I Won't Download Your App. The Web Version Is A-OK
by ssiddharth on 4/6/2026, 2:31:29 PM
https://www.0xsid.com/blog/wont-download-your-app
Comments
by: KellyCriterion
What most people dont get:<p>Most of folks on HN here are much older than todays "first customers" of 16y/17/18<p>For them: The "Smartphone is the internet", while for most of us the "Smartphone is an extension of the internet from our desktops" that we were used to (remember the years before dot com bubble, saying: "I will be down in the basement at the computer to surf on the net little bit" ? :-)<p>But today, the very first touchpoint with "the internet" for younger folks is a smartphone display. The even do homework on this small screens!<p>Companies are seeing this switch, so they adapt.<p>Personally, a service which is "only an app" will be not used by me as I prefer to have a larger screen with more information (actually I use my mobile phone only when Im in public transport or similar, at home I have a notebook laying around if I need something)
4/6/2026, 3:00:16 PM
by: akshatjiwan
That's my stance as well. Unless the website is completely broken or the devs force me to download the app by blocking features on the website I prefer the web.<p>With responsive design becoming mainstream I'm fine with using my browser for 90% of my internet work. In some cases like Google docs it's painful to use the web version so I just use the app.<p>EDIT: I wish they'd add a console to mobile web browsers though.
4/6/2026, 2:50:35 PM
by: tuckerman
The site that irks me the most here is New York Times. Opening an article in the mobile browser often has a toast over the bottom third of the article to open it in their app for "a better experience". I struggle to think how nytimes isn't a perfect fit for a site over an app. The only frustrating experience I have with the web version that would be better in the app is not seeing that that pop-up.
4/6/2026, 3:06:48 PM
by: 8cvor6j844qw_d6
Web browser is a sandbox by default. Worst a sketchy site does is eat a tab, less if you run an adblocker. Native app? Background processes, hardware ID shenanigans, your contacts, location. The whole buffet.
4/6/2026, 2:46:47 PM
by: prosaic-hacker
I will cast my vote for mobile websites over apps on phones. For personal choice reasons I have always had a "budget" phone with less memory and storage (and less cost) than a flagship phone. I also kept them running for years.<p>At the end of the cycle I can barely run the base phone let alone the menagerie of apps the world would like me to run.<p>I have opted out of app only service such as a Loyalty programs that forced me to transfer point from a partner only if I installed an app on my phone. They have enough info on me from purchase, they don't need more. (I even offer my card to strangers in the grocery cash if they did not have the loyalty card so they would get a discount and I would get a list of products I never buy in my loyalty list. Its a small, willful act of rebellion )
4/6/2026, 3:28:24 PM
by: bbminner
I asked the same question a few years ago, and the answer I arrived at is that the app has, by default, more permissions (not only technical but also conventional) to collect data, send push notifications, and otherwise harass the user.
4/6/2026, 4:15:08 PM
by: karimf
This is my stance as well, but keep in mind that a lot of people have the opposite preference.<p>They didn't grow up with the world wide web. They only started using technology when Android and iPhone was popular. They only know Whatsapp, Youtube, TikTok. They're not used to using the browser.<p>There's a meme that "Gen Z Kids Don't Understand How File Systems Work" [0]<p>So, it'll depend on your target audiences.<p>[0] <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30253526">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30253526</a>
4/6/2026, 3:04:43 PM
by: crsl
I also find that because the web version is worse in order to push you to download the app, it is a good way to not get sucked into endlessly scrolling. Get in, do what you need, and get out because of bad experience.
4/6/2026, 2:46:18 PM
by: happytoexplain
My experience might be the minority, but I have found that 95% of the time, when an app is available on both web and native mobile, the native mobile version is significantly better - usually not because it's a fantastic app or has more features, but rather because the web version is more buggy/slow/confusing.<p>Whether I <i>prefer</i> an app to be web or native is purely based on the use case (I probably would choose native for a dozen use cases and web for the remaining one million use cases), but that's orthogonal to the fact of which one is actually better.
4/6/2026, 3:05:00 PM
by: MetaWhirledPeas
Browsers don't allow notifications if you don't have the site open. Browser ads can get blocked by browser extensions. Browsers make it harder to have an icon for a site/service directly on the home screen. Browsers make it harder to get extensive permissions. Browsers allow content to displayed without first being run through an approval process.<p>For companies these are all downsides but for me they are all upsides. It really is us vs them when it comes to apps vs browsers. The only reason they offer websites at all is out of fear of losing a big chunk of users.
