Did you know you can install Fediverse servers' websites as apps on your phone?
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Did you know you can install Fediverse servers' websites as apps on your phone? These "web apps" let you have the most fully-featured versions of Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed etc as apps on your home screen, including notifications, full screen interfaces etc.
It's very easy to install web apps on Android and iPhone/iPad, full instructions in this guide:
️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-install-web-apps-for-mastodon-and-the-fediverseMost web apps have more features than app store apps, due to restrictions in app store rules.
p.s. If you're wondering why you don't hear more about web apps, it's because Apple and Google hate them. Web apps totally bypass Apple and Google app stores.
Apple and Google enjoy controlling and taxing apps, but they have no control over web apps and don't get any money from them.
Apple even tried to stop web apps completely, luckily they had to back off: https://open-web-advocacy.org/blog/apple-backs-off-killing-web-apps
Web apps are a way of getting apps directly from the people who make them, without big tech getting in the way.
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p.s. If you're wondering why you don't hear more about web apps, it's because Apple and Google hate them. Web apps totally bypass Apple and Google app stores.
Apple and Google enjoy controlling and taxing apps, but they have no control over web apps and don't get any money from them.
Apple even tried to stop web apps completely, luckily they had to back off: https://open-web-advocacy.org/blog/apple-backs-off-killing-web-apps
Web apps are a way of getting apps directly from the people who make them, without big tech getting in the way.
@FediTips I develop for iOS the way Jobs intended - via mobile-compatible websites.
Apps are awful and have way too much info access.
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@FediTips I develop for iOS the way Jobs intended - via mobile-compatible websites.
Apps are awful and have way too much info access.
Yeah, that's the other reason you see "use us through our app" notices, companies want to harvest personal data.
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Did you know you can install Fediverse servers' websites as apps on your phone? These "web apps" let you have the most fully-featured versions of Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed etc as apps on your home screen, including notifications, full screen interfaces etc.
It's very easy to install web apps on Android and iPhone/iPad, full instructions in this guide:
️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-install-web-apps-for-mastodon-and-the-fediverseMost web apps have more features than app store apps, due to restrictions in app store rules.
Do web apps utilize privacy protection and ad blocker plug-ins like Privacy Badger?
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Do web apps utilize privacy protection and ad blocker plug-ins like Privacy Badger?
I don't think so, but you can check the website on your normal browser to see how many pings you get in software like PB, Ublock Origin etc.
For Fediverse websites, they normally produce no pings at all so the privacy/security software isn't needed for them.
Web apps have much less access to your phone's data so they tend to be inherently safer anyway. That's why some companies push their app store apps so heavily instead of websites, they want your data.
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p.s. If you're wondering why you don't hear more about web apps, it's because Apple and Google hate them. Web apps totally bypass Apple and Google app stores.
Apple and Google enjoy controlling and taxing apps, but they have no control over web apps and don't get any money from them.
Apple even tried to stop web apps completely, luckily they had to back off: https://open-web-advocacy.org/blog/apple-backs-off-killing-web-apps
Web apps are a way of getting apps directly from the people who make them, without big tech getting in the way.
p.p.s. By their web-based design, web apps have much less access to the data stored on your phone. It's much harder to spy on people from web apps.
That's why so many companies try so hard to push you away from their websites and towards their app store apps, because app store apps make it much easier for them to spy on you.
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I don't think so, but you can check the website on your normal browser to see how many pings you get in software like PB, Ublock Origin etc.
For Fediverse websites, they normally produce no pings at all so the privacy/security software isn't needed for them.
Web apps have much less access to your phone's data so they tend to be inherently safer anyway. That's why some companies push their app store apps so heavily instead of websites, they want your data.
OK, but wondering if you click on a link in the web app, does it then fire off your default browser including any plug-ins? So that would be fine. Or is it some default browser without the plugins?
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p.s. If you're wondering why you don't hear more about web apps, it's because Apple and Google hate them. Web apps totally bypass Apple and Google app stores.
Apple and Google enjoy controlling and taxing apps, but they have no control over web apps and don't get any money from them.
Apple even tried to stop web apps completely, luckily they had to back off: https://open-web-advocacy.org/blog/apple-backs-off-killing-web-apps
Web apps are a way of getting apps directly from the people who make them, without big tech getting in the way.
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I think there were some technical barriers but @fdroidorg would be able to give a proper answer?
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OK, but wondering if you click on a link in the web app, does it then fire off your default browser including any plug-ins? So that would be fine. Or is it some default browser without the plugins?
No experience with web apps, but just want to say that simply using the web interface (browsing to the instance web address) does everything and is a very good experience. Have never found the need for anything else.
You can save the shortcut link to your desktop (PC) or homescreen (mobile) and access your account with one click.
Nothing against web apps, but this works just fine, and always the latest software. KISS principle.
