10. The edX Mobile App

This topic describes how to use the mobile app to take edX courses.

10.1. Overview of the edX Mobile App

You can use the edX mobile apps to download course videos so that you can watch them whenever you want to, even without an Internet connection. When you have an Internet connection, you can also read course announcements, participate in course discussions, and get started on homework and other assignments. To complete an entire course, you use a web browser on a computer.

There is currently an edX mobile app for Android smartphones and another for iPhones.

10.4. Courseware Questions

10.4.1. Can I take a course entirely on my mobile device?

Not entirely. With the edX mobile app, you can download course videos to watch when you do not have an Internet connection. When you have an Internet connection, you can also read course announcements and content, and do some, but not all, of the problems in your assignments. To complete an entire course, including participating in course discussions, you use a web browser on a computer.

10.4.2. How do I post questions on the discussion board?

You can read and contribute to course discussions in the edX mobile apps whenever you have an Internet connection. After you select your course, select Discussion. You can then browse through different topics or search for words or phrases that interest you.

10.5. Video Questions

10.5.1. How do I download videos?

To download videos, you must be connected to the Internet. Select the “download” icon that appears to the right of a subsection or video name.

  • If you select download for a subsection, you download all of the videos in that subsection.
  • If you select download for a video, you download only that video.

This example lists subsections in a course and shows how many videos that will download when you select the icon.

List of subsections with the "download" icon circled.

To download videos, you must be connected to the Internet. After you download a video, you can watch it at any time.

10.5.2. How much data will the videos in this app use?

Course videos are optimized for mobile playback, but watching or downloading any video can result in heavy data use. EdX recommends using a Wi-Fi connection if you intend to watch or download a lot of videos. The edX mobile apps have a Download only on Wi-Fi setting that is enabled by default to help you avoid using your cellular network accidentally.

10.5.3. What are the numbers to the right of subsection names?

The number to the right of a subsection name indicates the number of videos in that subsection.

10.5.4. How can I make the video full screen?

Rotate your phone until the video changes to landscape mode, or select “full screen” in the bottom right corner of the video player.

Video with "full screen" icon circled.

10.5.5. Can I speed up the videos?

You can change video speeds on the iPhone app. While a video plays, select Settings (the “gear” icon) at the lower right, and then select Video Speed.

On the Android app, videos currently play only at their original speeds.

10.5.6. How do I change my download settings?

  1. On the My Courses page, select the menu in the upper left corner.

    Mobile "My Courses" page with an arrow pointing to the menu in the upper left corner.
  2. Select My Settings.

  3. Change the Wi-Fi only download setting.

Note

By default, the apps are set so that they only download content, including videos, if you are on a Wi-Fi network. If you change this setting, you might exceed the data allowance for your cellular plan.

10.5.7. How do I delete downloaded videos?

  1. On the My Courses page, select the menu in the upper left corner.
  2. Select My Videos.
  3. On the All Videos page, select the course that has the video that you want to delete. Alternatively, select Recent Videos.
  4. At the bottom of the list of videos, select Edit. A “selection” icon appears next to each video name and at the top of the page.
  5. Select the videos that you want to delete. To select all of the videos, select the icon at the top of the page.
  6. Select Delete.

10.5.8. What are the circles to the left of the video names?

Each circle indicates whether you have already played a video. A blue circle means that you have not started playing the video. A half-filled circle means that you played part of the video. A gray circle means that you played the entire video.

10.6. Notification Questions

10.6.1. Will I get notified about upcoming due dates and exams?

Many course teams send notifications to remind you when assignments are due or make other announcements. However, each course team decides what to announce and when, and whether to send notifications to the mobile app.

10.6.2. Where can I read all of the announcements for my course?

You can use the edX mobile app or a web browser to visit the Course Info page and read all of the announcements.

10.6.3. How do I turn off course notifications (or turn them back on)?

You can turn notifications off, or on, for each of your courses. In the edX mobile app, select the course and visit its Course Info page to change the notification setting.

10.6.4. Can I turn off notifications for all of my courses at once?

You can turn off all notifications for the edX mobile app. To change the notification setting on an Android smartphone, visit the App info page for the edX mobile app. On an iPhone, visit Settings and then select the edX mobile app.

10.7. Completing Assignments

10.7.1. Can I use the edX mobile app to do my homework?

You can use the edX mobile app to do some, but probably not all, of the problems in your assignments. EdX courses include a variety of problem types. Currently, you can read questions and submit answers only for problem types that require a simple action as a response.

For example, you can use the edX app to answer multiple choice questions, but you cannot use it to draw molecules or design circuits. To complete problems that require complex actions, you must use a web browser.

Note

EdX recommends that you complete all of your graded assignments in a web browser on a computer.

10.7.2. What types of problems can I do?

The edX mobile app is best suited for completing ungraded, practice problems.

In the edX mobile app, you can do problems that you answer in one of these ways.

  • Multiple choice selection
  • Dropdown list selection
  • Checkbox selection
  • Text input
  • Numerical input

EdX is working to add more types of problems to this list.

10.7.3. Can I read all of the questions for my assignments in the app?

No. After you select the Full Course option, the courseware list includes every section in the course. After you select a section, a “readable” (piece of paper) icon or a “web only” (PC) icon appears next to each piece of content.

When you select a readable assignment, you can read and answer questions in the app. For graded assignments, edX recommends that you review the entire assignment in a web browser to make sure that you read and answer all of the questions.

When you select a web only assignment, you can follow a link to open that part of the course in a web browser. The question does not appear in the app.

10.8. Troubleshooting

10.8.1. I see “This video is not available” when I try to watch a video. What can I do?

If you have problems viewing videos, make sure that you have an Internet connection and then try to view or download the video again.

If problems persist, let us know. On the My Courses page, select the “menu” icon, and then select Submit Feedback.