2w ago

How many here just use the Lemmy web client on mobile?

I've used Lemmur in the past but lately I've realized that the web client is perfectly usable on mobile, much more so than most other social media. This is probably a testament to non-profit-driven development because the web client is really light, scales perfectly to an app-like form factor, there's no weird behavior with the touchscreen instead of a mouse, and it also gives you all the features of the site instead of arbitrary not letting you do more advanced stuff because they want you to download the app. It also has the extra benefit that it syncs my browsing history to desktop so you pick up where you left off. Since making this latest account I have not felt the need to download an app at all and have been right at home using it from the browser.

Then again, I refuse to get the Reddit app and still use old.reddit.com on mobile (it's just as annoying as you assume and you have to zoom in and out to click on stuff but I'm used to it by now, also I'm barely using Reddit anymore so that helps too) so maybe I'm somewhat unique? Just curious as to if anyone else exclusively uses the Lemmy web client on mobile and what your thoughts on it. Those on the other side, are there any killer features that apps give that I'm missing?

34 comments

Web UI team here
- I have like 1500+ subscribed communities and performance on desktop with default web UI is pretty bad... I think the reason for it is that "Subscribed to communities" box in the sidebar trying to load images for all of those communities at the same time.
  
  Might wanna just zap that rlement in ublock origin or something. Might be useful even just as a test.
  
  Wow that's... A lot

The official Lemmy client is still missing a critical (to me) feature: changing the default sort for comments
That’s the only thing holding me back from using it. Until that gets implemented, I’m using the Voyager app on mobile and desktop
- I use Voyager too. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good.
- Using Voyager as well, honestly love it and have no complaints
- There are some interesting philosophical ideas going on with some of the apps too. For example, Jerboa won't implement client side storage of this preference because they think it should be stored on the server side.

I use Jerboa
- I had to switch from Jerboa to Boost for Lemmy due to the bug in comment threads: when you click on a reply in your inbox, it goes to the post and gives you two options to either view post or view context so you can see up until the parent thread of the conversation you are replying to, and the buttons don't seem to work consistently. Also sometimes they are not even there and you have to scroll through the post for the comment you want to reply to. Boost has ads though but IDC about those.
  
  I hate to say this but I've never gotten to; works on my machine.

Yup, just web UI. Always web UI if possible, no matter what it is. Although for shopping I prefer to use a laptop if I am going to pay online as well.

Yea. I use web only via Tor Browser on Android. If I use an app, I'm gonna forget to use Tor one day.
The only issue is just no ability to block users of an instance.
- People have said that Sync and Connect can do it. I've never tried either so ymmv.
  PieFed can definitely do it I know - I've blocked all users from Lemmy.ml that way:-).
  Otherwise, you have to just do it one-by-one the old-fashioned way, or rely on a site admin to do the work for you (additional details in this post).
- Do you log in to Lemmy each time you open Tor or is there a way to save your logins somewhere?
  
  I log in every time. I mean, I wouldn't want my account to be accessible if someone, such as a law enforcement officer, grabs my phone. I do not save passwords anywhere, not even my password manager. So no one would ever know about this account, the only knowledge of this account's existence exist in my brain. (unless they have a backdoor in my phone, that is).
  I mean, I post a lot anti-establishment stuff, not a good look if someone finds it. So I'm hoping to hide it as best as I can.

