For iOS users looking for an app, there is a quick and easy solution

I apologize if this has already been covered, but I’ve seen a lot of people talking about a need for a kbin app. While I agree that a native app would be nice to have eventually, I figured that quite a few people probably aren’t aware of how web apps work. I don’t use Android, so I have no idea if there is an equivalent way to do this on Android phones.

If you are looking at kbin in Safari, simply click the share button (looks like a square with an arrow pointing up) and scroll down to the option “Add to Home Screen.” Click this, set the name to whatever you want, and voila.

You should have a kbin “app” on your Home Screen that opens in its own, closable window separate from Safari.

You can also do this with Lemmy if you miss the functions that Mlem is lacking. I’m using web apps for both, kbin and Lemmy, myself.

The major downside of a web app is that it isn’t as fast as a native app could be. However, a major upside of web apps is that they don’t have nearly as many permissions and hidden functionality as native apps. So, for example, you could replace the native Facebook app with the web app if you’re concerned about data on your phone.

Casmael,

Good shout actually thanks bud 👍

baronvonj,
baronvonj avatar

It just seems hypocritical to leave Reddit over the forcing users to their 1st party app by pricing out 3rd party app developers, and go to a platform that has no mobile apps.

Geometric7792,

What's the hyprocracy there? Do you mean ironic?

sab,
sab avatar

It's not hypocritical at all. The backlash against Reddit is not primarily about convenience, it's about principles.

Third parties are free to develop apps for the fediverse, and they will always have the right to do so. It might be slightly ironic that there are no apps yet, but not at all hypocritical. :)

SpacemanSpiff,
SpacemanSpiff avatar

You’re forgetting the part about how most people won’t use the official Reddit app or the website because of the obnoxious amount of ads shoved down your throat, and poor site layout. Old Reddit doesn’t work well with mobile.

CatBookCat,
CatBookCat avatar

i hate the "he gets us" ads and i do not want to pay for reddit premium. also, i was really pissed off by how reddit doesn't care about mods or accessibility

BlackCoffee,
BlackCoffee avatar

It is not the third party apps themselves but the user experience they provided.

I used RIF and every single component looks like it has been made with me the user in mind. Not for profits or ads or anything else for a quick cashgrab.

The official Reddit experience (app and new website) is exactly the opposite. It has been developed with monetization purposes first and foremost and the user experience somewhere on the 10th place.

The fact that Reddit is so hell bent on forcing people on using the official experience is something I just don't agree with. I refuse to engage in a platform where they actively try to bend me over and see me as a quick way to make money.

VE3VVS,
VE3VVS avatar

deleted_by_author

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  • BlackCoffee,
    BlackCoffee avatar

    The fact that you know how Kbin works but literally miss the mark this hard and haven't read the backstory in regards of the 3rd party applications is blowing my mind.

    No one has been getting a free ride as you say.

    3rd party apps for mobile phones were there before there was an official reddit app. For some reason Reddit themselves didn't prioritize a mobile application so 3rd party application developers picked up the slack and developed them.

    Reddit didn't invest in them or paid them or did anything else. They only provided the API.

    At 1 point Reddit bought out an 3rd party application and transformed it in the abomination that it is now.

    The 3rd part applications have had a huge part in the rise of Reddits popularity and were providing engagement to the platform when Reddit didn't feel the need to supply it's users with an mobile application.

    If you don't want to abandon reddit, no problem.

    If you feel this is al overblown, that is your right to think.

    But this nonsense about Reddit providing a free ride for 3rd party applications as if they have been built of Reddits official app is BS.

    There is so much info you can read on Reddit regarding this topic but I guess you choose to be uninformed.

    HeartyBeast,
    HeartyBeast avatar

    Except, of course - as something build on a federated platform all the data is available for anyone who wants to build an app - no questions asked.

    mike1237,

    Kbin is open source unlike reddit so its only a matter of time…

    baronvonj, (edited )
    baronvonj avatar

    Not complaining about the downvotes, I get why people would disagree with me based on context. But I'm curious about how the reputation points are working. The comment has a net score of -26, is my only post/comment with negative points, and my reputation score is -29. But I have another comment in another thread with a net score of +78 and another comment with a net score of +2, and all other comments with no votes either way. So it doesn't seem to be simple addition. Anybody have a tl;dr on how it's calculated?

    edit: found the answer, tl;dr currently broken.

    awsamation,
    awsamation avatar

    There's a difference between having no 3rd party apps because nobody has made one yet, and having no 3rd party apps because they're literally being prevented from being made (unless the devs want to pay reddit for the privilege of using the API).

