The new GreenBox app 4.0 is here: faster setup, clearer at a glance, in six languages

Dear GreenBox community,

our app just got its biggest update in a long time. The last version was almost two years old. Since then we have rebuilt the app from the ground up: the technology underneath, the setup of your box, the dashboard, the languages and lots of little things that annoyed you day to day. Here is everything that is new.

Setup: less guesswork when connecting

Setting up a new GreenBox used to be the step where things went wrong most often. So we rebuilt it completely.

• The app explains why it needs Bluetooth, before it asks for it. On Android 12 and newer it only asks for “Nearby devices” and no longer for your location.
• The Wi-Fi menu is clearer. You see why the box needs a network, you can reload the list, and the app tells you how long connecting takes and what to do after a wrong password.
• You can show and hide the Wi-Fi password. That way you spot typos before you tap “Connect”.
• Passwords your box cannot handle are rejected by the app right away, and it tells you why. Until now the connection simply failed in this case.
• Error messages are clear and in your language. No more cryptic codes.
• A new box starts with light right away: It switches on with a default schedule from 9 am to 9 pm. Of course you can change that any time.

Dashboard: everything important at a glance

• Hints instead of pop-ups. The messages “Light too weak” and “Water level critical” no longer keep popping up. Instead, a small warning triangle right next to the value shows that something needs doing.
• Tap and go. Tapping the light or water value opens the matching screen directly.
• Several boxes? Tap the name at the top to open “My devices”, and switch quickly between your boxes.
• Calmer loading. Instead of empty or jumping screens, you see a preview of the content while it loads.
• Bluetooth off? One button turns it on. And if the connection to the box drops for a moment, the app reconnects by itself and shows this quietly at the edge of the screen.
• Microgreens get more love: their own plant bar and a video that shows you step by step how it works.

Light and water

• Brightness can be set more finely: With the new −1 and +1 buttons you hit exactly the value you want. All four presets now fit on one screen.
• The “Light too weak” warning now sits right in the light view and no longer appears when the light is off anyway.
• Boxes without a water tank no longer show an empty water field.

Plants, replanting and harvest

• A search field for all plants. Instead of scrolling through long lists, you simply type the name. Your own plant types are at the very top.
• The planting date is its own step, now also for microgreens and mushrooms: “When did you plant your GreenBox?” That way your harvest hints are right even if you set up the app a few days later.
• Fewer false alarms: The warning that an existing planting will be overwritten now only appears when that really happens.
• “Experimental plants” become “custom plant types”. A type that is currently growing in your box can no longer be deleted by accident.
• Harvest notifications open your dashboard, instead of leading nowhere.

Six languages

The app now speaks German, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Dutch. Under “App language” you pick your language. With the “Device language” option the app follows your phone again. You can also find the app in the language settings of Android and iOS. Sign-up and confirmation emails also arrive in your app language.

An honest note: plant names, tips and recipes in the plant encyclopedia are not yet translated into all the new languages. We are working on it.

Shop

All shop links work again and open the right section in your language. This covers the “To Shop” buttons in the plant selection, “Order more Microgreens”, “Buy sets” and the shop button after harvest. After a successful setup, a link takes you straight to seeds and Plant Plugs.

Sign-in and account

• Password managers are supported. On Android and iOS your password manager fills in your login details, saves new credentials and suggests a strong password.
• Google sign-in without constant prompts. The app no longer asks for your consent every single time.
• No more endless loading spinners. After about an hour of use the app sometimes used to hang. That is fixed.
• Clear error messages when signing in and registering. The form checks your input, and your email address is carried over when you switch between signing in and registering.
• Confirmed your email or reset your password? The link afterwards now leads to a working page in your language.
• Deleting a box with a safety check. The app warns you first that this cannot be undone, and tells you afterwards whether it worked.

Look and technology

• New app icon: a white plant on green.
• Modern phones are fully supported. On Android, the camera cut-out and navigation bar no longer cover any content.
• Under the hood we have moved the app to a current technical base. This makes it run more smoothly and reliably, and lets us ship future updates faster.
• On top of that come many small bug fixes, for example in the time picker on the iPhone, the light schedule, the device list and the display of your planted trees at Tree-Nation.

Important: new minimum versions

To keep the app secure and up to date, it now needs Android 7.0 or newer or iOS 15.1 or newer. On very old devices the previous app version stays installed and keeps working. But it will no longer get updates.

What's next?

In parallel we are working on new firmware for the GreenBox itself. Once it is ready, more improvements will follow that the app has already prepared for. These include, for example, automatically switching the light schedule to summer and winter time, a notice when the box does not detect its water sensor, and updates for the box directly via Bluetooth. As soon as it's ready, we'll let you know here.

How to get the update

The new version arrives automatically through the App Store and Google Play. If you have turned off automatic updates, search there for “GreenBox” and tap “Update”.

Do you have questions, feedback or found a bug? Write to us at support@berlingreen.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Happy gardening,
your Berlin Green team