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> Make it a PWA. This will make it accessible to many more people. Nobody wants to install an app. Nobody wants to install a PWA either but they will at least u

> Make it a PWA. This will make it accessible to many more people. Nobody wants to install an app. Nobody wants to install a PWA either but they will at least use a "web site" (a surprising number will install it if it's good). I’ve worked on a platform for social media apps. When the social network had a native iOS app, a native Android app, and a PWA, users chose iOS about two thirds of the time, Android about a quarter of the time, and PWA about 10% of the time. That’s across all users, including desktop, so the PWA actually had an unfair advantage. People strongly prefer native apps to PWAs, especially for social media.

deleted 6mo ago
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pbasista 6mo ago
> People strongly prefer native apps to PWAs Such a conclusion cannot reasonably be made from the data you have presented. It merely means that your web app was not preferred over your native app.
- JimDabell 6mo ago
  > Such a conclusion cannot reasonably be made from the data you have presented. I’m responding to somebody who presented the following with absolutely nothing to back it up: > Make it a PWA. This will make it accessible to many more people. Nobody wants to install an app. Nobody wants to install a PWA either but they will at least use a "web site" (a surprising number will install it if it's good). The stats I’ve seen point in the opposite direction and I see no reason not to share that. Why are you giving them a free pass to share their opinion with zero stats but pull me up when I actually base my opinion on real stats? Looking past somebody saying “a surprising number” to complain about somebody sharing actual numbers is bizarre. > It merely means that your web app was not preferred over your native app. No, I’m talking about hundreds of apps hosting a wide range of independent communities. It wasn’t a single app for a single demographic. This should not be a controversial stance. Saying that people prefer native to PWA on the desktop is not a controversial stance and the advantages for native on mobile are even more pronounced. The very existence of the App Store came about because when Steve Jobs told everybody if they wanted to build apps for the iPhone they should be web apps, the market demanded native apps. PWA uptake is dismal. People strongly prefer native apps.
postalrat 6mo ago
Could it be you are pushing your native app? Maybe for more control to advertising in your app, tracking, etc. Keep those nasty ad blockers out.
- kube-system 6mo ago
  It's probably just because social media consumption looks like this today: https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/23/11/newFile-3.jpg https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/23/11/newFile-3.jpg and not like this, anymore: https://headlineplanet.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Miranda-Cosgrove-iCarly-1152x768.jpg https://headlineplanet.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/M...
  - postalrat 6mo ago
    How does that change anything? I think its more due to mobile sites acting like this https://www.reddit.com/r/TechNope/comments/urboo6/reddit_app_opens_a_webpage_that_tells_you_to_use/ https://www.reddit.com/r/TechNope/comments/urboo6/reddit_app... A user on a app is more valuable since you get a lot more data on them, and can stop their ad blockers.
    - kube-system 6mo ago
      But people are used to that now being the normal state of things, it's rare that they even try the browser -- I develop an application that is web only and typically used on desktops, and people incessantly ask me for "an app so they can use it on their phone".
      - postalrat 6mo ago
        They probably want an icon to open your app. They probably dont know the difference between an app rendered with a browser or a truly native app. In the past apple as made it difficult for users to know how to do this and users just know about the app store. Great for apple (walled garden) and social media apps (more tracking, unlimited ads) but not great for users.

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pbasista 6mo ago

> People strongly prefer native apps to PWAs Such a conclusion cannot reasonably be made from the data you have presented. It merely means that your web app was not preferred over your native app.

JimDabell 6mo ago
> Such a conclusion cannot reasonably be made from the data you have presented. I’m responding to somebody who presented the following with absolutely nothing to back it up: > Make it a PWA. This will make it accessible to many more people. Nobody wants to install an app. Nobody wants to install a PWA either but they will at least use a "web site" (a surprising number will install it if it's good). The stats I’ve seen point in the opposite direction and I see no reason not to share that. Why are you giving them a free pass to share their opinion with zero stats but pull me up when I actually base my opinion on real stats? Looking past somebody saying “a surprising number” to complain about somebody sharing actual numbers is bizarre. > It merely means that your web app was not preferred over your native app. No, I’m talking about hundreds of apps hosting a wide range of independent communities. It wasn’t a single app for a single demographic. This should not be a controversial stance. Saying that people prefer native to PWA on the desktop is not a controversial stance and the advantages for native on mobile are even more pronounced. The very existence of the App Store came about because when Steve Jobs told everybody if they wanted to build apps for the iPhone they should be web apps, the market demanded native apps. PWA uptake is dismal. People strongly prefer native apps.

postalrat 6mo ago

Could it be you are pushing your native app? Maybe for more control to advertising in your app, tracking, etc. Keep those nasty ad blockers out.

kube-system 6mo ago
It's probably just because social media consumption looks like this today: https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/23/11/newFile-3.jpg https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/23/11/newFile-3.jpg and not like this, anymore: https://headlineplanet.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Miranda-Cosgrove-iCarly-1152x768.jpg https://headlineplanet.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/M...
- postalrat 6mo ago
  How does that change anything? I think its more due to mobile sites acting like this https://www.reddit.com/r/TechNope/comments/urboo6/reddit_app_opens_a_webpage_that_tells_you_to_use/ https://www.reddit.com/r/TechNope/comments/urboo6/reddit_app... A user on a app is more valuable since you get a lot more data on them, and can stop their ad blockers.
  - kube-system 6mo ago
    But people are used to that now being the normal state of things, it's rare that they even try the browser -- I develop an application that is web only and typically used on desktops, and people incessantly ask me for "an app so they can use it on their phone".
    - postalrat 6mo ago
      They probably want an icon to open your app. They probably dont know the difference between an app rendered with a browser or a truly native app. In the past apple as made it difficult for users to know how to do this and users just know about the app store. Great for apple (walled garden) and social media apps (more tracking, unlimited ads) but not great for users.