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    1. Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (March 2024)

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing. I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can...

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing.

      I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can read the updates and then hit Ignore if they don't care about more frequent updates and user feedback.


      Recently:

      Three Cheers version 1.0 is out for Android! (Mar 25, 2024)

      • Submit topics!
      • Added donation option in Settings
      • Share links from other apps to create a Tildes submission
      • Edit topic text
      • Delete topics
      • Require minimum Android 7.1.1
      • Fixed refreshing feed after login/logout

       

      iOS v0.11.3 (Mar 28, 2024): Fixed UI bugs and crashes on large iPhones (Pro Max series), particularly when using the in-app WebView browser.

      iOS v0.11.2 (Mar 8, 2024): Fixed crashes in Inbox under the Comments tab.

      Android and iOS v0.11.0 (Mar 3, 2024)

      • Added sort options for topics
      • Tap username on comment, and topic OP, to view profile
      • View markdown of topic OP
      • Fixed minor UI bugs
      • (Android) Fixed wrong profile showing via bottom tab, after logging into a different account

       

      Android and iOS v0.10.0 (Feb 15, 2024)

      • View and send private messages
      • Added button to send private message from a user's profile
      • Added "Tap to refresh" when a feed is empty
      • Show posted time in topic OP
      • Renamed bottom tab to Inbox (instead of Notifications)
      • (Android) Removed animation when using bottom tabs
      • (Android) Fixed crash when replying from a user's profile
      • (iOS) Fixed crash toggling Details in topic OP
      • (iOS) Fixed layout bugs with markdown tables
      • (iOS) Fixed UI bugs when replying in a user's profile
      • (iOS) Fixed minor UI bugs and crashes

       

      Last month's topic: February 2024

       


      Where to get it

      Android version on Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      iOS version on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      114 votes
    2. Can you recommend me some Android games that work well with a gamepad? (more details inside)

      I finally swapped my pre-historic phone for something a little more current and would like to play some games on it. I'm not a big fan of touch controls for games, so I got one of those adapters...

      I finally swapped my pre-historic phone for something a little more current and would like to play some games on it. I'm not a big fan of touch controls for games, so I got one of those adapters that allows me to play games with my Xbox controller while the phone is attached to it. Right now I would be interested in MMORPGs as well as things that resemble MMORPGs. Other than that, I appreciate pixel art in general. I am well aware of emulators and will be looking into those, but I have played emulated games for years so it might be interesting to try something else for now. The phone can probably handle most games unless we're talking about something very intensive.

      Preferably games that were either made for mobile or adapted well. I don't care for tiny text or tiny UIs.

      Zaniness, wackiness, and fast pace are appreciated.

      Thanks!

      13 votes
    3. What are some of your daily use/most important apps?

      I just got a new phone, and I opted to download all the apps I usually use manually, rather than having them transfer over automatically. It's like a nice cleanup thing that I get to do every...

      I just got a new phone, and I opted to download all the apps I usually use manually, rather than having them transfer over automatically. It's like a nice cleanup thing that I get to do every couple of years. I feel like I partially should just have a list somewhere of the apps I usually use and was wondering what people would download first (plus if I forgot anything)

      For me, this was my process yesterday:
      Password manager - Bitwarden - mostly so I can copy/paste my logins for everything
      Authentication - Not listing these but ya know
      VPN - MozillaVPN - just something for hostels and travelling
      Browser - Firefox Beta or Nightly - for downloading my new wallpaper and general use (including Tildes!)
      Sleep + Alarm - Sleep as Android
      Car things - My car app, EVGo/Electrify America - getting around and things
      Rideshare - Uber and Lyft - When I'm in a new city!
      Food - Doordash, Grubhub, asian specific food apps - to eat when I'm lazy!
      News - Boston Globe, AP News, BBC - Kinda obvious what they're here for
      Todo - TickTick - Checklists and all that
      Fitness - Fitbit, my smart scale app, and my gym app - general fitness stuff
      Language Learning - Duolingo and Lingodeer!
      Banking + Investment + Payments + Insurance - not listing these but yeah!
      Music + Podcasts - Spotify
      Streaming - D+, Netflix, Vudu, Peacock, Max, Movies Anywhere, Dropout, Hulu, Prime Video, Twitch - General Streaming
      Books - Kindle and Audible
      Messaging and Social Media - Signal, Beeper, Messenger, Discord, Slack, Instagram, etc. - just daily entertainment and connections
      Games - Slay the Spire, Dead Cells, Nonograms, Don't Starve, Cards of Terra, Bloons, etc.

