Tapestry access for users on old devices and browsers

[Lauren]

This post is for those of you accessing Tapestry via an Android mobile/tablet running Android 4.4.4 or below (this is the operating system for the device), or on a computer using a really old version of Windows/OS X and using the ‘classic app’ or an old internet browser.

For those of you accessing Tapestry via the browser, this might be you if you’re using a very old computer or mobile/tablet and you don’t think the browser you use to access the internet has been updated in a long time. The browser might be an app you click on to open a webpage, or it might be a ‘google’ bar on your device’s home screen.

I’ll explain at the bottom of this post how you can be sure what operating system your Android device uses, but one sign of it being 4.4.4 or below and you having a very old browser is that other websites have stopped working over the last few years when you access them via that computer/device or other similar ones.

Unfortunately, the same is about to be true for Tapestry. As of Wednesday 4th of November, we are stopping people from accessing Tapestry or the Foundation Stage Forum if we can see that the connection between them and Tapestry/the Forum isn’t secure enough. If you’re interested in what we’re doing technically, we’re switching off connections to ‘TLS 1.0’ and ‘TLS 1.1’.

You don’t need to know what that means technically, but you should know that this will help to protect you and the data stored on your account.

Luckily, there is a, hopefully, quite simple way for you to be able to access Tapestry again! If you’re using our Tapestry app you just need to download the newer version of it (it's a different app to the 'classic'. It's called 'Tapestry Mobile' and has a colourful logo). If you’re using a browser, you just need to update the browser you use to get onto the internet (and therefore access Tapestry). If you’re using a mobile/tablet you will be able to download an up to date browser from the ‘play store’. We use ‘Google Chrome’ or ‘Firefox’ here mostly, but you might have another preference.

If you’re on a computer, you can google for those and download an up to date version.

If you’re not confident doing that though, it’s worth speaking to your IT team, or someone else who generally helps with your computers/devices.

 

This is how you can check the operating system for Android mobile/tablets

1.       Turn on your device.

2.       Go to ‘Settings’

3.       Scroll down through the ‘Settings’ options and look for one that says ‘About phone’, ‘About tablet’, or ‘System’. Click on that.

4.       If you’re given another level of options to choose from, click on one that says something like ‘Software Information’ or ‘About’.

5.       Look those the list of details you’re given until you find one that says ‘Android Version’.

6.       If the number under that starts with a 4 or less then this may well affect you and you should update your browser.
 

If you can’t find the operating system number, or you’re still not sure for another reason, then it’s worth updating your browser anyway, just in case.

 

If you have any questions, please email customer.service@eyfs.info.