App on Smartphones?

newbiekat

Loving the herd life
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Messages
342
Reaction score
177
Points
193
Location
Southeast Kansas
Hi Moderators!

I was just wondering if there has been any talk of having a BYH app for smartphones? I have been known to be on BYH for HOURS sometimes :hide and I think an app for smartphones would be awesome, and easily accessible. Is that something that would even be possible?
 

Nifty

Herd Master
Administrator
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
2,106
Reaction score
1,186
Points
343
Thanks for the note! This new forum software is actually made to be "mobile friendly" in your mobile device's web browser (we have a very "responsive design").

What features would an app provide that the mobile version in your browser doesn't provide?
 

newbiekat

Loving the herd life
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Messages
342
Reaction score
177
Points
193
Location
Southeast Kansas
Yes I have been on the mobile site on my phone before, and it's wonderful, in a pinch, but I think an app would be more accessible. Now, I'm not very knowledgeable in technology lingo, but I'll try to explain as best I can... When I open an app on my phone, say it's... Umm... Let's say the "Amazon" app for example. It has all of the "stuff" that the amazon website has, but in an easier access sense. Like, there's a tab that pulls out from the side that you can look at recently viewed items, and the search magnifying glass is in the top right corner, instead of across the entire top of the page (like it would be on the webpage). The tabs are easily flipped thru, where as with the mobile site, you have to wait until the page loads... I have pulled up the Amazon site on my phone before and it takes a while to load a page sometimes, whereas when I open the app, it pulls up items much faster and flips thru the different items much faster... Now, I don't know what causes it to be much faster, but it seems to have a simpler interface (if that's the right word)... Maybe have the most recent 50 threads per section or something, with the option to search further, or maybe make it to where you have the option to look at certain sections (like for me, I look at the goat section more than anything else). So maybe make it to where I have my preferred section open all the time then I can expand the other sections if I want to, so it takes less memory... I don't know. I have no idea how apps work, but I know in most cases they are different than the actual website. I don't know what makes them different but it seems like they have almost an easier functionality than having to wait for an entire page to load...?

Oh! And when the webpage opens on my phone it seems to try to fit to my screen but ends up being like 1/2 my screen longways where I have to do the "pinch" action to make the font size bigger. With an app I think they all are fairly close to the "right" font size, if that makes sense... And you don't usually have to scroll thru as much stuff to get to what you want...
 

Nifty

Herd Master
Administrator
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
2,106
Reaction score
1,186
Points
343
Great feedback, that's very helpful!

What kind of phone do you have?
 

SheepGirl

Master of Sheep
Golden Herd Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2011
Messages
3,625
Reaction score
914
Points
343
Location
Frederick, Maryland
X2 on the half screen. I have a galaxy note 2 and this is what my page looks like when i open a thread
Screenshot_2014-04-05-12-03-08.png


and then i can double tap on my screen and it zooms in to how i want. But if i double tap while the page is loading it zooms out again.
Screenshot_2014-04-05-12-03-19.png
 

Nifty

Herd Master
Administrator
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
2,106
Reaction score
1,186
Points
343
Ok, thanks! I think I know what the problem is, but the fix is tricky.

I'm noticing on the iphone it opens up already in "zoomed in" mode. I guess Android doesn't do that.
 
Top