4 ms·

I get a lot of requests for small, quick apps from researchers who want to display a little content, maybe a form submission, sometimes a QR reader or something

I get a lot of requests for small, quick apps from researchers who want to display a little content, maybe a form submission, sometimes a QR reader or something. I am always stuck saying "we can have the Android version out in $days, and the iOS app sometime between a week later and never." It's an upsetting thing to say but there's just too much risk dealing with them for projects with tight timelines/budgets.

redis_mlc 6y ago
Are those private (corporate) or public Apple store downloadable apps? Is the Apple approval process also a problem for private apps?
- jrumbut 6y ago
  Mixed, for private apps (especially if the organization controls the device) there exists ways to just install it so long as it conforms with a much less restrictive set of technical requirements. Even this process is onerous compared to the Android world where you can email everyone an APK, submit it to one of several app stores/testing services, serve the APK over HTTPS, etc. I'm really hoping for someone in the comments to say "you fool just use X" but I've been disappointed so far.
  - redis_mlc 6y ago
    Thanks for the detailed answer. And I agree with your final sentence ... I know that disappointment so very well. :)
0x0 6y ago
My experience is that since about 6 to 12 months ago, Google Play reviews have taken longer than Apple App Store reviews.
kinkrtyavimoodh 6y ago
Related question: Why are people making entire apps for things which sound like they should be webpages? Only the QR reader sounds like something that needs to be an app, and there are 100s of QR reader apps already, and some phones have it integrated natively in their OS.
- ksec 6y ago
  Typing Web Address is way more troublesome for 95% of consumer ( i.e those that has never heard of HN ) than installing something from App Store. I am seeing lots of QR Code for Apps uptake. The QR Code contains the link address, and the link itself is a PWA of sort. The only problem is those PWA still lives inside Safari and sort of not work as well as an Apps should. There are many things, like meals ordering system for restaurant that should never be an App and only reached inside App Store in the first place. I am thinking if Apple should open up a limited PWA ecosystem outside of App Store. This solution would likely work for Hey as well. 80% of App Store revenue are from gaming anyway. They are not giving in much. May be PWA isn't the right word either. It is simply a functional webpage resembling closer to an App experience.
- jrumbut 6y ago
  You're not wrong, and beyond web pages some of these things could be PDFs or text files even. My perspective is, if I'm not doing anything evil, why do I have to clear a complexity bar to publish an app? There are also some advantages for simple apps, one is making it really easy to use offline with a nice shortcut on the home screen. The other thing is making it full screen and no address bar helping to decrease distraction. These are not amazing reasons, but they matter for some people.
  - kinkrtyavimoodh 6y ago
    I am definitely not blaming you. It just feels that we have reached this bizarre state of affairs where we create so much useless cruft for vaguely articulated reasons which are often not even true or borne in strong data, but are rather some abstract intuition of some marketing folks somewhere who are probably cargo-culting what they heard from another bunch of marketing folks.

redis_mlc 6y ago

Are those private (corporate) or public Apple store downloadable apps? Is the Apple approval process also a problem for private apps?

jrumbut 6y ago
Mixed, for private apps (especially if the organization controls the device) there exists ways to just install it so long as it conforms with a much less restrictive set of technical requirements. Even this process is onerous compared to the Android world where you can email everyone an APK, submit it to one of several app stores/testing services, serve the APK over HTTPS, etc. I'm really hoping for someone in the comments to say "you fool just use X" but I've been disappointed so far.
- redis_mlc 6y ago
  Thanks for the detailed answer. And I agree with your final sentence ... I know that disappointment so very well. :)

0x0 6y ago

My experience is that since about 6 to 12 months ago, Google Play reviews have taken longer than Apple App Store reviews.

kinkrtyavimoodh 6y ago

Related question: Why are people making entire apps for things which sound like they should be webpages? Only the QR reader sounds like something that needs to be an app, and there are 100s of QR reader apps already, and some phones have it integrated natively in their OS.

ksec 6y ago
Typing Web Address is way more troublesome for 95% of consumer ( i.e those that has never heard of HN ) than installing something from App Store. I am seeing lots of QR Code for Apps uptake. The QR Code contains the link address, and the link itself is a PWA of sort. The only problem is those PWA still lives inside Safari and sort of not work as well as an Apps should. There are many things, like meals ordering system for restaurant that should never be an App and only reached inside App Store in the first place. I am thinking if Apple should open up a limited PWA ecosystem outside of App Store. This solution would likely work for Hey as well. 80% of App Store revenue are from gaming anyway. They are not giving in much. May be PWA isn't the right word either. It is simply a functional webpage resembling closer to an App experience.
jrumbut 6y ago
You're not wrong, and beyond web pages some of these things could be PDFs or text files even. My perspective is, if I'm not doing anything evil, why do I have to clear a complexity bar to publish an app? There are also some advantages for simple apps, one is making it really easy to use offline with a nice shortcut on the home screen. The other thing is making it full screen and no address bar helping to decrease distraction. These are not amazing reasons, but they matter for some people.
- kinkrtyavimoodh 6y ago
  I am definitely not blaming you. It just feels that we have reached this bizarre state of affairs where we create so much useless cruft for vaguely articulated reasons which are often not even true or borne in strong data, but are rather some abstract intuition of some marketing folks somewhere who are probably cargo-culting what they heard from another bunch of marketing folks.