We’re proud to announce the new and improved v3.0 of our Web Editor! It’s available right now as a beta so you can start updating your integration today. It looks beautiful, includes some awesome new features, and runs more smoothly than ever!

Note: All current web partners should read the integration details below to make sure you don’t break your current integrations.

v3 Highlights

• Gorgeous, streamlined interface: better customization for you, and improved performance for your users
• Improved a number of tools, including Enhance, Crop, Draw, and Text
• Improved the top and bottom toolbars of the editor: tool name displayed above, image size below the photo
• Removed last page (feedback/get this editor) from top toolbar
• Greatly improved general performance and responsiveness
• Note: We are officially dropping support for IE7. It’s less than 1% of our web usage, and after talking to a sample of our partners it seems like most of you are dropping IE7 as well. If you still require support for IE7, get in touch and we can discuss your options.

How to Update!

1. API Keys
   As of v3, API keys are now required. If you don’t have one yet, you can grab one from aviary.com/web.

2. Beta URL
   In your testing environment, replace http://feather.aviary.com/js/feather.js with the beta url http://feather.aviary.com/js/feather_beta.js or grab a new code snippet from one of our sample pages: dark theme | light theme. Do not release this url to your production environment, as it is a beta and contains a special feedback button for your testers.

3. apiVersion Number
   Once you’ve pointed to feather_beta.js, you can change the apiVersion configuration parameter to 3. See the sample page above for an example.

4. Updating on Production
   On July 15th, you’ll be able to change the apiVersion to 3 on the production feather.js to upgrade immediately. Additionally, the new default value for apiVersion will change to 3 on this date, so make sure you’ve set the parameter to 2 if you want to remain on v2 of the editor past July 15th.
   Note: On September 16th, version 2 will be deprecated and apiVersion will be forced to 3 for all integrations.) If you’re currently doing anything anything unsupported, make sure you test your custom CSS and update to v3 before you are forced into it in September! See our Timeline below for instructions for staying on v2 past that date.

5. Customization
   Start with the dark or light default theme and customize the editor from there. If you’re currently doing anything anything unsupported with CSS we highly recommend removing any existing customization and starting fresh with the new version (this should be much easier than tweaking existing code – a lot has changed!).

6. minimumStyling
   If you’d like to take it one step further and build your own theme for the editor, you can use the minimumStyling configuration with either the dark or light theme. That said, we highly recommend building on top of one of our default themes, as those come with built in transitions, hover states, etc – try them out, they feel really nice.

Timeline

• Now: v3 beta is available via a special beta url. See above for details.
• July 15th: v3 will officially be released. The apiVersion parameter will default to 3 if it isn’t specified. To remain on v2 past this date, make sure to set apiVersion to 2.
• September 16th: v2 will be deprecated entirely. Hardcoded apiVersion numbers will no longer be valid. If you need to stay on v2 past this date please contact us.

We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback!

Cheers, Aviary

Big news: more than 50 million people have made their pictures look awesome with Aviary’s Photo Editor in the last 30 days*. That’s a huge milestone to reach – and represents 100% growth in the last six months.

In total, we have now helped people edit more than 4 billion photos.

Of course, those 50 million people use Aviary not just in our own showcase apps, but across partner apps like Flickr, Pic Stitch, Tango and many more.  In fact, as I write this post and check our analytics dashboard, I’m seeing 4,662 partners currently live with Aviary integration. That’s up from 3,500 in March.

So that huge milestone of 50MM MAUs also comes with a huge amount of responsibility. We can’t thank our 4,662 partners enough for the trust they put in Aviary every day to power their apps and provide their users with top class photo editing tools, filters, frames and stickers. We promise to keep working hard and smart to push our products even further, even faster, trying with every new release to delight partners and their users around the globe.

And that term, “around the globe,” now means even more to Aviary because in June… we’ll have our first international presence… in Tokyo, Japan.

This year, we’ve seen huge demand from users and partners right across Asia. Partners are taking advantage of our localized SDK for photos and stickers, and are also working with us to create custom content for their users.

We already have fantastic partnerships with companies like Mixi, one of the biggest social networks in Japan, so it makes perfect sense for Aviary to put feet on the street in Tokyo and start serving the region from there. We’re also planning to host Photo Hack Day 5 in Japan sometime in the Fall – to say a big THANK YOU (ありがとうございます！) to all the developers who have worked with us so far, and to say a big HELLO (こんにちは) to new friends who we hope will work us in the near future.

Exciting times! Keep an eye on this blog for more news soon…

-Tobias

*As ever, no metric we publish refers to, or includes, any Twitter data.

It’s finally (finally!) warm in NYC, but before we go soak up the sunshine, we’re sharing some awesome upgrades that came out of hibernation with us.

A totally new interface, tools you’ve been begging for, and a renewed commitment to protect your users’ privacy are the headlines of today’s updates. So grab a popsicle, settle in and take a peek – we can’t wait to hear what you think!

What’s new: Aviary iOS SDK v3.0

We just released our biggest update ever, and more than one thousand developers are already enjoying our shiny new improvements. Planning your upgrade? Here’s what to expect:

And as always, remember that Aviary is:

• Cross-platform: Aviary is available for all major platforms (mobile and web) and takes just minutes to integrate, saving you major headaches when it’s time to expand.
• More than filters: Editing photos with Aviary goes far beyond filters; offer your users a variety of professional-grade tools (crop, text, redeye removal, and more) that are simple enough for anyone to use.
• Customizable: Change the colors and toolset of your integration in seconds. Plus, with white label options, we get out of the way so your brand can shine!
• Adware free: Your users trust you with their privacy, and we don’t ask you to compromise it in uncomfortable or unfair ways. (Beware of other SDKs that do!)
• The most user-friendly way to monetize: Our much-loved special edition filters, frames and stickers are designed in-house, and have been applied more than 250 million times since launching last fall. Learn more!
• Tried and true: Over 4,000 partners, big and small, trust Aviary to provide the best editing experience in the world. Whether you’re Flickr or you’re just getting off the ground, we feel honored that you depend on us, and will never stop working for you.
• Here to help: We love your questions (and your big ideas). Want to chat? Just say hello!
• Obsessively devoted to photography: Our passion for photos is rivaled only by our devotion to making our users and partners happier with every release.

Happy editing!

-Team Aviary