      Bonus Q: I've been thinking of trying to add Obsidian to my general day to day, how? Might ask a question about this later though!

      49 votes
    4. Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (February 2024)

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing. I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can...

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing.

      I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can read the updates and then hit Ignore if they don't care about more frequent updates and user feedback.


      Known bugs

      • iOS v0.9.1 crashes when tapping a Details block in a topic OP. Fixed in v0.10.0.

      Recently:

      Android and iOS v0.10.0 (Feb 15, 2024)

      • View and send private messages
      • Added button to send private message from a user's profile
      • Added "Tap to refresh" when a feed is empty
      • Show posted time in topic OP
      • Renamed bottom tab to Inbox (instead of Notifications)
      • (Android) Removed animation when using bottom tabs
      • (Android) Fixed crash when replying from a user's profile
      • (iOS) Fixed crash toggling Details in topic OP
      • (iOS) Fixed layout bugs with markdown tables
      • (iOS) Fixed UI bugs when replying in a user's profile
      • (iOS) Fixed minor UI bugs and crashes

       

      Android v0.9.1: Fixed crash double-tapping comment in profile, and other rare crashes and minor bugs.

      iOS hotfix v0.9.1: Fixed a possible crash opening the Notifications tab.

      Android and iOS v0.9.0 (Jan 22, 2024)

      • View user profiles ("all posts" feed; more options like bios coming in the future)
      • Tweaked app theme colors
      • Fixed various layout bugs
      • (Android) Fixed crash tapping links in comment reply preview
      • (Android) Fixed missing Share button on topic OP if logged out
      • (Android) Fixed black background setting on Android 9 and earlier

       

      iOS hotfix v0.8.1: Fixed keyboard blocking the Exemplary prompt dialog.

      Android and iOS v0.8.0 (Jan 9, 2024)

      • Apply comment labels (Exemplary, Offtopic, Joke, Noise, Malice)
      • Tap an Exemplary label you've received to see messages
      • Added Reply to text selection context menu
      • Quote selected text when replying
      • Fixed app incorrectly treating user as logged in after restoring a Google Drive or iCloud backup
      • (Android) Added Share button to OP in comments section
      • (Android) Support Android 14
      • (Android) Fixed rendering non-breaking spaces
      • (iOS) Fixed logout bug if no connectivity
      • (iOS) Fixed markdown table layout and CPU idle bugs
      • (iOS) Fixed rare crash collapsing a comment

       

      Last month's topic: January 2024

       


      Where to get it

      Android version on Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      iOS version on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      79 votes
    5. Decent Android mobile phones with good audio (and has a 3.5mm jack) recently released?

      Hi all, Been looking for a new mobile lately to replace my V20 (still havent found one but my criteria has changed). Looking for (im trying to avoid buying an mp player - not as if there are many...

      Hi all,
      Been looking for a new mobile lately to replace my V20 (still havent found one but my criteria has changed). Looking for (im trying to avoid buying an mp player - not as if there are many options left)

      3.5mm headphone jack
      good/great audio (has good internal dac -- not looking for great speaker output)
      good battery life
      5G
      dual sim
      has to be something that lasts (had V20 for 7 years)
      Not going to be used for gaming. Mainly scrolling, forums etc
      Any suggestions ?
      Or am i stuck with something in Sony range (i know bit overpriced but oh well..)
      or getting an older V60 (not keen as the battery life wont be good now imho).
      thanks
      N

      28 votes
    6. Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (January 2024)

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing. I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can...

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing.

      I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can read the updates and then hit Ignore if they don't care about more frequent updates and user feedback.


      Recently:

      Android v0.9.1: Fixed crash double-tapping comment in profile, and other rare crashes and minor bugs.

      iOS hotfix v0.9.1: Fixed a possible crash opening the Notifications tab.

