I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok • Hacker News Board

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#301

Post by nitwit005 » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:08 PM UTC

josephcsible wrote: post #249

Hall of shame: * Reddit won't let you read "unreviewed" content on mobile web (but will on desktop web) * PayPal won't let you pick your 5% rewards category, or set up balance auto-replenish without their app * Robinhood Banking won't let you see your credit card statement or pay your balance without their app * Instagram won't let you share posts as stories without their app * SeatGeek won't let you attend events wi…

Instagram has had both significant mobile only features, and desktop only features.

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#302

Post by marxisttemp » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:09 PM UTC

I won’t use your web app. The app version has better performance, lower memory usage, is more idiomatic and looks better.

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#303

Post by nosioptar » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:09 PM UTC

cainxinth wrote: post #283

dudu24 wrote: post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

old.reddit.com

I've been on reddit since the beginning. If they kill old.reddit, I'm gone.

Red reader is another option to make reddit usable.

https://github.com/QuantumBadger/RedReader

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#304

Post by CephalopodMD » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:10 PM UTC

I'm okay with downloading your app provided it's actually good and does something substantially better than a website could do. I'm talking seamless mobile UI, use of mobile features like gps or nfc, or easier/better security and authentication.

However, I don't want your bloated or minimum effort dog-shit app just to watch a movie on a plane, browse a site like Reddit, order a pizza, read a news article/blog, or shop at your specific online store. I will begrudgingly download it if I must, but I'll hate you for it.

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#305

Post by KoolKat23 » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:10 PM UTC

I at times wonder if my life would be easier if I were not so stubborn and just installed every app suggested along the way.

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#306

Post by krb5 » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:11 PM UTC

The cookie/session isolation is underrated. Half the reason services push you to the app is because the mobile browser experience for juggling multiple web apps is genuinely bad — not because the web can't do it, but because nobody's made it comfortable. I got annoyed enough to put together a small webview manager that keeps a few web apps in tabs with separate cookies: https://github.com/theoden8/webspace_app (yes, it's written in flutter)

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#307

Post by marxisttemp » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:11 PM UTC

joshstrange wrote: post #290

The sad reality is people _want_ apps and the people paying for web/apps to be built also want apps (even before we talk about tracking/ad-blocking reasons). I too love the web, but throughout my career the idea of web-first/web-only has been DOA. There is some level of perceived prestige from having an app. I've told this story countless times but on multiple occasions I've written cross-platform apps using web tech…

Why is it sad to want an app?

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#308

Post by gonzalohm » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:11 PM UTC

I would be fine having an app for everything if:

1. Phone storage wasn't paid at an absurdly premium price. Sometimes the option with just higher storage may be $300 more.

2. High speed Internet was available cheaply everywhere.

If I'm in a town in the middle of nowhere. I'm not going to use my expensive data plan (because in the US mobile data is extremely expensive compared to EU) To download a 500Mb app that will take 5 minutes to download because the Internet is slow just to pay for parking

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#309

Post by dlcarrier » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:12 PM UTC

josephcsible wrote: post #249

Hall of shame: * Reddit won't let you read "unreviewed" content on mobile web (but will on desktop web) * PayPal won't let you pick your 5% rewards category, or set up balance auto-replenish without their app * Robinhood Banking won't let you see your credit card statement or pay your balance without their app * Instagram won't let you share posts as stories without their app * SeatGeek won't let you attend events wi…

How about an 81-year-old Dodgers fan who has held season tickets for 50 years, and doesn't even own a smartphone, who can no longer order the traditional book of season tickets: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/dodgers-fan-printed...

Re: I won't download your app. The web version is a-ok

#310

Post by saltcured » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 5:13 PM UTC

tcoff91 wrote: post #237

bbminner wrote: post #212

I asked the same question a few years ago, and the answer I arrived at is that the app has, by default, more permissions (not only technical but also conventional) to collect data, send push notifications, and otherwise harass the user.

iOS apps have to request permission from user to send push and for basically every other problematic permission.

I'm only familiar with Android, and it bothers me that I cannot exert complete sandbox control over every app.

I think I should be able to completely cut it off from the network and/or local storage; prevent it from running even though it is installed; and prevent it from having any personalizing information about me, my movements, my network connectivity status or patterns, my device usage (i.e. screen on versus locked, any proxy like battery state of charge), etc.

I am very reluctant to install apps because I see that the platform is designed for needs and a mindset that is not my own. I do not see it as essential or preferable that an app be able to monetize my usage or really gather any telemetry at all.