MacRumors App

[davide_eu]

Easier/faster access and push notifications, as well as saved articles and comments, to name a few.

You can do everything with a standard web site, even the notification!

 

[Sital]

I always find myself coming to MacRumors for Apple News everyday. I am a big Apple fan and I want to follow the news very closely. I feel MacRumors should develop an app for iOS and iPadOS, so that I can receive notifications whenever there’s a new article posted. There are other companies like 9to5Mac and AppleInsider who have their own apps. It just makes life easier for the readers, not having to open the website each time.

What do you guys think?
If many of you agree to my opinion, the MacRumors team might actually look into it. You can also send a mail to the MacRumors team.

The website doesn't even work correctly, I think an app would be an absolute nightmare.

 

[racerhomie]

Hi,

I've gone back and forth on an app. It'd be nice to have, but haven't been sure it's worth the effort and cost, not just to get developed but also maintain over time.

I think around the time we were seriously considering it, we'd also hit a bunch of hurdles with Apple blocking AppShopper and TouchArcade app updates, so it left us with a bad taste in our mouths.

Besides that, I'd also hoped Apple would extend web push notifications to mobile Safari, but they still haven't done that.

Right now, we don't have any serious plans on doing an app. I don't know if that will change.

arn

I thought Safari supported Notifications from websites on iOS and iPadOS

 

[BigBlur]

I thought Safari supported Notifications from websites on iOS and iPadOS

Safari didn't have that feature in 2020, when the post you quoted was posted. It didn't get it until 2023 in iOS/iPadOS 16.4.

The MacRumors PWA app has been updated since then to support notifications.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macrumors-pwa-web-app-with-push-notifications.2448775/

 

[tkjv24]

I voted yes, Mobile app provide more freedom.

 

[arn]

App might still be an open discussion. In the past it was a cost vs. Apple being unreasonable about us having an official MR app. Also maintaining it. The Apple issue remains, the cost of dev is down with AI coding, so it's def possible.

However... we have made improvements to our PWA. If you want MacRumors push notifications.

Go to front page.

Tap "..." on bottom right of mobile Safari
Tap Share
Tap "..." (More)
Add to Home Screen

When you launch the MacRumors icon from your Home Screen, it will ask u if you want push notifications. Say yes.

 

[arc of the universe]

Macrumors via Safari on an iPhone is done so well that i can't imagine an app doing anything better.
and i don't think i could/would say that about any other site i regularly access.

i think that if there is any reason to prefer a purpose built app is for security of information.
in general going through a browser is less secure with so may cookies from all sorts of 3rd party data aggregating companies.

regarding this, Macrumors as a business enterprise knows a lot about this type of thing: the number of cookies that are automatically added by just simply using Safari to browse this site is remarkable. haven't really measured but it seems that more cookies are added here at this site than any other site i ever regularly visit.
if Macrumors develops an app, then a certain percentage of traffic would go through that app, and the cookie value that Macrumors reaps/sells becomes less.