      Android and iOS v0.9.0 (Jan 22, 2024)

      • View user profiles ("all posts" feed; more options like bios coming in the future)
      • Tweaked app theme colors
      • Fixed various layout bugs
      • (Android) Fixed crash tapping links in comment reply preview
      • (Android) Fixed missing Share button on topic OP if logged out
      • (Android) Fixed black background setting on Android 9 and earlier

       

      iOS hotfix v0.8.1: Fixed keyboard blocking the Exemplary prompt dialog.

      Android and iOS v0.8.0 (Jan 9, 2024)

      • Apply comment labels (Exemplary, Offtopic, Joke, Noise, Malice)
      • Tap an Exemplary label you've received to see messages
      • Added Reply to text selection context menu
      • Quote selected text when replying
      • Fixed app incorrectly treating user as logged in after restoring a Google Drive or iCloud backup
      • (Android) Added Share button to OP in comments section
      • (Android) Support Android 14
      • (Android) Fixed rendering non-breaking spaces
      • (iOS) Fixed logout bug if no connectivity
      • (iOS) Fixed markdown table layout and CPU idle bugs
      • (iOS) Fixed rare crash collapsing a comment

       

      iOS hotfix v0.7.2: Fixed crashes in Notifications tab, and fixed crash inserting emoji in reply

      Android and iOS v0.7.0 (Dec 27, 2023)

      • Added a markdown formatting bar when composing a comment
      • Edit comments after posting them
      • View markdown of other users' comments
      • (Android) New setting: Quit confirmation
      • Fixed comment reply preview bugs
      • Fixed bugs viewing direct linked comments
      • Fixed numbered list bug
      • Fixed rate limit error message
      • Fixed crashes and UI bugs

       

      Android and iOS v0.6.x (Nov/Dec 2023)

      • In-app notifications of comment replies
      • Highlight and jump to linked comments

       

      Last month's topic: December 2023

       


      Where to get it

      Android version on Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      iOS version on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      108 votes
    7. Is Apple Music on Android good?

      So before the question let me add some context: I'm planning to move from iOS to Android, mostly because how difficult is to backup photos from iPhone into my computer. I don't want my photos on...

      So before the question let me add some context: I'm planning to move from iOS to Android, mostly because how difficult is to backup photos from iPhone into my computer. I don't want my photos on iCloud so I make my backups copying all the photos and videos into my computer, I currently use Fedora Linux and keep my photo library on digiKam which I think is better than the Apple Photos app for Desktop. It certainly was easier when I used my Macbook for that, but being a Macbook from 2015 the battery is almost dead and I no longer use it.

      Recently I saw reviews for Android phones from last year and fell in love with the Asus Zenfone 10, I love small phones and that one looks amazing, but I'm still tied to the Apple ecosystem, and the service that I would miss the most from them is Apple Music. So that is actually the only reason that I'm still using an iPhone, (that and the camera which was pretty amazing back when my iPhone13 was released).

      So I'll have several options:

      • Keep using iOS and suck it up, maybe even giving up and doing my backups to iCloud (it's 10 years worth of photos and videos).
      • Move to android and use Spotify like everyone else. (I really don't want to go back to Spotify so that's the last thing I want to do).
      • Use Apple Music for Android. Which I really don't know how good or bad it is. I'm even surprised that there's a version for Android.
      • Just have an mp3 library like in the good old days. This is a viable solution since I listen to music almost exclusively by albums and it's easier to download music album by album than song by song. But that also means I'll need to be caring around my music library and making backups of it.

      So the question is: have anyone here used Apple Music on Android? Is it good?.

      16 votes
    8. My phone just won't let me click things once anymore

      I'm hoping someone else has had this problem and has found a solution. I have turned on visibility of taps/clicks, and I've also turned up screen sensitivity. I've turned off all animations. I've...

      I'm hoping someone else has had this problem and has found a solution. I have turned on visibility of taps/clicks, and I've also turned up screen sensitivity. I've turned off all animations. I've restarted it. I've installed the most recent update. Nothing changed it. I can see it registering my taps with the visibility feature, but it won't do anything the first time I tap.

      My phone is an Galaxy A52. I don't have a screen protector.

      What's happening is a lot of times (more than half) I will click something, and it won't register. So I have to click again. Usually it's only twice, but sometimes it can be up around five times before it will register that I've clicked the screen. This also sometimes happens when I'm scrolling a webpage, so it's like scroll, scroll, try to scroll but it gets stuck, scroll, etc.

