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It's also an issue of onboarding and discoverability. Creators would see a marked reduction in subscriptions if Patreon was not allowed placement in the app sto

It's also an issue of onboarding and discoverability. Creators would see a marked reduction in subscriptions if Patreon was not allowed placement in the app store.

tourmalinetaco 2y ago
Why? What makes the app itself so attractive? Do Apple users not know what Safari is, or how to type in a link? And it should be noted most Patreon users find their way there via YouTube, which itself automatically opens links to Safari, where Patreon can be subscribed to easily.
- olyjohn 2y ago
  No, they actually don't know how to type in a link. Most people still don't know how URLs work. People still type in Facebook to the Google search box.
- fragmede 2y ago
  It's about friction. you could give users a PO box address and ask users to get out an envelope and write a check, and say if users really wanted to pay they'd do that. But we all know you're gonna lose out on a ton of money if you make it that hard for people to give you money. So it's about how much friction there is, and for some, an app is preferable to some website where I have to wade through a bunch of crap. Depending on what it is, if it bounces me to Safari, I might just get distracted and "just do it later" aka never.
troad 2y ago
I honestly don't think this is true. I think people tend to discover a creator they like first, and then click through to their Patreon. I don't think the reverse happens very often; I don't think many people install the Patreon app so that they can look through lists of people they could give money to. And if they do, they're clearly aware enough of Patreon to be able to use the website instead. Assuming the average user accesses Pateron by clicking a link, there's really no reason for a dedicated Patreon app to exist. Apple Pay works just fine on websites, without demanding the App Store fee.
troupo 2y ago
> It's also an issue of onboarding and discoverability. AppStore is horrendously bad for discoverabilty. It's overrun with scammy ads, fake reviews and fake apps.

It's also an issue of onboarding and discoverability. Creators would see a marked reduction in subscriptions if Patreon was not allowed placement in the app store.

tourmalinetaco 2y ago

Why? What makes the app itself so attractive? Do Apple users not know what Safari is, or how to type in a link? And it should be noted most Patreon users find their way there via YouTube, which itself automatically opens links to Safari, where Patreon can be subscribed to easily.

olyjohn 2y ago
No, they actually don't know how to type in a link. Most people still don't know how URLs work. People still type in Facebook to the Google search box.
fragmede 2y ago
It's about friction. you could give users a PO box address and ask users to get out an envelope and write a check, and say if users really wanted to pay they'd do that. But we all know you're gonna lose out on a ton of money if you make it that hard for people to give you money. So it's about how much friction there is, and for some, an app is preferable to some website where I have to wade through a bunch of crap. Depending on what it is, if it bounces me to Safari, I might just get distracted and "just do it later" aka never.

troad 2y ago

I honestly don't think this is true. I think people tend to discover a creator they like first, and then click through to their Patreon. I don't think the reverse happens very often; I don't think many people install the Patreon app so that they can look through lists of people they could give money to. And if they do, they're clearly aware enough of Patreon to be able to use the website instead. Assuming the average user accesses Pateron by clicking a link, there's really no reason for a dedicated Patreon app to exist. Apple Pay works just fine on websites, without demanding the App Store fee.

troupo 2y ago

> It's also an issue of onboarding and discoverability. AppStore is horrendously bad for discoverabilty. It's overrun with scammy ads, fake reviews and fake apps.