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“It works better in the app”

shkspr.mobi

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Re: “It works better in the app”

#51

Post by tpmoney »

goosejuice wrote: post #29
afavour wrote: post #20

It’s a shame the web was so slow to adapt to this new mobile world. When it all started things like offline capabilities were very difficult to do on the web and native development felt necessary. These days the web can actually do a lot… but it’s too late. People expect to find something in the App Store, pinning a web site to their Home Screen is just not something they know they can do. So a lot of people waste an…

I think the web did fine. People can't pin a web app because Apple made it difficult for them to do exactly that.

Burger menu -> share -> add to home screen is difficult? How do you pin a web app in Android then?

Re: “It works better in the app”

#53

Post by edent »

em3rgent0rdr wrote: post #47
noir_lord wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, I've no interest in native apps to do something that can be done in a web app and if you don't let me do it in a web app I'll bounce and either find someone who can or do without unless there is a seriously compelling use case (I'm not that dogmatic). As a result the only native apps I use on my phone are Kindle, Authy and Firefox because I trust Firefox to prevent apps doing a lot of the sketchy shit locally…

> "do something that can be done in a web app" I'll bite. What important features can only be done in an "app" but not a web app nowadays?

NFC reading is one. That's why lots of Governments publish apps - it's a reliable way to check your passport if you need a visa etc.

It might be coming to the web - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_NFC_API

Re: “It works better in the app”

#55

Post by earthnail »

em3rgent0rdr wrote: post #47
noir_lord wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, I've no interest in native apps to do something that can be done in a web app and if you don't let me do it in a web app I'll bounce and either find someone who can or do without unless there is a seriously compelling use case (I'm not that dogmatic). As a result the only native apps I use on my phone are Kindle, Authy and Firefox because I trust Firefox to prevent apps doing a lot of the sketchy shit locally…

> "do something that can be done in a web app" I'll bite. What important features can only be done in an "app" but not a web app nowadays?

Realtime stuff. Audio, video etc, games. Apps with a large user library (like the Photos app) that should work offline.

Re: “It works better in the app”

#56

Post by Gualdrapo »

I sell stuff ocassionaly on a "local" platform called MercadoLibre (like, I could afford a new handlebar for my bicycle so I could sell there the old one). Mercadolibre kind of wants to be the argentinian Amazon, even lobbying in the argentinian government so they will ban similar platforms from other countries. With time, MercadoLibre has become incredibly hostile and greedy for us small sellers, while favoring corpos.

They charge you 25% for each sale you do via their platform, but the latest thing they did was to force you to "identify" you are you via a website where they track your face features and scan your ID "because of security". Yeah, that sounds good, so I did that in 2021.

They asked this again last year because of reasons. But this time they won't let you use a regular web browser: they forced you to do this via their app. No matter how much you try, it will always fail citing "compatibility issues" or "errors". I tried to complain but their customer support is incredibly shitty, if you even manage how to find to contact them.

But oh surprise, their "app" is just a web wrapper.

Re: “It works better in the app”

#57

Post by bluedino »

deaton wrote: post #33
brk wrote: post #9

At this point the barrier for me to install an app is pretty high. If you're going to needlessly gate certain functions behind an app that work on a desktop browser (or could work in-browser), then I just won't use those functions. If by extension that degrades the value I get from your site, then I just won't use the site, and I won't be contributing to ADU stats you promote to advertisers. Every single company has…

Theres a gym I work out at, and that I have been going to for nearly a year now, and they have an app you can use to check in, schedule classes, whatever. I don't actually know because I never downloaded the app, I just use my phone number to check in every time I go. I don't want more apps on my phone, not for the gym, not for fast food, maybe my bank and the apps I need to communicate with friends and family, but t…

I took a picture of my keychain tag, set the date of it to my membership expiration date, and then scan that picture my phone when I go in

Re: “It works better in the app”

#58

Post by Larrikin »

If your app can be implemented in React Native with no developer pain, it should just be a website.

Native is a much better experience than mobile websites when you actually use the features and power of these fairly advanced computers we carry around in our pockets.

Re: “It works better in the app”

#59

Post by pj_mukh »

brk wrote: post #9

At this point the barrier for me to install an app is pretty high. If you're going to needlessly gate certain functions behind an app that work on a desktop browser (or could work in-browser), then I just won't use those functions. If by extension that degrades the value I get from your site, then I just won't use the site, and I won't be contributing to ADU stats you promote to advertisers. Every single company has…

The flip side is: I have an Audioguide app with reams of fancy of AI features. Even a basic non-AI one is we use GPS in the background to auto-trigger when you approach certain checkpoints on your tour, and we don't want you staring or constantly manually fiddling with the phone when you're on a tour in a neighborhood. This is all stuff just not possible with the web app

I get it, "I'm just traveling, why do I need to download an app which will be useless when I'm done traveling". Just delete it then, takes two steps!

Our reviews between our Web App and iOS app are like 2 sigma apart. Un-intuitively, our web app users are out fiddling with the app 2-3x more than our iOS app.

Re: “It works better in the app”

#60

Post by pbhjpbhj »

goosejuice wrote: post #23
brk wrote: post #9

At this point the barrier for me to install an app is pretty high. If you're going to needlessly gate certain functions behind an app that work on a desktop browser (or could work in-browser), then I just won't use those functions. If by extension that degrades the value I get from your site, then I just won't use the site, and I won't be contributing to ADU stats you promote to advertisers. Every single company has…

I wish everyone thought like this. Unfortunately the average user demands an app and thinks they have nothing to hide.

I think the average user doesn't know the app is there to circumvent tracking protections in browsers and doesn't realise the app is most likely just a web page in a wrapper.

I was at a car park in UK and you didn't have to install an app, just scan the QR to go to the web page, simple payment. Sadly they then messed it all up by not offering payment through normal services.

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