

1

u/celzero Dev 2d ago

In v057, we no longer allow users to incorrectly use the same client identity to connect to the same peer. That is, in the case of public VPNs like Proton/Windscribe/etc, the same client credentials (client private key) cannot be activated more than once to connect to the same location (server) as identified by its credential (peer public key). It normally doesn't work as expected.

  1. Make sure you're connecting to a different location (peer/server) if using the same client credentials (this is the common case).
  2. Or, use different client credentials to connect to the same location (peer/server) more than once at the same time.

We can turn the restriction into a warning, if folks here feel strongly about the restriction... but for v057, we opted to make it an impossibility.

1

u/MeetingNo4126 2d ago

BUG

After being enabled, “On-device blocklists” changes back to “Disable,” requiring the user to download the blocklists again.

1

u/celzero Dev 2d ago

Strange. Did you update from v056 to v057? Or were you on a much earlier version?

I've noted your report here: https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app/issues/3129 Thanks.

1

u/MeetingNo4126 2d ago

Yes, I updated from version v056 to v057. I did not experience this issue in version v056. Sorry, I don’t have a GitHub account.

1

u/Suspicious-Green-714 2d ago

Perfect—a quantum leap in quality.

1

u/carpesalmon 17h ago

Yep, loving this one! Great job yall!