4/6/2026, 3:29:15 PM
by: b8
I trust the chrome sandbox and security more than a desktop or phone app.
4/6/2026, 4:16:58 PM
by: everdrive
And if the only option is an app, then I'm not interested in your product / store / company.
4/6/2026, 2:40:17 PM
by: agdexai
The restaurant QR menu situation is peak 'we installed an app for the app' energy. I scanned a code expecting a menu and instead got a Play Store redirect. Just let me see the food.<p>The worst offenders are services that literally work fine in mobile Safari but pop a banner saying 'for the best experience download our app' covering half the screen. The web version is already the app, you just painted a door on the wall.
4/6/2026, 4:03:42 PM
by: asah
Folding phones are the big/small screen compromise. One you fold, nobody goes back.<p>The samsung fold7 in particular is the same thickness/weight as slab phones, but unfolds to become a tablet. Please don't vote if you haven't held one. The compromise is cost, durability (dust, water), some battery life & some camera. Huge gains in productivity and night-to-day difference consuming video and photos. Google Maps FTW.
4/6/2026, 3:40:00 PM
by: jedberg
While I sympathize with the author, and feel the same way, I think Apple/Google have some blame here. They make certain simple things only possible in the apps, because the APIs are not exposed via the web.<p>Notifications is a big obvious one. Not sure if they've changed it since I last looked into it, but having an app installed was the only way to send a notification to someone for a long time.
4/6/2026, 2:52:05 PM
by: pcorsaro
I've been running a video game collection site for years. The number one request I get from people is to build an app. I've worked so hard on making the mobile version of the site to be just as functional as the desktop version, and I don't really understand why people want an app over just using the web version. I sometimes wonder if I should just do it to see if I'm missing out on market share, but I don't really want to have to maintain two different user interfaces.
4/6/2026, 3:52:13 PM
by: wg0
I think app stores are getting restrictive and their next attack would be on PWA because that's one loophole in their walled garden where they need to extract 30% cut. Only a matter of time.<p>As for me, I would be mostly relying on PWAs.<p>Being a smaller company, try pushing an app to production on Android. Good luck with that.
4/6/2026, 4:20:33 PM
by: simonw
A few years ago I had an interesting experience at a company where I was working on a new prototype iPhone app and asked people around the office to install it... and a surprising number of people didn't want to do it because their phone was full already and they didn't want to delete photos in order to try a new app.<p>Made me realize that for a lot of people who get cheaper phones with less storage installing a new app is actually a pretty big decision.
4/6/2026, 2:59:46 PM
by: 1970-01-01
My analog is something along the lines of "please build a small room in your house, closet-sized at first, but with enough room to grow to twice that as we add features, so we can give you the best possible temperature and weather information. Also, we need access to your full contacts so you can share how you feel about the weather more easily, with just a push! Also also, we need a hot microphone in your closet, so you can shop our umbrella store by just talking to our AI assistant! Also also also, your privacy is important to us."<p>It only needs to be "an app" if it is using hardware to do it's main job. There is never another reason to make it an app.
4/6/2026, 3:29:53 PM
by: pitbred
We're all here debating the friction of downloading apps versus the convenience of the mobile web, but we might be missing the bigger picture. Both are UI-heavy paradigms designed for humans to click things. In a few years, we won't care if a service has a slick React app or a native iOS build. We’ll just tell our AI agents: 'Book that flight' or 'Fix my billing issue,' and they’ll talk to the APIs directly. The era of 'interfaces for humans' is peaking; the era of 'headless services for agents' is just beginning. Interfaces are becoming a legacy tax.
4/6/2026, 3:33:08 PM
by: denysvitali
I understand the user point of view, but some web UIs nowadays are so bad and the app so good that I'm not sure this always holds true.<p>I do agree that this seems to be exception rather than the rule - so having both is actually nice IMHO.
4/6/2026, 2:41:54 PM
by: tbolt
Agree with the article. I’m increasingly jaded by the state of the web.<p>Something that has been happening for a long time on iOS Safari that I only recently realized: pinch to zoom on sites like Reddit, instagram, shopping sites, and many others cause what I’m calling “website seizures.” Where I try to zoom in and half the time the page reloads completely or triggers a reload but ends up throwing an error.
