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Online dating, like other industries, can always choose to deliver their services via a web browser. And now that iOS Safari is adding push notification, they

Online dating, like other industries, can always choose to deliver their services via a web browser. And now that iOS Safari is adding push notification, they have an alternative delivery path that has feature parity.

the_snooze 5y ago
Yeah, it's weird that companies complain about app store restrictions, when browser-based services get around those restrictions completely. It's not like a website needs to go through app store approval. But I guess companies are just that desperate for device tracking information and regularly-collected location data.
- kristiandupont 5y ago
  I complain about that because Apple has (deliberately, I suspect) crippled Safari PWA features, making it impossible to deliver a good experience through the channel. Now, they have recently made some small changes and I really, really hope that is a sign of them changing this strategy but I want to see it before I believe it.
- p_j_w 5y ago
  Browser based apps are almost always inferior to a native program.
warning26 5y ago
Have you tried creating a messaging app that works in iOS Safari? Thanks to Safari's janky-AF scroll behavior, you can be sure that it's a terrible experience. Source: I work on a major tech company's web-based messaging product.
- intrasight 5y ago
  Dating apps don't scroll - the just swipe ;) I've heard that they are finally putting some resource on the jank.
- pinephoneguy 5y ago
  Also no push notifications which at this point is the only reason to bother with native iOS apps as everything else is off limits anyway.
  - jdrc 5y ago
    That seems like another shot in the foot though. Apple and google are gatekeepers of notifications. Email is still the most robust choice for infrequent notifications. I wish email had been extended to implement temporary notifications
    - pinephoneguy 5y ago
      The problem with email on iOS is that there's no way to do instantaneous notifications without paying Apple at least $100/year for a custom app with a certificate to do push. The mail app only does polling (no IMAP IDLE) so the latency on notifications is very high there. The consequences of the iPhone on the internet are extreme and I don't think most of the people involved in internet protocol design have fully realized just how bad it is.
  - shagie 5y ago
    If push notifications are an important value add, which go through Apple's servers is it reasonable for Apple to have companies that make money using there services subsidize the free ones? Alternatively, if everyone who is publishing free on Apple is using an alternate payment system, and Apple doesn't collect anything from those apps, would it be reasonable for Apple to have some sort of "Developer pays $10 for every 10k push messages from a free app?" and "Developer pays $0.25/month for each app on the App Store"? There's a question of "How does Apple pay for services?" Yes, it is currently quite profitable. If moving to a 3rd party payment processor with no associated fee causes the App Store to become unprofitable, what steps is Apple allowed to take to return it to a profit center?
    - pinephoneguy 5y ago
      Why do they have to go through apple’s servers? Why can’t users select an alternative push provider? Why can’t apps be allowed to just maintain their own socket if the user is ok with the battery impact?
Invictus0 5y ago
This is victim blaming
- jdrc 5y ago
stale2002 5y ago
Or, instead of that, countries could use their full legal right to create laws, to force Apple to stop engaging in anti-competitive practices, and also fine them if they don't follow those fully legal laws.
the_gipsy 5y ago
> And now that iOS Safari is adding push notification Not there yet, and also a decade late.

the_snooze 5y ago

Yeah, it's weird that companies complain about app store restrictions, when browser-based services get around those restrictions completely. It's not like a website needs to go through app store approval. But I guess companies are just that desperate for device tracking information and regularly-collected location data.

kristiandupont 5y ago
I complain about that because Apple has (deliberately, I suspect) crippled Safari PWA features, making it impossible to deliver a good experience through the channel. Now, they have recently made some small changes and I really, really hope that is a sign of them changing this strategy but I want to see it before I believe it.
p_j_w 5y ago
Browser based apps are almost always inferior to a native program.

warning26 5y ago

Have you tried creating a messaging app that works in iOS Safari? Thanks to Safari's janky-AF scroll behavior, you can be sure that it's a terrible experience. Source: I work on a major tech company's web-based messaging product.

intrasight 5y ago
Dating apps don't scroll - the just swipe ;) I've heard that they are finally putting some resource on the jank.
pinephoneguy 5y ago
Also no push notifications which at this point is the only reason to bother with native iOS apps as everything else is off limits anyway.
- jdrc 5y ago
  That seems like another shot in the foot though. Apple and google are gatekeepers of notifications. Email is still the most robust choice for infrequent notifications. I wish email had been extended to implement temporary notifications
  - pinephoneguy 5y ago
    The problem with email on iOS is that there's no way to do instantaneous notifications without paying Apple at least $100/year for a custom app with a certificate to do push. The mail app only does polling (no IMAP IDLE) so the latency on notifications is very high there. The consequences of the iPhone on the internet are extreme and I don't think most of the people involved in internet protocol design have fully realized just how bad it is.
- shagie 5y ago
  If push notifications are an important value add, which go through Apple's servers is it reasonable for Apple to have companies that make money using there services subsidize the free ones? Alternatively, if everyone who is publishing free on Apple is using an alternate payment system, and Apple doesn't collect anything from those apps, would it be reasonable for Apple to have some sort of "Developer pays $10 for every 10k push messages from a free app?" and "Developer pays $0.25/month for each app on the App Store"? There's a question of "How does Apple pay for services?" Yes, it is currently quite profitable. If moving to a 3rd party payment processor with no associated fee causes the App Store to become unprofitable, what steps is Apple allowed to take to return it to a profit center?
  - pinephoneguy 5y ago
    Why do they have to go through apple’s servers? Why can’t users select an alternative push provider? Why can’t apps be allowed to just maintain their own socket if the user is ok with the battery impact?

Invictus0 5y ago

This is victim blaming

jdrc 5y ago

stale2002 5y ago

Or, instead of that, countries could use their full legal right to create laws, to force Apple to stop engaging in anti-competitive practices, and also fine them if they don't follow those fully legal laws.

the_gipsy 5y ago

> And now that iOS Safari is adding push notification Not there yet, and also a decade late.