      It happens pretty much everywhere, in every app, except the keyboard letters and numbers (thank god). But even the word suggestions sometimes need to be clicked more than once.

      I'm SO sick of it. I've looked as much as possible to find a similar situation with a fix, and I can't find one. Does anyone know what else I can do?

      18 votes
    9. Suggestions on better interactions with YouTube on my Moto G Power?

      situation: Watch video until the end, and want to get back to "home" with as little drama/clicking as possible. Current process: hit the tiny ass'd "x" at the top right to close the suggestions...

      situation: Watch video until the end, and want to get back to "home" with as little drama/clicking as possible.

      Current process:

      • hit the tiny ass'd "x" at the top right to close the suggestions overlay (usually after several attempts)
      • drag the video position back 30+ seconds so that the "up next" overlay is no longer obscuring the minimize video carat in the upper left.
      • hit the tiny ass'd minimize video carat (usually after several attempts)

      I keep wishing there was just a 'go back to home screen' option available at the end of videos that I'm just missing.

      8 votes
    10. Custom phone OS - long term opinions?

      I am and have been on a bit of a quest to make my computing devices suck less. Over the last few years I have migrated all of my laptops and desktops over to various Linux flavors. My experience...

      I am and have been on a bit of a quest to make my computing devices suck less.

      Over the last few years I have migrated all of my laptops and desktops over to various Linux flavors. My experience with this process is that each flavor has their own quirks that need to be ironed out, but after getting things running there is little in the way of maintenance. Things kind of just work nowadays.

      I have been looking into getting something like (but not necessarily) LineageOS on my phone. As I am looking into this and reading forums on the subject, it seems like a perpetual arms race between application developers and application users. One puts in a way to check for root, then there are root hiders, then there are root hider checkers, then there are root hiders that you build with custom names, etc.

      I want my device to not suck.

      I don’t want to be going in and fighting with my banking applications every time there is an update. I am totally willing to fight a painful setup once.

      Is a custom phone OS something that is essentially only viable to use if you are driven by spite? Am I reading too much into the struggles that are posted in various forums? I am looking for any input for anyone that has used a custom OS short or long term.

      26 votes
    11. Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (December 2023)

      I'll start posting a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app. This first one's a little early, but I wanted it to coincide with the Android v0.6.0 release. A recurring...

      I'll start posting a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app. This first one's a little early, but I wanted it to coincide with the Android v0.6.0 release.

      A recurring megathread will make it easier for people to hit Ignore on each one if they want, without feeling like they're missing out on bigger announcements surrounding the app.

      I'll make an effort to summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can read the updates and then hit Ignore if they don't care about more frequent updates or user feedback.


      Recently:

      iOS hotfix v0.7.2: Fixed another Notifications crash, and fixed crash inserting emoji in reply

      iOS hotfix v0.7.1: Fixed crash in Notifications tab

      Android and iOS v0.7.0 (Dec 27, 2023)

      • Added a markdown formatting bar when composing a comment
      • Edit comments after posting them
      • View markdown of other users' comments
      • (Android) New setting: Quit confirmation
      • Fixed comment reply preview bugs
      • Fixed bugs viewing direct linked comments
      • Fixed numbered list bug
      • Fixed rate limit error message
      • Fixed crashes and UI bugs

       

      iOS v0.6.0 (Dec 11, 2023)

      • In-app notifications of comment replies
      • Added buttons to mark notifications read
      • Highlight and jump to linked comments

       

      Android v0.6.1 (Nov 30, 2023)

      • Added buttons to mark notifications read
      • Fixed crash tapping links in notifications
      • Fixed notifications UI bugs

      Android v0.6.0 (Nov 26, 2023)

      • In-app notifications of comment replies
      • Highlight and jump to linked comments
      • Fixed tapping titles in ~music to open comments

      Known bug: You can't manually mark notifications as read. I overlooked this because I have the "Automatically mark all notifications read when you view the Unread Notifications page" setting enabled on the website settings. I'll fix this soon.

       

      Also the iOS version is still getting feedback on TestFlight after its November 1 release—thanks everyone for trying the app and giving feedback. The Android app will tend to get features sooner than iOS; I expect it to continue this way in general, just because I'm more familiar with Android development.


      Android version on Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      iOS version on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      90 votes
    12. I want to learn Android (with Kotlin) ... should I focus on Jetpack or the old XML style?

