The future of Revu for iOS

Matt · 2024-09-20T23:42:59+00:00

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This app has been a great companion over the years. But let’s face it. The interface is old and it hasn’t received the attention from the developers that it deserves. For nearly a decade it’s been stuck in version 3.

For us who really enjoyed Revu for iOS over the years, what can we expect in the future? Especially in cases when being online isn’t something you can count on.

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Matt

I'd like for Bluebeam to give an official answer to this. Is Bluebeam for iOS about to be finished off? Rather know this now than be surprised when it suddenly happens.

Colin Thalgott

It has been quite some time since I have been an active Revu mobile user because my employer has been using PlanGrid since 2016. Over time I have learned to appreciate the simplicity and ease of use that PlanGrid offers, especially when most of our users are field managers that spend (or used to spend) most of their day swinging a hammer. I would like to see Bluebeam take a similar approach with their mobile platform, but also offer higher-level functionality for an "office guy" like myself.

I am making assumptions that the mobile app has likely not changed much for half a decade or more. I just now opened the app for the first time in years and it appears as if my assumption is probably correct. Bluebeam just hosted a webinar to show off their web-based platform a bit which leads me to believe that there will be a forthcoming mobile platform rollout/major update to stay relevant and/or competitive with their peers in the construction document management sector. Lots of speculation on my part, however, I do not see this industry going backwards with regards to mobile design, management, communication, etc.

Matt

Agree. We have asked this very question for years with Bluebeam in Sweden and since they don't seem to care for the market over here, apart from working with studio sessions, we're at the crossroads of phasing out all users that uses Bluebeam in production. There are quite a few option.

The PC-version is great though.

DwaneLindseyFGM

BB seems to be stuck in this weird area of not knowing what to do next. The current BB Cloud mobile app is almost useless. No access to projects, can't even access your own workspace. The Revu iOS app still works well, but is very outdated.

In my opinion, they need to combine the 2 apps and go from there. Take the features of the actual iOS app and make it cloud based. The iOS app was more like a lite desktop version, which makes way more sense than what they are currently trying to do with the Cloud app.

BB will never come out and say the iOS app is being retired until they can get their stuff straight with BB Cloud. And as we have seen, it won't get updated either.

Luke Prescott

Hi Matt, Colin and Dwane,

Thanks for the post. You all are correct – Revu for iPad is old and outdated. While we still have more work to do, we’ve been focused on our Bluebeam for iOS and Android apps as a superior replacement.

Closer to the end of 2025, we will send Revu for iPad off into the sunset for a well-deserved retirement. We’ll share more information early next year so you and other users can plan ahead.

This year we have released access to Studio Sessions on iOS and Android. We also launched read-only access to Studio Projects on iOS with markup in Studio Projects right around the corner. We’ve also shipped additional markups types – with more slated for next year. Later in 2025, we are expecting to offer offline support and local-device PDF access and markup as well as the Tool Chest for saving and reusing markups.

The teams have been making significant progress, and we know there is more work to be done to meet your expectations for a modern mobile experience. I hope you are seeing meaningful improvements and can see that we’re on a good path – even if we aren’t all the way there yet.

Just out of curiosity… which functionality in Revu iPad (or other mobile apps for that matter) would you find most valuable in the Bluebeam iOS or Android apps? Where do the PDFs reside that you would like to markup or access on mobile? OneDrive? Studio Projects? Local on device?

Thanks for the feedback and engagement!
Luke

Sr. Director, Product Management

Squidknox

I am very interested in an updated iOS version of Revu. Personally, I don't need or use Studio, but do use the markup tools in Revu (on a PC, since the Mac version barely works). The PDFs I use live in Dropbox because i go back and forth between Mac, PC and my iPads. I'd like to be able to access the same markup tools (in my custom toolboxes) on my iPads. I hope this information is useful.

Matt

@Luke Prescott thanks for the reply. For iOS we rely heavily on offline access. While it might require a unit with a bigger hard drive, I'd like to see a feature where the user can work in BB project without having to manually sync the PDF:s. From a user perspective it's way more useful to be able to just leave your net access (Wi-fi, mobile or whatever) to continue doing whatever you do and when you return to a place your unit automatically makes sure that both your unit and your project is updated. Doesn't matter if the check in/out feature gets lost on it's way imo.

However I also see the potential with BB Cloud, where I'd love for BB to take a leap forward and starting to implement project management functions, like the ability to create custom checklists, test protocols and such. You can see these functions in other applications such as Dalux or Fieldwire, and imo BB is getting behind in this "evolution". I'm aware that Sweden most likely is a tiny market for a global actor like BB, but your losing users , current and potential, as things are proceeding today. And integration with Office365 is highly sought after, with more functions than you provide today.

I actually started these discussions more than 5 years ago with your representatives in Sweden, but since the interest was rather low we ended them. As things are now we're highly restrictive when it comes to add more licenses as BB hasn't evolved in 10 years in iOS and cloud has been on a standstill for 5 years. Don't get me wrong, BB is a fantastic product for the PC, but the users outside the offices are getting fewer over here...

Luke Prescott

Hi Matt and Squidknox,

Thanks for the details. We are expecting to make solid progress on our iOS app in 2025. This includes offline support; local PDF markup; and access to the Tool Chest. We appreciate the desire and engagement for us to deliver a viable mobile solution - beyond what we have offered in the past.

We'll be sure to keep the Community updated as we make progress. Thank you again for the engagement!

ElizabethOliver

Thanks Luke, great to have feedback and a timeline.

We also need the ability to work offline. Though our iPads have data SIM's in them, some of the locations where our field staff work have no mobile data/unreliable mobile data. Trying to update a markup or check a file in with poor data connectivity causes problems for us at times. This needs to be simple to use as our field staff are more tool practical than tech savvy.

We use a custom tool chest and attach photos to each item on the mark up. This functionality is essential to our core business.

It would be great to be able to update the tool chest for the field staff iPad's from the office. Our field staff aren't often at the office so trying to catch them to do updates is challenging.

Looking forward to seeing development in this area of Bluebeam.

Shawn

@ElizabethOliver, thank you for sharing this feedback! Offline functionality is a key focus of our 2025 mobile roadmap. We’re working to ensure your field staff can access and update Session or Project files, including adding markups and attaching photos, even without reliable connectivity.

Additionally, we’re simplifying how standards are rolled out from the office to the field, enabling you to manage toolsets in the office and make them accessible through our mobile apps for capturing data on the jobsite.

We appreciate your input—it aligns perfectly with our plans, and we look forward to delivering solutions that support your workflows.

Thanks again!

Shawn

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