4/6/2026, 3:03:42 PM
by: senfiaj
Sometimes apps lack the features of the web versions. For example, I wanted to translate a document on Android. When I was trying to open Google translator website, the system was redirecting me to the app. Unfortunately, I couldn't see document translation feature in this app. Could still open the website in incognito mode. This is really maddening me.
4/6/2026, 3:06:10 PM
by: amusingimpala75
How much of the native app push is to bypass ad blockers? If you’re just using a browser plugin like AdGuard or uBO it can’t block in a dedicated app unless you replace it with AGH or PiHole, can’t help but wonder if that plays a role as well
4/6/2026, 3:22:45 PM
by: beardyw
There is also the lack of support for bookmarks. I value the ability to reach a part I am interested in quickly.<p>When Chrome started supporting PWAs you couldn't bookmark the content at all. They seem to have fixed that now.
4/6/2026, 3:23:40 PM
by: parpfish
On one hand, I don’t know why startups make apps. It requires more devs and keeping everything at parity is tough with desktop, iOS, android, mobile web. Seems pragmatic to just simplify and use web.<p>But on the other hand, I’d love to pay you $0.99 if it meant I could get an ad free version of your little widget and I’m not sure how to do that easily with web
4/6/2026, 3:40:16 PM
by: bryankaplan
If the elevator was invented today, use of it would require an app which demands access to one’s contacts and files, and has a rating of 1.4 stars.
4/6/2026, 3:58:37 PM
by: robshippr
This is especially true for dev tools. Engineers already have 20 browser tabs open with dashboards, CI/CD, docs, and logs. The last thing anyone wants is another Electron app eating RAM in the background. The best tools meet you where you already are.
4/6/2026, 3:42:12 PM
by: chistev
My Google Chrome app is by far the most used app on my phone. If you catch me at a random moment on my phone, chances are I'm on Chrome.<p>Sometimes the mobile app experience is better than the mobile browser for me, though. Examples are Twitter, Spotify, Upwork, Google Keep Notes.<p>If I'm on my computer I don't even download the apps, I just use the browser. It just feels more convenient.<p>I haven't thought much about why they all feel good on my laptop browser while some apps offer better experience on mobile.<p>Edit: It's also why I keep procrastinating on getting into mobile app development. I just generally prefer web experience. With some exceptions as already stated here.
4/6/2026, 2:55:20 PM
by: alunchbox
Preach brother
4/6/2026, 4:17:36 PM
by: rkhaniukov
I like apps, much better then web version experience
4/6/2026, 4:13:45 PM
by: appsoftware
I don't understand it from the app developers point of view. Having to pay app store cuts over basic card processing fees. I understand the appeal of access to a market, like selling on eBay gets you eyeballs. But once you have a customer using their app, what does the app give you that a PWA doesn't unless you need access to specific sensors / file system access patterns etc?
4/6/2026, 2:55:26 PM
by: moffers
It’s a little tough these days. With AI and scraping, running an open webapp/website is now more expensive than ever before. My friends and I have launched a product in the last few months and decided to focus on mobile first and wait to develop a webapp simply because we couldn’t feel we could optimize the costs of open webapp while we have so few resources.
4/6/2026, 2:59:45 PM
by: ArchieScrivener
Stop asking me for access to my contacts, microphone, location, or permission to send me 5 kinds of useless notifications.
4/6/2026, 3:03:19 PM
by: tannedNerd
This also skips over with some hand waving that a lot of mobile app uses cases simply can’t be replicated with web sites. Take gps or smart home control as two easy of the top of my head example the author skipped too.<p>Also the fact that people here would rather have their info stored in the cloud vs local on device is interesting.
4/6/2026, 2:59:30 PM
by: ryandrake
I've got an old-ish phone, so in most cases, I <i>can't</i> download your app even if I wanted to. You deliberately set your minimum iOS deployment version to be higher than what my phone can even install. So I have to go to your web site or just stop doing business with your ass. Just because your developers decided that developing for older phones is too hard to figure out, or it takes too much effort, and they'd rather just cut us off.
4/6/2026, 2:49:57 PM
by: ape4
Can the "app" just load the mobile website. Then everyone is happy?
