I don't know my issue is limited to the new app, or if it would also existed if I'd checked in through the website.
We are 2 silver elites, traveling on the same PNR. Used the app to check in this morning. Agreed to the PNR split for upgrade purposes. Got our E+ seats. Everything seemed OK. Went back to check the upgrade list, and only one of us is listed.
Called UA. Despite the 2nd passenger's elite status, somehow or another, the system denied his ability to get on the upgrade list. Nothing the agent could do about it, and said we'd have to wait until we got to the airport. She said it was a system issue and that she reported it. Well I wasn't having any of the "wait until you get to the airport" business. I was polite, and asked that I be transferred to a supervisor so I could express my displeasure. After about a 5 minute wait, a very nice supervisor comes on the line. Evidently she's the 2nd supervisor that is looking at the record. She acknowledged this was a bug in the system. She was able to get the passenger on the upgrade list because she had "airport rights". Apparently the first supervisor didn't.
Anyway, bad on UA for having these glitches, but kudos for them transferring my call to multiple supervisors until finding the one that could fix the problem.