Do not download the app, use the website

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

App Push and User Experience Frustrations

  • Many commenters say mobile sites are intentionally degraded to funnel users into apps: broken features, unusable layouts, constant “open in app” interstitials (Reddit, Facebook, Yelp, Imgur, Google Maps, banks, utilities).
  • Apps often have worse UX for power use: no tabs, harder comparison and research flows, poor text-selection, zoom, or keyboard support.
  • Some people avoid apps to reduce clutter and addiction: every icon is “a little ad” and fewer installed apps = fewer distractions.

Privacy, Data, and Enshittification

  • A core concern is that apps get deeper, more persistent access: location, contacts, notifications, device identifiers, process lists, even Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth context.
  • This data supports tracking, profiling, and “post‑capture monetization”: once a platform has market dominance, it can steadily worsen the experience (more ads, nags, dark patterns) while users stay due to inertia and network effects.
  • Push notifications are seen as a key reason apps are pushed: they enable continuous re‑engagement and advertising.

Cases Where Apps Are Preferred or Mandatory

  • Many users genuinely prefer native apps for speed, polish, offline support, media controls, and easier authentication (banking, airlines, messaging, maps, rideshare, smart‑home, security).
  • Some banks, governments, and ID systems now require apps for login or 2FA, effectively eliminating the web as an option.
  • Several developers report much higher engagement and retention once they ship an app, even when web feature‑parity exists.

Web vs Native: Technical and Platform Debates

  • One camp argues web apps could match most app UX if companies invested equally and browsers exposed more APIs; another claims the web has a “glass ceiling” and cannot equal native performance or integration.
  • PWAs are cited as a middle ground (installable, offline, notifications), but uptake is low; some blame Apple’s historically weak or hostile PWA support and app‑store incentives, others blame web‑stack bloat and poor web dev practices.

Overall Mood

  • Strong hostility toward being forced into apps and toward dark patterns.
  • Recognition that both web and apps can be abusive; the core complaint is loss of user choice and control, not the technology itself.