4/6/2026, 3:52:05 PM
by: Gimpei
My gripe is how iOS allows these companies to constantly bug us to use their stupid apps. I ended up installing the NYTimes app, not because I use it, but just to shut it up. I switched to duck duck go because I was sick of being bugged to install chrome. How many times do I need to say no?
4/6/2026, 2:56:06 PM
by: peterspath
I have it the other way around. I want local first app. Don’t want everything in the cloud apps.<p>Luckily there is choice :)
4/6/2026, 2:53:24 PM
by: blabla_bla
I got the entire idea from the title, no need for the article 's body.<p>And when I started reading I got bored after a few paragraphs since, again, I already got the idea.<p>Do we really need more than a title for these articles?
4/6/2026, 3:48:17 PM
by: sowbug
Still holding my breath for the app that puts up a dialog on every launch asking "would you like to try our web version?"
4/6/2026, 3:13:58 PM
by: jcalvinowens
It's a waste of resources too. I've seen startups waste soooooo much time and effort on simple native apps that could trivially be webviews, it's <i>tragic</i>.
4/6/2026, 2:54:17 PM
by: cush
It depends. The parking app example is an example of an app I want, for so many reasons
4/6/2026, 3:24:44 PM
by: bcrescimanno
Obligatory Dennis Reynolds / It's Always Sunny... thoughts on this:<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzb355qT8RI" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzb355qT8RI</a><p>I honestly don't mind downloading apps for things I use all the time so long as the app isn't a nightmare. It's when I am having a single interaction with a brand (such as buying my wife a gift) and I'm bombarded with "it's better in the app" that drives me nuts.<p>I realize that I am perhaps not the target demographic of this app-centric culture; but, I cannot count the number of times in a week that I utter the phrase, "no, I don't want to download your app" as I try to accomplish what should be a simple task.
4/6/2026, 3:07:41 PM
by: arnvald
I actually enjoy having mobile apps for lots of use cases – travel, news, entertainment, utility bills, banking. I have probably around 100 apps on my iPhone right now and I'm fine with this number.<p>There are 2 things though that make me dislike mobile apps.<p>First, regularly logging me out. It's so frustrating, especially if the app does not support biometric login. I have a password manager, so I can log in rather quickly, but I just want to be logged in for months.<p>Second, webviews, I just can't understand mobile apps that render part of their content inside webviews. Like, either commit to having a proper native mobile experience or just let me use your website. One of the more annoying cases for me personally is NBA app. I'm searching for some stat, I open their website in a browser, it redirects me to the app, the app opens and then renders the same web page in a web view. What's even the point?!
4/6/2026, 3:40:27 PM
by: amelius
Can't we run Android inside a browser these days?<p>WASM should be able to handle it now, I suppose.
4/6/2026, 3:23:40 PM
by: 63stack
Yes you will download the app because we will not offer a web version.
4/6/2026, 3:28:40 PM
by: sergiotapia
Mostly I am quite tired of the 30 step onboarding funnel all apps have. I was trying out a fitness app and the second I opened it, I was about step 9 into it and I just deleted the app.
4/6/2026, 3:23:49 PM
by: choward
I'm not going to download an app for every company I do business with. It's as simple as that.<p>I'm not going to download an app to order food from your restaurant. I'm not going to download an app to operate an appliance. I'm not going to download an app to get a discount on a beverage at your convenience store.<p>I don't care about your stupid rewards system for trying to get a reasonable price on overpriced items. I'm not downloading an app for it.<p>There are many people who download every app they do business with without hesitation. It's crazy. I can't imagine how many apps these people have on their phones.
4/6/2026, 3:44:53 PM
by: AstroBen
Do you really think developers are going through the hellish pain of dealing with Google and Apple for no reason? Real world users prefer and expect apps as opposed to web versions for many product categories.
4/6/2026, 4:03:16 PM
by: empyrrhicist
If a website disrespects "request desktop site" and still tries to force you into an app... ugh.<p>Had this happen yesterday when someone sent me a link to something on AllTrails. If the service was good and the website was usable, I might have even considered getting the app for offline features. Not anymore - screw companies that do this.
4/6/2026, 2:55:31 PM
by: cogman10
I wish PWAs were more of a thing. That is actually what I'd use instead of installing a company app.