I primarily use PieFed, which has a wonderful if not entirely finished web UI. It has so many features that Lemmy lacks, like categories of communities, hashtags, YouTube embeds, and shows the sidebar content (though down below) for every single post - e.g. you wouldn't make a comment in ChapoTrapHouse so readily without knowing what it is, oh and similarly it puts messages for certain instances like Beehaw.org warning you that their standards differ, which is quite welcoming b/c it allows the instance owners to state in their own words what that message is.
But it also lacks some features that Lemmy has, like many times Notifications don't work (pointing to collapsed, deleted, blocked, or whatever I don't even know sometimes content), and user tagging isn't implemented yet, plus I'm constantly wanting to upvote someone, only to realize that I must have done so already but since it wasn't showing the indicator properly that I had just removed it, and have to hit it again to restore.
So it's a great idea of something that will eventually come, if not quite fully here now (for the masses). That said, it uses ~1/25th the amount of data that Lemmy does, which is REALLY something! See this post, specifically the 3rd link to "Comparing network utilization of Lemmy, Kbin and PieFed", and my comment there:
And uses less data - helpful for using a mobile data plan. Those numbers shown in the article are all the more impressive even for sending 5x more posts on the home screen than Lemmy's default, even while still sending >4/5 less data - i.e. it's more like sending roughly only 1/25th the data per post, if I'm reading that right.
On Lemmy I likewise always used the web UI - it's not perfect but it's fairly good. One thing I despise is how you cannot see both up- and down-votes for something... except you can (only from mobile) though you can't (from desktop). So like if you get a +1 total, is that like no votes at all, or equal up- & down-votes - those are very different scenarios, the latter being far more "active".
I've tried the Voyager app but had lots of technical problems with it - like I'd make a comment, but I'd have to force-quit and re-open the app for it to show up. Apparently that's really odd so it could somehow be due to my own set-up, not something that most people would see. Voyager doesn't work with PieFed btw - this is for the Lemmy instance Discuss.Online.
I thought about trying Thunder but haven't yet.

I've used Lemmur in the past
I know you didn't say anything about disliking mobile apps or that it had soured your experience, but definitely do not compare the mobile site to something as outdated as Lemmur lol
It also has the extra benefit that it syncs my browsing history to desktop so you pick up where you left off.
Not sure about other clients, but Thunder sure syncs your history with desktop just fine
Then again, I refuse to get the Reddit app and still use old.reddit.com on mobile (it's just as annoying as you assume and you have to zoom in and out to click on stuff but I'm used to it by now, also I'm barely using Reddit anymore so that helps too)
There is an extension that makes old Reddit mobile friendly
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/oldlander/
Those on the other side, are there any killer features that apps give that I'm missing?
The main thing that keeps me sticking to Thunder on mobile is gestures. I want to be able to swipe right from anywhere onscreen in order to go back a page. Trying to mimic that behaviour in a mobile browser is clunky.
Another benefit of some mobile apps that the default Lemmy UI does not have is keyword filters. More info on that: https://feddit.org/post/3857608

The web UI is nice enough.
Mostly it hasn't been weaponized into a 'use our app or GTFO' prompt which has become the norm elsewhere.
I always used third party clients on reddit, but not here.
The thing I like most is standard browser stuff... bookmarks, adblock extensions, etc.
- The thing I like most is standard browser stuff… bookmarks, adblock extensions, etc.
  Absolutely this. Especially opening a post or link in a new tab.

I have a login from another instance on webui but using eternity client with this one. webui works fine but I cant seem to dial in the same view as on eternity, which reminds me of the baconreader reddit client from years back.

I use Boost. I can't do the web client on mobile. Or on desktop for that matter. It doesn't feel right. This type of content demands an app experience for me.

I use boost and only use Lemmy on my phone. At my PC I will use old reddit.

Representing Eternity here
- Just installed eternity. Looks like a pretty decent app! Do you know where I can ask questions about the app and get help?
  
  Neat! I found a community here: !eternityapp@lemdro.id
  Hope it helps!

I’d use Lemmy on my mobile browser if it kept me logged in. Probably an issue with my phone/OS.
- Certain upgrades can cause that. Delete the site data / cookies and log in again. See e.g. https://startrek.website/post/5654827.

I exclusively use arctic for lemmy and only very occasionally use reddit. When I do, I also use old.reddit.com

I use a "Lite App" that I setup in Hermit. Basically a sandboxed browser just specifically for this site. Seems to be working fine?

I've tried Thunder, used Jerboa for a bit and now I am on Boost for Lemmy.

34 comments