New Lemmy app "Connect for Lemmy"

Anyone else just using whatever is FOSS feom f-droid?
Of course the more apps the merrier, but personally open code = a more trustworthy use for me
- Jerboa was the first showing up on F-Droid and so far it's great: minimalistic, responsive, lightweight (only 2MB or so). Don't know why so many people are developing apps and not simply joining efforts. Makes me think they're doing it for the purpose of doing it, and because they're happy to work on an app and get their software engineering brain occupied by their own little project. But what will happen once this sentiment passes? Who's gonna maintain these apps? What we need is one robust app everyone is working on together.
  
  I say let them be, there are (or soon were) many different third-party apps for Reddit as well and each has their own niche of users for whom it works just right. Jerboa has plenty of devs working on it, and if in doubt I'll always prefer having a choice between different apps. Let the free FOSS market decide!
  
  The UI of this app honestly makes be feel a bit braindead at times, the process of finding the drop down necessary to even log in made be feel like I unlocked an easter egg in a point and click adventure game. It could use some more thought considering the backend of it is otherwise very well put together.
- All the apps except connect are open source. I've tried jeroba, thunder and liftoff so far and liftoff has been the most robust.
  
  Liftoff is great, has a lot of potential too. Devs in their Matrix room are cool.
- Same here, installed what was available in F-Droid.
  Will check again in a few months, as I assume different flavors will be created.

I think Connect looks nicer so I've been using it - very excited for Sync for Lemmy though

Looks cool but if it's not on F-Droid I ain't using it.
- A man/woman of principles
- Is your phone 100% un-Googled?
- F-Droid seems to be lagging behind on a lot of things, so I've been looking to move away from it. There's Obtanium and Droid-ify and I'm testing those now.

Just tried and it's much more impressive than Jerboa. No laggy scrolling, UI and UX are nicer. Feels more like RiF.
Only (minor) nitpicks I have are:
~~dark theme could be darker~~
I'd prefer the comment form shows as a popup/overlay (like RiF does) so you can kind of glance at the context while commenting
list view items need more padding and less margin
- Jerboa is absolutely not laggy on my side. Find it super responsive and lightweight instead. it's only 2MB
  
  I'm guessing what they're referring to is that it waits to fetch the next page of the timeline until relatively "late". There's a definite hitch in scrolling for me when it's fetching more posts.
  That said, I'm perfectly satisfied with Jerboa.
  
  Hmm, I don't know then. The scrolling is anything but smooth for me.
- dark theme could be darker
  Try the "Amoled" theme in the settings (remember to click save at the bottom of the page, I initially missed that). It's a much darker theme on my phone.
  
  Ah! That's perfect, thanks!

Interesting, I'm waiting for Sync for Lemmy, is this one open source?
- No, I dont think it is unfortunately. Another commenter said it was full of trackers, although I have not verified that. I didn't realize that when I made the post
  
  Where is this post? I tried connect and it works fine, the guy made it in a week, it's impressive
- I'm glad to see apps being made for Lemmy, but being open source for me is a must.

I am missing the comment collapse option on all apps except gerboa. Hope they fix it.
- It's there with a long press. I missed it too at first.
  
  Thank you so much!! This has been driving me crazy. idk why "long press" just never occurs to me as an option!
- Thunder has been the most featured for me so far. It does collapse by time, and i am also able to subscribe to communities from new instances following the !community@instance.tld formatting.
  
  Check out liftoff too
- on Jerboa it was long press but they fixed it in recent releases. now just press once on the comment and it collapses. i was missing that but now the UX is great
- Liftoff has it. Press and hold
- I'm seriously missing the ability to jump to the current/next/previous parent comment. I make heavy use of that and only Jerboa has it right now, I think.

Connect seems cool, but I was using Infinity because it was open source. This one doesn't seem open source (correct me if I'm wrong) so I'll stick with Liftoff or Jerboa for now
- Thanks for the recommendation of Liftoff! I really didn't like Jerboa but liftoff seems like a nice app.
  
  The lack of picture downloading got me fucked up lol. I'm interested to see jerbora development and liftoff. Will almost certainly jump ship to sync if its anywhere near the quality of the reddit version
- That is a very good point. I just found it by accident a few minutes ago and didn't even realize that.

I tried it and didn't think it was much different from any other Lemmy app right now. Seems like they are only trying to differentiate with visuals at the moment.
Some things I would like to see in future apps and versions of existing apps.
Integration of the Lemmy community browser or something similar. Basic search takes too long and you need to know what your looking for
Ability to view top communities posts from the community browser in a separate view alongside "local" and "All" and "subscribed" and could even stand in as a user's subscribed view before they have customized it to their own liking
Ability to "force pull" comments and posts from a particular remote community. Or at least compare the number of comments a post has locally to the number it has on its remote instance and present some kind of indicator if they differ.
- These are all great suggestions. Is there an official place different app developers could look for these types of feature requests? That would be nice.
  