    Reddit is actively working to kill their 3rd party apps. Kbin just hasn't really had 3rd party apps developed yet.

    mike1237,

    Hit the nail on the head!

    !deleted107246,

    deleted_by_author

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  • michael,
    michael avatar

    For me, yeah, it’s more about Reddit/spez’s behavior. While I was frustrated about losing 3rd party apps, I would’ve likely continued to use Reddit in some capacity. But then Reddit/spez went absolutely crazy and I decided I was completely done with it. I don’t want to be part of a platform run like that by that kind of person.

    Spy,

    This is how it works on android as well!

    michael,
    michael avatar

    That’s great to hear!

    Geometric7792,

    It isn't behaving like a pwa for me :( is there a special url? I'm just using https://kbin.social. Creating a link just opens it as a tab in chrome.

    Spy,

    No special url, however I am using firefox, not Chrome. So I was able to open the site (kbin.social), tap the three dots on the bottom right corner, and then "Add to Home Screen"

    mihnt,
    mihnt avatar

    I had to click the "Install" thingy for it to work for me. It's the same thing.

    abff08f4813c,
    abff08f4813c avatar

    I am having the same issue. It seems that add to Home Screen is meant to add a bookmark that opens in the browser, and the button will be replaced by Install if a PWA is detected.

    For kbin.social it’s never detected. I can’t hit the install button because it never shows up. Add to Home Screen just opens a new tab in the browser

    I did test PWA in general by using apps.Starbucks.com and if I wait a few then the button changes to install and I get the PWA.

    So I’m not sure why this is failing for kbin

    Is there some way to force the browser to detect a PWA or do a force install, on android?

    NotSteve_,
    NotSteve_ avatar

    This is what I've been using but for some reason, I keep getting logged out everytime I open it

    mike1237,

    Same, even when clicking remember me

    lqdrchrd,
    lqdrchrd avatar

    Tick the ‘Remember me’ box before you log in and it should keep you logged in indefinitely. Easy to miss if you have your login auto-fill.

    PedrinhoRM,
    PedrinhoRM avatar

    The webapp it’s not that bad, i’ll be using this until we get a proper app

    fireshaper,
    fireshaper avatar

    Theme options don’t seem to work on the web app.

    DBT,
    DBT avatar

    This is how I’ve been using YouTube for years. It used to allow your adblocker to keep adds from videos but doesn’t work as well anymore.

    LostXOR,

    Huh I never knew about that feature, cool!

    BorgDrone,

    This feature has been there since iOS 1.0. Originally this was the way Apple envisioned how ‘apps’ on iPhone were going to work. Only with iOS 2.0 did Apple add the app store and support for native apps. And the rest is history.

    HeartyBeast,
    HeartyBeast avatar

    What's new, however is a a feature in Safari that gives Web apps saved to the home screen special privileges, such as the ability to request to send notifications through web push https://webkit.org/blog/13878/web-push-for-web-apps-on-ios-and-ipados/

    SuperMalarioBros,
    SuperMalarioBros avatar

    Yo if there was an kbin app similar to Rif, I'll stay here forever.

    TechProfessor,

    I’m using the PWA but getting repeatedly logged out. Am I missing something?

    0933,

    Same

    HeartyBeast,
    HeartyBeast avatar

    I think the anti-spam cloudflare stuff may be screwing around with some stuff.

    bathrobe,
    bathrobe avatar

    Thank you so much. This is something I didn’t know about and will save me so much time and effort.

    bathrobe,
    bathrobe avatar

    Thank you so much. This is something I didn’t know about and will save me so much time and effort.

    bathrobe,
    bathrobe avatar

    Thank you so much. This is something I didn’t know about and will save me so much time and effort.

    Juxtapec,

    Thanks for the tip!

    cavalleto,
    cavalleto avatar

    @michael
    Actually, you can use this same trick on Mac OS, Android... I use it with Brave browser. It creates a desktop app that functions like a native app.

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