App For Your Forum

[Kane]

I have found that a lot of people like to use mobile devices for posting on forums. This made me thing that what if we launch a mobile app for our forums. Do you think we could grow bigger audience if we had mobile apps for our forum?

 

[Shortie]

I know that Xenforo has the option where you can choose to install the forum to your home screen for easy access and as long as the forum is mobile-friendly, it works just like an app would.

It would be great to also have apps offered, I wouldn't know where to start to create an app though so would need to hire someone who knew what they were doing.

 

[joelr]

I know that Xenforo has the option where you can choose to install the forum to your home screen for easy access and as long as the forum is mobile-friendly, it works just like an app would.

Progressive Web App.

Most modern platforms are moving away from standalone apps and to PWAs.

 

[Tracy]

Biggest issue with a standalone app is trying to get it to work with 3rd party add-ons that may be important to a site.
XF's PWA works well for those that need that functionality of an app appearance in many ways and it allows the use of add-ons.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I feel that stand alone apps are kind of outdated. Tapatalk was the app to get to integrate mobile phones and forums, back when you couldn't easily make your forum mobile friendly. PWA works much better IMO.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Most forums are responsive and that helps a lot as many websites are mobile-responsive now.

I don't know about you all but I don't like downloading more apps. It takes up so much space on my phone.

I'd much rather just go to a forum, and it be mobile-responsive.

Could you imagine having to download an app for every blog you surf?

 

[Tracy]

Could you imagine having to download an app for every blog you surf?

I think that is part of the draw of a script specific app.
If the script developers could create one for their offering and also have it use 3rd party add-ons then you would only need one app to install for that scripts various sites. Then if the script provider had a registry/directory that site owners running that script could submit their site to and it be searchable from the app, gravy on the taters.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I think that is part of the draw of a script specific app.
If the script developers could create one for their offering and also have it use 3rd party add-ons then you would only need one app to install for that scripts various sites. Then if the script provider had a registry/directory that site owners running that script could submit their site to and it be searchable from the app, gravy on the taters.

WordPress has an app for that.

But I also think that most people who want apps want one that is custom to their site. One they can host on Apple and Android themselves.

However, if XF released an app that we could access all forums on - it would sort of be like Tapatalk, no?

 

[Tracy]

But I also think that most people who want apps want one that is custom to their site. One they can host on Apple and Android themselves.

Most admins you mean. And that's where the PWA comes into play and if I remember correctly, even one of those can be hosted on those sites, or at least with Apple it can be. I'd have to research Android.

However, if XF released an app that we could access all forums on - it would sort of be like Tapatalk, no?

Yes and no.
It would be specific to sites that used XF. It should (if coded well) allow access to 3rd party add-ons like stuff from XenAddons and similar in addition to just the core forum.
It honestly is a lot of work for very little return for them unless they could sell it as an optional add-on to your license, but then that defeats some of the purpose of it being a global use for all XF sites. It becomes only for those sites that can afford it.
PWA's work well and most users don't realize that it's not a dedicated app, or at least with the Xenforo implementation, which was very well done.

 

[Cory]

I hope the software I run a message board on will have PWA as a feature one day.

I have used PWA for multiple Xenforo boards and it is awesome to have an app of your favorite message boards. The responsiveness, the notifications, and the ease of use make it so desirable.

 

[Dilip]

I can build apps, but not ad notifications easily.

 

[Nomad]

Could you imagine having to download an app for every blog you surf?

What if your forum has a lot of mobile users? Wouldn't it be beneficial to have an app?