      I am an experienced programmer (mostly M$ stack -- C#, etc). I started learning mobile Android development a few months ago, learning both Kotlin and the larger Android development environment at...

      I am an experienced programmer (mostly M$ stack -- C#, etc).

      I started learning mobile Android development a few months ago, learning both Kotlin and the larger Android development environment at the same time. I got bogged down in tutorials and guides, because half of them teach Jetpack Compose methodology and half teach XML layout ... and, often enough, don't bother to mention which method they're using.

      Which should I learn first? I am initially interested in learning Android dev for my own hobby/fun/side projects, but I would--ultimately--like to be able to put "Android developer" on my resume.

      Jetpack definitely looks better, more modern, more OO, and I expect it will eventually become the new standard ... but that could still be many years down the road. Also, while it might be "better"--especially for larger projects--it also smells more complicated.

      So, ultimately, I guess I should learn both if I actually intend to become an Android dev ... but I should definitely get comfortable with one, first ... so, which one?

      11 votes
    13. It looks like Facebook will be forcing me to switch to Messenger. What are my options?

      Today when I opened Messenger Lite there was a message from Meta saying " your chats will be moving to Messenger" and that Messenger Lite will stop working on September 18. I actively switched...

      Today when I opened Messenger Lite there was a message from Meta saying " your chats will be moving to Messenger" and that Messenger Lite will stop working on September 18. I actively switched from Messenger to Messenger Lite several years ago because the regular Messenger app was draining my battery. Are there any alternatives to Messenger Lite on Android? Perhaps even FOSS?Or will my only option be to move to the old Messenger app if I want to use Facebook messenger? I have some work related groups on Messenger that would be tough to move to another platform, so Please don't just say "use Signal" or something similar.

      28 votes
    14. Looking at getting a new phone - help with my odd requirements?

      Well, maybe they're not that odd, but I've not really been paying attention to what phone manufacturers are up to these days, so I need some help with what will work for me. I've previously had a...

      Well, maybe they're not that odd, but I've not really been paying attention to what phone manufacturers are up to these days, so I need some help with what will work for me. I've previously had a huawei p10 lite (which I only sold after the news of them selling data to the Chinese government), Pixel 3a (i used that until it dying breath and then sold it for parts), and now I have a RealMe 8 5g, but I'm having charging issues with it. I might look at getting it fixed, but depending on the cost I might sell it on and buy something else.

      MUST HAVES:

      • Headphone jack. I'll die on this hill and I will get a phone with a headphone jack as long as they are available to me.
      • good battery. It's the main reason I went for the RealMe 8, the battery has just been fantastic so far.
      • No bloatware. I'm ruling out Samsung, and anything similar that is full of extra junk I can't get rid of. As close to pure android as possible is best.

      IDEAL

      • good for games. the heaviest duty game I play on my phone is TFT, and then I move around between various puzzle and idle games for when I'm travelling or on my lunch break, but I don't need it to be super powerful.
      • wireless charging. Nearly put this as a must have, but I could definitely live without it.
      • Not chinese made/owned. Also nearly put this as must have, but I don't want to limit myself massively.
      • under £250 I very rarely spend even that much on a phone, but I'm open to treating myself a bit.

      I don't care about the camera really. I'm a photography hobbyist and so if I want to take good photos for memories I'll just take a camera with me. If it's good then thats a bonus but its near the bottom of my list of things I think about.

      What would there be out there for me? I've always liked the look of Sony phones but they're typically a lot of money, how do they fit in with my requirements? I've also been looking into the Fairphone but it really is out of my budget, and i don't know how it runs.

      Thanks in advance for any help :)

      26 votes
    15. Three Cheers for Tildes (Android version) is open for alpha testing on the Google Play Store

      Play Store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes Alternatively, opt-in to testing via web:...

      Play Store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      Alternatively, opt-in to testing via web: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.talklittle.android.tildes

      Three Cheers for Tildes is an unofficial mobile app for Tildes, originally announced on Tildes' 5th birthday. The original announcement answers some basic questions about the app.

      It is still missing tons of features—hence "alpha"—but I felt it would be better to release something instead of waiting too long. Alpha version 0.5 is currently good enough for light use, to help check on Tildes once or twice a day. You can log in, vote, and comment.