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OK, but wondering if you click on a link in the web app, does it then fire off your default browser including any plug-ins? So that would be fine. Or is it some default browser without the plugins?
It does exactly what the app store app would do and open it in a browser window.
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No experience with web apps, but just want to say that simply using the web interface (browsing to the instance web address) does everything and is a very good experience. Have never found the need for anything else.
You can save the shortcut link to your desktop (PC) or homescreen (mobile) and access your account with one click.
Nothing against web apps, but this works just fine, and always the latest software. KISS principle.
The web app IS the web interface, but packaged in a way that lets it be used more like an app store app (full screen interface, notifications etc). If you enjoy the web interface you will enjoy the web app
It also doesn't interfere with your browsing sessions on your main browser, it is a totally separate session and you can leave it logged in.
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Did you know you can install Fediverse servers' websites as apps on your phone? These "web apps" let you have the most fully-featured versions of Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed etc as apps on your home screen, including notifications, full screen interfaces etc.
It's very easy to install web apps on Android and iPhone/iPad, full instructions in this guide:
️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-install-web-apps-for-mastodon-and-the-fediverseMost web apps have more features than app store apps, due to restrictions in app store rules.
@FediTips the thing that's kept me on Tusky instead of the PWA is remembering where I left off. I follow few enough people and tags that I'm able to read it all, and I try to do so. Do you know whether there's a way to keep track of where I am in my feed with the PWA?
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@FediTips the thing that's kept me on Tusky instead of the PWA is remembering where I left off. I follow few enough people and tags that I'm able to read it all, and I try to do so. Do you know whether there's a way to keep track of where I am in my feed with the PWA?
That is a fair point, on the website/web app you just scroll down your timeline until you get to where you left off, but you have to remember where you were to know when you've reached this point.
As far as I know this is the only way to view the main timeline on the web version.
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p.s. If you're wondering why you don't hear more about web apps, it's because Apple and Google hate them. Web apps totally bypass Apple and Google app stores.
Apple and Google enjoy controlling and taxing apps, but they have no control over web apps and don't get any money from them.
Apple even tried to stop web apps completely, luckily they had to back off: https://open-web-advocacy.org/blog/apple-backs-off-killing-web-apps
Web apps are a way of getting apps directly from the people who make them, without big tech getting in the way.
@FediTips with respect. As a software developer who has done both native and web, you don’t hear about web apps because they are a pain to build, don’t really add a lot of value, and approaching zero people ever install them. It’s a pipe dream.
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@FediTips with respect. As a software developer who has done both native and web, you don’t hear about web apps because they are a pain to build, don’t really add a lot of value, and approaching zero people ever install them. It’s a pipe dream.
They add lots of value, for example the Mastodon and PeerTube apps have lots more features than their official apps.
So often when I'm helping people use Mastodon, I have to tell them to use the website or web app because the official app store app is missing a feature.
They also have fewer restrictions because they don't have to obey app store rules on responsibility for instance content.
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p.s. If you're wondering why you don't hear more about web apps, it's because Apple and Google hate them. Web apps totally bypass Apple and Google app stores.
Apple and Google enjoy controlling and taxing apps, but they have no control over web apps and don't get any money from them.
Apple even tried to stop web apps completely, luckily they had to back off: https://open-web-advocacy.org/blog/apple-backs-off-killing-web-apps
Web apps are a way of getting apps directly from the people who make them, without big tech getting in the way.
@FediTips I keep hoping the developer verification #Google tries to force on #android can still be averted. But in any case, I would love to see the idea of #PWA (progressive web apps) getting a a big boost, as a result of this BS move. But maybe the next step is, that #Google sides with #Apple in another attempt to kill #PWA ...
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Did you know you can install Fediverse servers' websites as apps on your phone? These "web apps" let you have the most fully-featured versions of Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed etc as apps on your home screen, including notifications, full screen interfaces etc.
It's very easy to install web apps on Android and iPhone/iPad, full instructions in this guide:
️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-install-web-apps-for-mastodon-and-the-fediverseMost web apps have more features than app store apps, due to restrictions in app store rules.
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I'm trying to keep that particular article simple by just listing the server types whose website can be installed as a PWA rather than listing all the third party web clients.
However, I do have Phanpy and Elk listed on the general "which app should I use?" page: https://fedi.tips/which-apps-can-i-use-should-i-use-the-official-app-or-a-third-party-app/
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@FediTips I keep hoping the developer verification #Google tries to force on #android can still be averted. But in any case, I would love to see the idea of #PWA (progressive web apps) getting a a big boost, as a result of this BS move. But maybe the next step is, that #Google sides with #Apple in another attempt to kill #PWA ...
We can only hope PWAs become a sort of escape route for people who care about privacy and independence from big tech corporations.
