A few changes you can feel while chatting
I’ve been updating the private and public chat screens in Istorya. The bubbles now have a more rounded, compact shape, and some of the extra information has moved outside the message. The layout takes inspiration from familiar messaging apps such as Messenger.
There are changes to replying and editing too. Rather than only listing the features, I want to explain what you can do with them and where you’ll notice the difference. Some details, such as delivery labels, apply specifically to private chat.
Less text inside each bubble
The bubble keeps the message as its main content. When a message has been edited, its “Edited” label sits above it rather than taking up a line inside. Hearts stay near the lower right edge of the bubble.
New messages have a gentle lift as they appear, and reaction changes have a small animation. Reduced motion preferences are respected. I also fixed unwanted horizontal scrolling in the message area, so you can scroll through a conversation vertically without an extra sideways bar.
Slide to reply
On a touch screen, drag your own message to the left or the other person’s message to the right. The bubble moves with your finger and shows a reply icon. Slide far enough and release to choose that message as your reply target.
The reply preview appears above the regular text field, ready for your answer. A short swipe lets the bubble return without selecting a reply. If gestures aren’t convenient, the Reply action is still available from the message menu, including on desktop.
Edit without a second text box
When editing is available for your message, choose Edit from its menu. The existing text goes into the regular message field. A small “Editing message” bar makes it clear what you’re doing, and the send button becomes Save.
Save changes the original message instead of sending a new one. Cancel leaves it unchanged and restores the draft you had before editing. For your own messages, the menu order is Edit, Copy, then Reply, so the editing option is easy to find.
Hearts, time, and delivery labels
Double tap a bubble on mobile or double click on desktop to add a heart. Repeat the same gesture to remove your heart. You can acknowledge something without writing an extra message, and change your mind without opening another menu.
Centered time separators show the day and time in the conversation. On mobile, a single tap on a message reveals its time above it. That keeps the normal view quieter while still giving you a way to check when something was sent.
In private chat, Sent, Delivered, or Seen appears below your latest outgoing message. Earlier messages don’t all repeat the label. Seen follows read receipt settings. A delivery label is a technical status, not a promise that someone is ready to answer.
Returning to a conversation
I also improved recovery when a browser or installed app comes back from the background. A connection can appear open even when it has stopped responding, so the recovery flow checks that state and tries to reconnect. Your draft stays in place during recovery.
Phones and browsers can still pause network activity, and reconnecting cannot restore a conversation that has already ended. These changes are meant to handle interruptions better, not promise that a connection will never drop. You can find the shorter summary alongside other changes on the Updates page.