      Notable missing features as of v0.5: Submitting topics; Markdown editor; In-app notifications; Comment labels; Sort options.


      The iOS version is underway and I am aiming to have it done by the October deadline achieved during our June fundraiser.

      Other iOS apps are already in beta testing: Backtick by @wababa and Surfboard by @earlsweatshirt.


      I'll try to keep this post updated with changelogs and known bugs.

      I don't have a public issue tracker for feature requests; feel free to leave requests in comments here. Thanks my Tildren!

      552 votes
    16. I'm working on a mobile app for Tildes: Three Cheers for Tildes!

      In honor of Tildes' 5th birthday, presenting a preview of this app I've been working on, called: Three Cheers for Tildes It's not ready for an alpha release yet, but have some proof it's not...

      In honor of Tildes' 5th birthday, presenting a preview of this app I've been working on, called:

      Three Cheers for Tildes

      It's not ready for an alpha release yet, but have some proof it's not vaporware:

      Pre-alpha app preview: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dZ5cDZFrpUw

      Q: What devices will be supported?

      Android 6.0 and newer. iOS 12.4 and newer (includes iPhone 5s and iPad Air).

      Q: Who is this app for?

      Mainly for people who are a great fit for Tildes culture, but have found it hard to keep up, without an app.

      Maybe they visited once or twice, liked what they saw, but quickly bounced off because they're more accustomed to apps than websites. They could simply have forgotten about Tildes, without that dedicated icon on their homescreen.

      Maybe the lack of an app signaled to some that the site was not worth taking seriously yet.

      Or maybe they had been active for a while, and over the years gradually got tired of waiting 5-10 seconds to cold-start a web browser on their phone.

      I know Tildes regulars don't particularly need an app. Those who've stuck around have clearly been perfectly fine using the website for the past 5 years, after all. Tildes does have an excellent mobile site already! That said, I'd be thrilled if the regulars tried and ended up enjoying the app, but at the same time, I'm not planning to put in massive effort to change minds and habits that don't need to be changed.

      Q: I'm new to Tildes. Is Tildes the Next Big Thing? Is it going to replace <mainstream social network>?

      Almost certainly not, and that's more than okay! It was never designed or intended to compete head-to-head with any major social networks. Tildes is its own community with its own way of doing things. We could use some new users in 2023 to keep things fresh, in my opinion. But the goal has never been growth at the expense of quality. I believe most of us want to keep the cozy, and manageable, community feel.

      Please read the Tildes Docs if you're interested in the philosophy and policies of the site.

      Q: What does the app do differently than the mobile site?

      Currently: It follows native UI design patterns. It comes with a homescreen icon. It loads faster than a full web browser engine.

      Planned: Easier to submit stories by hitting Share from other apps. Notifications. Content and user filtering features.

      Q: Will your app have ads?

      No. As long as Tildes itself is ad-free, Three Cheers will remain ad-free.

      Q: Will you monetize the app some other way?

      I might ask for donations, with options to send money to myself or Tildes or both.

      I didn't build this app as a moneymaker per se. It's been a fantastic way for me to brush up on new (to me) technologies, and I wanted to support the Tildes community at the same time. Also to be really honest, my competitive side was fired up being the first person to release a native mobile app for Tildes.

      Q: Why is the app closed source?

      I don't want to open this can of tildo-shaped worms, but know I have to; <details>-ed for length:

      • I am building the app on my own time, without outside assistance or funding. I'm proud of my work, and I make apps for a living, and am not in a position to give the code away for free.
      • Client-side code has significantly fewer "natural protections" against copying, compared to open-source server applications, including Tildes itself. The server platform owns the user content which is protected by copyright, owns the domain name, user accounts, private messages, and so on. Client code, on the other hand, is all-or-nothing. If I gave away the code, that's everything—no "natural protections" against wholesale copying.
      • From personal experience plus countless anecdotes from friends and fellow app and game developers, open sourcing a client-side app will guarantee dozens if not hundreds of clones. It would likely result in well-resourced Tildes competitors taking the code and using it for their own purposes, backfiring on my intended purpose of helping Tildes.
      • The app does not incorporate Tildes' AGPL-licensed code, and is therefore not required to be open source. It interfaces with the output (HTML) of Tildes, just like a web browser does. See the GPL FAQ on the outputs of GPL'ed applications not being covered by GPL.
      • My code is often ugly and I want to avoid the incessant questions along the lines of "why are you still using that old technology?" which are too common in app development.

