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Universal What the point of some apps over just the website? Stupid question sorry
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A lot of apps are indeed worse than just going to the website. Some apps really are just the website packaged to work inside an app container.
A lot of websites are actually designed so that they can be installed as apps if you save the bookmark to your home screen, but very few people do this and hardly any website advertises that you can do this.
Why? My guess is because the average user is unbelievably simple and stuck in their habits. Setting up a website as a button on your phone takes a few steps and that's a few more steps than most people are willing to consider.
I deal with people who don't type in website addresses. They only "visit QR codes". Many people will only view your site if they can "download your site" from the App Store.
I have people who bought a domain name and paid me to do a website for them and when I tell them to go to their website, they search Google for it even after I showed them how to call it up directly by putting in their website's domain name.
A lot of websites are actually designed so that they can be installed as apps if you save the bookmark to your home screen, but very few people do this and hardly any website advertises that you can do this.
Why? My guess is because the average user is unbelievably simple and stuck in their habits. Setting up a website as a button on your phone takes a few steps and that's a few more steps than most people are willing to consider.
I deal with people who don't type in website addresses. They only "visit QR codes". Many people will only view your site if they can "download your site" from the App Store.
I have people who bought a domain name and paid me to do a website for them and when I tell them to go to their website, they search Google for it even after I showed them how to call it up directly by putting in their website's domain name.
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Depends on the website and app.
For example for Twitter/X I use an app because I get a clean interface. The Twitter/X web experience is not so good: cluttered, ads, sometimes strange sorting etc..
But it is also the other way round: for Reddit I use the web (with adblocker for ads) because I don't like the app.
For example for Twitter/X I use an app because I get a clean interface. The Twitter/X web experience is not so good: cluttered, ads, sometimes strange sorting etc..
But it is also the other way round: for Reddit I use the web (with adblocker for ads) because I don't like the app.
it amounts to personal preference. I hate the App Store, so if i can accomplish something using a website, I will always prefer using that over an app. But I'm pragmatic about it: Often, there is functioning that relies on the app and either isn't available on the mobile website or is impossible to duplicate on a website (for example, my bank offers mobile deposits by taking a picture of a check you receive, but only via their app. As a business owner this saves me a ton of time, so it's worth it to me to keep the app around.) But I spend zero time browsing the App Store.
Some people collect apps like it's their life's work. I don't get that at all, but, different strokes for different folks. If you're looking for some grand reasoning behind it I think you'll be disappointed.
Some people collect apps like it's their life's work. I don't get that at all, but, different strokes for different folks. If you're looking for some grand reasoning behind it I think you'll be disappointed.
I prefer an app instead of a website for UI since unfortunately there are still a lot websites that aren't working great on iPads or iPhones. I do think though that it doesn't make much sense if the app is a simple version of the website and you still have to visit the website for a lot of things. Then then app doesn't make much sense to me.
I'm also loving apps for:
- easy login with TouchID / FaceID
- quickly see my data (e.g. for running)
- homescreen widgets for e.g. weather, running status, calendar, energy stats
- optional push notifications
I am one of those people that loves to test out apps and make collections / lists out of them to also help out others in the search that also hate the current App Store. That is why I love AppRaven so much to find proper apps and help out others to also easily see pay once apps and high quality games without ads, coins, lootboxes but with a controller.
I'm also loving apps for:
- easy login with TouchID / FaceID
- quickly see my data (e.g. for running)
- homescreen widgets for e.g. weather, running status, calendar, energy stats
- optional push notifications
I am one of those people that loves to test out apps and make collections / lists out of them to also help out others in the search that also hate the current App Store. That is why I love AppRaven so much to find proper apps and help out others to also easily see pay once apps and high quality games without ads, coins, lootboxes but with a controller.
I think the main downside people don't realize about apps on your phone is that by downloading them, you're giving a company an incredible amount of permissions over your phone and it's content. Read through say TikTok or Facebook's (for example) TOS for their app. When you download their app and sign in, they have the LEGAL RIGHT to go through your other unrelated photos on your phone, including nudes, documents, screenshots (think financial documents, passwords, etc) absolutely EVERYTHING. Not only to peek, but to SAVE.
And the app for Tik Tok specifically gives the Chinese company to not only go through your phones location, photos, and other info, but also ANYONE ELSE who is even on your same network (say they connect to your home wifi). So even if I'm super careful and don't even download anything other than Apple apps and maybe a bank app and Netflix or so, my daughter up in her room with the TikTok app is giving them permission to go through my phone anyway. It's absolutely ridiculous.
Besides permissions to data, they use your wifi and battery to send this info to their servers. On average, the 2 days I had it downloaded, the Facebook app took up 60% of my daily battery, and that's while the app wasn't even opened. What are they doing with my connection and all that power? Harvesting data and current info from my phone, at my expense.
To this day I don't know why there aren't people making a huge fuss over this, or that someone doesn't make it their mission, or job (or YouTube channel) to put this home invasion type behavior into plain words so the average person can understand how invasive and sneaky/dishonest it is.
And the app for Tik Tok specifically gives the Chinese company to not only go through your phones location, photos, and other info, but also ANYONE ELSE who is even on your same network (say they connect to your home wifi). So even if I'm super careful and don't even download anything other than Apple apps and maybe a bank app and Netflix or so, my daughter up in her room with the TikTok app is giving them permission to go through my phone anyway. It's absolutely ridiculous.
Besides permissions to data, they use your wifi and battery to send this info to their servers. On average, the 2 days I had it downloaded, the Facebook app took up 60% of my daily battery, and that's while the app wasn't even opened. What are they doing with my connection and all that power? Harvesting data and current info from my phone, at my expense.
To this day I don't know why there aren't people making a huge fuss over this, or that someone doesn't make it their mission, or job (or YouTube channel) to put this home invasion type behavior into plain words so the average person can understand how invasive and sneaky/dishonest it is.