4/6/2026, 2:44:21 PM
by: dbvn
Somehow the one feature I need to use is the one feature broken on the website... every time.
4/6/2026, 2:52:04 PM
by: wbobeirne
The author touches on this in the last section, but I'd reframe this a different way. The natural conclusion for a company who wants to funnel you to the app is, "the web version is a-OK? Let's make the web version worse."<p>I'd rather see this framed as, "if you don't have a high functioning web version, I don't need to use your service." Gimping my preferred medium will lose me as a customer. If enough people draw that line, "enshittifying" your web app should hurt your metrics, not help. That way maintaining a good web version is looked at as a long-term necessity, not a top of funnel.
4/6/2026, 2:41:59 PM
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4/6/2026, 3:58:51 PM
by: WhiteOwlLion
I use Twitter/X on web because the iOS so bad.
4/6/2026, 2:48:39 PM
by: nathan_compton
I don't get apps. Apart from Audible, I don't have any installed and don't use any. I've never enjoyed using smartphones to do anything.
4/6/2026, 3:47:10 PM
by: brianzelip
gmail on mobile is particularly insidious in this context.
4/6/2026, 3:13:07 PM
by: micromacrofoot
Many many people are downloading the apps, and this is pushing a lot of younger people into apps-first over native web experiences.<p>I think we should call on Apple and Google to make web apps/sites a more first-class experience, rather than ask app developers to stop going where the people are.
4/6/2026, 3:40:05 PM
by: _blk
The whole premise doesn't make much sense (to me) if the app doesn't have an inherent benefit over a website. Don't tell me that all the app first people would rather have a web wrapped app for every website they visit? Seems to be more of a "we can get more metrics out of app users than website users" thing so they intentionally break the mobile website to aggressively push an app. #LinkedIn #Facebook
4/6/2026, 3:35:40 PM
by: yieldcrv
what's funnier is that this could have been written 10 years ago and the situation was the exact same<p>apps function more so as a checkbox for investors to take an organization seriously, as well as for the founder to self aggrandize and feel like their own app store presence means something. for devs it is functionally a make-work program.
4/6/2026, 3:56:35 PM
by: rvz
PWAs are dead.
4/6/2026, 3:11:35 PM
by: VirgilShelton
Yes and now I use AI to build any website which locks me into their workflow and run it locally how I choose!
4/6/2026, 3:27:22 PM
by: Devasta
The web version being ok is a sign of the degradation of the desktop experience more than it is a sign of the capabilities of the web.
4/6/2026, 3:08:27 PM
by: cute_boi
We should blame Apple for creating incentives that let it take a 30% cut from apps. I don't know why governments, especially foreign governments, allow Apple app store to operate in their countries.
4/6/2026, 3:05:24 PM
by: raverbashing
One very egregious example: Moovit<p>Even with mobile FF and adblock their mobile website is completely unusable. Now ask me if I'm happy to download ther app if their website is a complete POS like that<p>The desktop website works "fine" for the most part though
4/6/2026, 3:02:38 PM
by: alex1138
HI THERE REDDIT
4/6/2026, 3:46:21 PM
by: villgax
The government is supposed to be pushing for web as the default.
4/6/2026, 2:49:21 PM
by: 7777777phil
This sentiment will probably resonate with a lot of people here. I literally won’t use a service if they try to force me onto their app..
4/6/2026, 2:42:31 PM
by: jesterson
The only reason they want you to download their app is to farm more data about you. They will push you to huge extent just to collect more data.<p>To share an egregious example, Mercury (which is a great bank) sent KYC notice literally saying "we noticed you use app outside of declared locations" for one of my friends companies. And yes they push their app hard.
4/6/2026, 3:35:45 PM
by: Invictus0
Is this what hacker news has become? screeds from jaded boomers?
4/6/2026, 3:45:10 PM
by: picsao
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by: lcfcjs6
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by: Alexzoofficial
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by: user070707
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4/6/2026, 3:36:05 PM
by: Exuma
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4/6/2026, 2:45:14 PM
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4/6/2026, 2:47:57 PM
by: darepublic
dozens of apps on the smartphone is gross. an indicator for me of an elderly / technically illiterate smartphone user is the presence of a ton of apps, most of which were used long ago and seldomly.
4/6/2026, 2:44:11 PM