      On the other hand, if anybody is inspired to prove me wrong and build an open-source app, by all means, go for it! It would be exciting to see an ecosystem of apps maintained by different developers.

      Q: Will you release an open-source SDK at least?

      Maybe. I'd be up for collaborating on this. It would largely depend on whether the site admin is confident enough to tackle the increased spam and abuse that may result following a public SDK release.


      Thanks for reading! I'll post another topic in ~tildes when an alpha version is ready.

      38 votes
    17. Should I bother installing another OS on my Pixel 4a?

      I have a Pixel 4a which has just reached end of support for Android. However, I love this phone and the only hardware issue is that the battery doesn't last me scrolling social media all day, so I...

      I have a Pixel 4a which has just reached end of support for Android. However, I love this phone and the only hardware issue is that the battery doesn't last me scrolling social media all day, so I am not looking to upgrade to a newer handheld just yet.

      I've been looking into Graphene OS and Lineage OS as perhaps alternatives I should consider, at least just so I can keep getting security updates. However, looking through GOS, they say that their 4a build is an "extended support" build different from the main OS which is described as a "stopgap" before upgrading phones. LOS says it's supported but through an automatically generated page which doesn't leave me with much confidence about the attention and stability of the build on my particular phone.

      I'm asking y'all's opinion on whether I should even bother. Security upgrades are important, but my phone is a secondary device at best, one which I always use with the same apps and websites and honestly not really that much of a security risk. Watch hubris get me.

      23 votes
    18. Physical keyboard for android phone?

      I have a quandary. Even with a decent android keyboard (Typewise offline keyboard), I still find myself hampered by gettingnanstringnofnwordsnwhereni miss the space bar. Sometimes I miss n "A"...

      I have a quandary. Even with a decent android keyboard (Typewise offline keyboard), I still find myself hampered by gettingnanstringnofnwordsnwhereni miss the space bar. Sometimes I miss n "A" key. I am very out put by my likelihood of getting "out" when I meant "put" and vice versa.

      I am becoming a part time worker / primary parent while my wife goes back to a full time job, which means I do a lot of waiting in places where I'm typing extended sections of text (like this one) in places where its not really practical or appropriate to pull out a laptop.

      What I really want is a physical keyboard for my phone. It seems like there are a lot of folding and non-folding options that are meant to work on a table with the phone as a screen. But if I could do that, I could pull out my laptop.

      If I had a wish that could get me anything, I'd like a split thumb keyboard where the two halves sandwich (and grip) the phone the way the joycons go on a Nintendo switch.

      The best thing I have found so far is this keyboard puck. I have bought a similar device for HTPC, and it is surprisingly easy to use. This still has the downside of requiring the use of with hands and not having a way to hold the phone. Maybe I could 3D print some kind of mount, but something with a built-in mount would be much better.

      I'm wondering how others have solved this problem? I'm open to almost anything that makes me a faster /more accurate typist on the go.

      20 votes
    19. Any Tildes android app?

      Seen a post or two about ios apps being developed. However, as far as android goes, I haven't seen any apps being developed yet for tildes. Which is definitely contributing to my lack of visits...

      Seen a post or two about ios apps being developed. However, as far as android goes, I haven't seen any apps being developed yet for tildes. Which is definitely contributing to my lack of visits here and making it seem more like a chore. Am I just missing some options? 🤞 Or is the user base for Android just that low these days? 😢 Please someone tell me it's the prior😅

      73 votes
    20. Recommended tablet apps for Android?

      I got a tablet a few years ago, and I've struggled to use it as anything other than a big phone. Sure, it's really nice watching videos on the larger screen, and messaging is nicer too. Do you...

      I got a tablet a few years ago, and I've struggled to use it as anything other than a big phone. Sure, it's really nice watching videos on the larger screen, and messaging is nicer too.

      Do you guys have any recommendations for apps that are either tablet only, or have a much better experience on a tablet? I have a Galaxy Tab S6 Lite running Android version 13.

      On a semi-related note, I am looking for good emulators for android(NES, SNES, Genesis).

      10 votes