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Do not download the app, use the website

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Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#751

Post by cellularmitosis »

micromacrofoot wrote: post #552
gcanyon wrote: post #535

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I refuse to use Facebook's app. It's been years, I don't remember why, don't ask me. Their web app is fundamentally broken in half a dozen ways, and has been for years. A couple examples (not all): If you are in the middle of typing a comment and switch to another app, when you come back, it will reload the display, losing your comment. Video shorts load in a way that hides the video after about two seconds. Editing…

Companies intentionally make their web experiences worse because they can track you better in apps. Even if the trackers are technically the same, even somewhat savvy people using blockers or browser protections generally don't use them on their phones.

This is a satisfying narrative but I feel like you are overestimating the technical competency and/or malice of these companies. The more likely explanation is that they have simply bitten off more complexity than they can chew.

Of the tech companies I've worked for, I can't even imagine how the web team would react if they were instructed to intentionally nerf their website.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#752

Post by cellularmitosis »

troupo wrote: post #429
zxexz wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reddit runs well IMO if you go to old.reddit.com. The mobile site is borderline useless, presumably intentionally.

According to Reddit's "Staff Platform Engineer (Web Platform Team)": --- start quote --- Old Reddit has the advantage of being pretty much static non-interactive content. No video, tiny thumbnails, and barely any JS or styling. Some people like this and some don't, but the end result is a very lean website that performs well out of the box. https://x.com/jimsimon_/status/1841087335414280571 Suffice to say, I'm on the…

Based on how universally horrible their video playback performance is (even in the iOS app), I can only assume incompetence.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#753

Post by skratix »

The article overlooked another important reason for companies to push their apps: Notifications. Notifications are the spam of 2020s. Just like with other permissions, people mindlessly accept permissions for the app to send notifications, opening a huge marketing opportunity for the app vendor. People even keep those notifications popping up on their smart watches! Ads directly on your wrist - it's a marketers wet dream come true.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#754

Post by chasing0entropy »

Barbing wrote: post #327
chasing0entropy wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reddit is in full in AI data hoarding mode. Try to load their website with fingerprinting entirely mitigated and you'll be greeted by impossible are you a robot validation

>fingerprinting entirely mitigated This is an interest of mine, but I’m still fingerprinted per a recent comment. May I ask: How?

Chromium with autogenerate device resolution and client agent id with only simple JavaScript enabled(no rtc or gdi data) is enough to wall you from Reddit login script unless you're already validated by cookie

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#755

Post by msephton »

fsflover wrote: post #595
msephton wrote: post #413

I advise non-technical and elderly friends to use the app simply because it's so much more secure than browsing the open web.

Secure against which threats?

Website injections, Google search to find the website address and ending up on a fake site rather than simply typing it into the address bar, etc. So many. Apps don't sidestep all of them but enough to be an easy recommendation.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#756

Post by msephton »

scarface_74 wrote: post #641
aiisjustanif wrote: post #587

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar with Cashapp, Venmo, and Apple Wallet / Credit Card.

You can very much get a physical card for the Apple credit card and make payments on the web.

But is there a website to manage your account?

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#757

Post by fsflover »

msephton wrote: post #755
fsflover wrote: post #595

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Secure against which threats?

Website injections, Google search to find the website address and ending up on a fake site rather than simply typing it into the address bar, etc. So many. Apps don't sidestep all of them but enough to be an easy recommendation.

PWA would work here as well.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#758

Post by daemin »

shark1 wrote: post #747
tempestn wrote: post #384

At AutoTempest we resisted making an app for years, because anything that a hypothetical app could do, we could do with the website. And in my opinion, when searching for cars, it's more convenient to be in your browser where you can easily open new tabs, bookmark results, etc. And for years, it was our most requested feature, by far. We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain…

Is it because apps are usually faster? Milliseconds make a difference in UX.

There's no speed difference in downloading HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a browser or in the app.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#759

Post by ryukoposting »

tempestn wrote: post #536
ryukoposting wrote: post #470

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is a much more accurate characterization, especially in AutoTempest's case. Their experience on mobile has always been slow and glitchy. I'm not sure what makes their web "app" so heavy, but it's very noticeable.

Can you share details? Or feel free to email me directly, nathan at autotempest. I'd like to learn more about your device, browser, and search criteria so we can try and reproduce what you described.

Firefox on a Galaxy S24. I've had issues with search results not showing up until I refresh, and search filters getting glitchy. Of course, now that I'm trying to reproduce those issues, I can't! So who knows, maybe you guys already fixed it.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#760

Post by msephton »

fsflover wrote: post #757
msephton wrote: post #755

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Website injections, Google search to find the website address and ending up on a fake site rather than simply typing it into the address bar, etc. So many. Apps don't sidestep all of them but enough to be an easy recommendation.

PWA would work here as well.

I disagree, ads and web injection would be a worry.
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