The New York Times reaches more readers today than ever before in its 164-year history thanks to the rise of mobile. On Android specifically, user growth in recent years has been explosive.

We were early adopters of Android, launching our first app for the platform in 2010. Last summer, while planning upcoming development, we took an honest look at the experience we were offering users. Despite pushing new features and updates, we realized our app was no longer a cutting-edge product. So, we got to work.

We’ve spent the last five months rethinking the experience we’re putting in the hands of Android readers around the world and rewriting our app to deliver it. Today we’re excited to announce The New York Times Android app 5.0, codenamed “Phoenix.”

From the design of the app to the technology powering it, everything about Phoenix is new. With richer articles and better performance, it’s a faster and smoother way to explore The Times on Android. It has a clean, modern look that makes reading and sharing easy, but still gives our readers the depth and familiarity they expect from The New York Times.

What’s in 5.0?

Here are some of the highlights of our launch release:

A new way to navigate with shortcuts for quick swiping across popular sections at the top of the screen.

with shortcuts for quick swiping across popular sections at the top of the screen. A streamlined layout for tablets making better use of screen real estate.

making better use of screen real estate. Article pages featuring richer media, custom type and elements of Android’s Material Design.

custom type and elements of Android’s Material Design. Morning Briefing: A redesigned daily notification that tells you what happened overnight and gives you a headstart on the day ahead.

that tells you what happened overnight and gives you a headstart on the day ahead. Breaking news alerts that link to developing stories , taking users directly to the news they need with a single tap.

, taking users directly to the news they need with a single tap. A new widget combining the day’s best photographs with the most important stories for a top-level view of the news.

There are also major improvements in performance, speed and stability. For those interested in the technology powering Phoenix, Mohit Pandey, Executive Director of Mobile Technology, outlined our technical strategy on The Times’s Open Blog.

Alpha and Beta Programs

For the first time, we’ve shared our in-progress work with readers and invited them to an ongoing conversation about our app development. They’ve already helped us build a better product.

To start, we launched The NYT Android Beta Program, a public community that gives members access to pre-release versions of our app through Google Play. Thanks to our beta testers, we’ve been able to address a wider range of device-specific bugs while learning what users like and don’t like. Based on beta feedback, we made the default font size larger before public launch and have decided to prioritize features such as a dimmer for easy nighttime reading.

We’re also “eating our own dogfood,” as the saying goes. Our new internal Alpha program lets NYT employees across the company use pre-release versions too.

The Launch

The 5.0 update will go out to a small percentage of our current users starting February 23rd. We’ll increase that percentage over the coming weeks.

Please look for an update on Google Play and let us know what you think . If you would like to become a beta tester visit our Google+ page to join the community.

Building Phoenix was not an easy feat. None of this would be possible without our hard-working team, and we would like to extend our sincere gratitude for their dedication. Thank You!

Kate Harris is a senior product manager who focuses on mobile platforms. Kellen Henry is an assistant editor for digital platforms in the newsroom.