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Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

danq.me

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Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#61

Post by zamadatix »

datakan wrote: post #29
billyp-rva wrote: post #18

> I can’t understand how we got to this place with “app culture”! The short version: ad blockers work on browsers but not apps[0]. [0] https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle

Apple has actually started allowing this. You can find the functionality in an adblocker called Wipr now and it works really well.

URL filters in iOS 26 just make network level filtering more convenient (can use a real VPN at the same time) but it's nothing new in terms of replacement for real ad blockers, which is why apps like Wipr still include a Safari extension.

Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#63

Post by z3c0 »

doginasuit wrote: post #58
datakan wrote: post #4

We were supposed to be in the age of PWAs. That was the initial plan for iOS before the app store and 30% cuts on subscription apps. Most web apps suck too though so I guess pick your poison. My strong belief is they want apps because they can spam you with notifications to get your attention.

> My strong belief is they want apps because they can spam you with notifications to get your attention. That's it, an app installed on a mobile device is a much more effective attentional hook than a website that must be either bookmarked or remembered. It is like inviting a door-to-door salesman to your house, of course they will take the invitation.

Also, analytics are not limited by JavaScript and browser APIs. Getting your attention isn't so valuable without knowing how to do it a second time.

Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#64

Post by jorisw »

pjc50 wrote: post #55
jorisw wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they want Who are 'they' and how do you know what they want

Specific example would be Reddit.

Reddit, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, sure.

All examples of first party social media clients.

A minority of native app developers, I'm willing to bet.

Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#65

Post by [deleted] »

Grombobulous wrote: post #53

I recently decided to publish an app on the App Store just so I could say I accomplished that, and maybe even make a little bit of beer money on the side. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that my actual app is pretty much garbage. I don’t expect it to be popular. It’s basically a worse version of stuff that is already available. I expected this to be a learning exercise about the process of getting stuff published. Lo…

[deleted]

Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#66

Post by whstl »

mr_mitm wrote: post #52
whstl wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can send notifications with PWAs with Web Push API + Service Worker, same as a regular page. But, AFAIK, you need the server for push, though. It used to be possible to program entirely from the client with this proposed feature but AFAIK it's abandoned: https://github.com/GoogleChrome/developer.chrome.com//blob/m...

> You can send notifications with PWAs with Web Push API + Service Worker, same as a regular page. While the app is awake, sure. I'd like notifications to work even if the OS backgrounded the app, and even without a network connection, like I'd expect a reminder to work. > https://github.com/GoogleChrome/developer.chrome.com//blob/m... Looks like this is what I need and it doesn't exist. So the short answer is "no".…

> While the app is awake, sure.

That's not true. The browser's push service wakes the service worker on delivery, even if the PWA is fully closed. That's the entire point of Push API vs polling.

Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#67

Post by pjc50 »

jorisw wrote: post #64
pjc50 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Specific example would be Reddit.

Reddit, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, sure. All examples of first party social media clients. A minority of native app developers, I'm willing to bet.

Probably a statistical paradox where most developers aren't doing mass surveillance, but most app installs are, because the number of users for apps follows a power law distribution.

Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#68

Post by rTX5CMRXIfFG »

I prefer native apps over web apps, but I’m honestly at the point now where I just want to make voice or chat commands and get an output, instead of learning some self-important UI/UX person’s custom UI controls aka “””design system”””

Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#69

Post by ForHackernews »

brabel wrote: post #5
datakan wrote: post #4

We were supposed to be in the age of PWAs. That was the initial plan for iOS before the app store and 30% cuts on subscription apps. Most web apps suck too though so I guess pick your poison. My strong belief is they want apps because they can spam you with notifications to get your attention.

> My strong belief is they want apps because they can spam you with notifications to get your attention. I believe the same about the Youtube App, I just can't see why else it exists and I hate the video links try to open in the app if you're not careful!

NewPipe mostly works except when Google breaks it.

Re: Your 'app' could have been a webpage (so I fixed it for you)

#70

Post by [deleted] »

mr_mitm wrote: post #52
whstl wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can send notifications with PWAs with Web Push API + Service Worker, same as a regular page. But, AFAIK, you need the server for push, though. It used to be possible to program entirely from the client with this proposed feature but AFAIK it's abandoned: https://github.com/GoogleChrome/developer.chrome.com//blob/m...

> You can send notifications with PWAs with Web Push API + Service Worker, same as a regular page. While the app is awake, sure. I'd like notifications to work even if the OS backgrounded the app, and even without a network connection, like I'd expect a reminder to work. > https://github.com/GoogleChrome/developer.chrome.com//blob/m... Looks like this is what I need and it doesn't exist. So the short answer is "no".…

[deleted]
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