  I feel like they should be looking here if they want to make an app that the community will appreciate.they should spend some time talking to people in the technology subs and maybe even do some polls.

Using Connect because Jerboa just kept crashing on me at startup. Never got to test it out. Problems do exist in Connect, as e.g. I could not comment on this post in the app. Will check out Thunder and Lift off as well, so thanks for the suggestions!
Edit: I literally just found out that you have to hit the huge plus-button at the bottom right to add a comment.. I always thought it was for creating a new post 🤦‍♂️
- I was also having the Jerboa startup crashes starting yesterday. Version 0.0.35 fixed it for me (it's not on vanilla F-Droid yet but it is on the IzzyOnDroid repo)
- Good feedback! I'll change the plus icon to something more obvious in the next release.
  
  Any comment re:tracking that others have raised ITT and any plans to open the source code? Loving the UI thus far but like others here would very much prefer FOSS applications

Using it to make this answer, and loving it Jerboa just keeps crashing instantly for me (android 12, Fairphone 4). Not sure why. But connect has just worked out of the box.
- Jerboa works just fine for me. I'm also on a Fairphone 4, but running CalyxOS with Android 13. Maybe you can try Jerboa from another source like F-droid instead of Google Play or vice versa.
  
  My jerboa was crashing so I tried to install it from Fdroid, and now I can't sign into either version. (Server isn't updated because of captcha issues with new update. Jerboa is preventing login because of this.)
  So that prevented me from using jerboa.
  Connect works still, shame jerboa is having issues.
- Mine has been crashing ever since the recent update specifically when I try to switch my filter from hot to new it seems to only happen if you do it right as you open the app

Feels and looks good for my instance 'lemmy.fmhy.ml' on the web mode. Gestures and actions come second nature almost like, I like it.

Jerboa has been crashing on me lately so I've been using Connect while it gets fixed. No complaints so far.
- Have you tried thunder? Super slick UI, if minimalism is your thing, but also WIP.
  
  Wow, this is actually awesome. I've been using Jerboa for a couple of weeks now, but Thunder feels much more inline with what a was hoping for. Good lookin out man.
  Edit: precompiled APK download link so I don't have to do it myself is very appreciated.
  
  Oh wow I haven't heard of this! Just downloaded it.
  
  Very nice, it has the swipe like funcion.
  
  Looks super nice, but won't let me log in to my instance.
  
  Oh wow, this one's awesome. Thanks!
  
  Thunder is hot! It is making me want to actually try developing in Flutter, which seems to be the "new hotness."
- Same here, Jerboa won't even open on my phone without crashing. :/ Connect for Lemmy has all the basic functionality down, so it's okay to use.

This app looks really good. It looks almost exactly how I have my kbin account set up with scripts in a browser, and the gestures are very nice. - I hope it adds kbin support or one of the kbin apps ends up looking like this or better.

Upvoting this post from Connect for Lemmy. Actually I think I still prefer Jerboa. Unfortunately it has stopped working since I updated my instance to 0.18 so this will have to do for now.
- Yeah I prefer the look and feel of Jerboa. It's working fine for me now but I have experienced some glitches in the past.
- Exactly the same error I received as well, which led me to find Connect

Using it right now, and I'm enjoying it so far. I was using jerboa before, but it crashed everytime I clicked on a link for a post or community on another instance, and when I tried to add this account (on programming.dev instance) it would crash instantly.

Worth noting that the Jerboa app pushed a major update today and it's massively improved. Definitely suggest giving it another try after today, it feels like an entirely new app.
- I'll be honest, don't notice many changes? Feels and looks the same to me.
- Didn't notice anything different. In fact, I can't change to "All" anymore (coincidence?). That's why I'm exploring Connect right now.
  
  All is definitely still there. Not sure the issue on your side.
  
  Im having the exact same issue. Im keeping bith apps on my phone atm so if one has issues I can hop on the other one
- Jerboa won't even let me log in, says server is too outdated :(
  
  There were big api change with lemmy 0.18 which the updated jerboa is compatible with. The instance you were trying to log into is outdated.
- Jerboa has been worse for me since the update. It won't follow my feed or sorting selections.
- Jerboa has been very buggy for me the last few days: account switching doesn't work, jerboa ignores my settings for what feeds to load at default, randomly losing my accounts and crashing.
  I tried Connect and didn't like its UI. The PWA isn't very useful as the feed reloads from the top when I back out of a post by swiping from the edge.
- Literally here on connect from Jerboa because today's update has caused it to stop sorting anything, at all. The only view it will give me is Local by Hot, no matter how many times I try to change to Subscribed or All.
  Tbh, Connect isn't vibing with me yet eithet, but I'll play with the settings before I decide it's not right for me.

The community for the app:
lemmyconnect@lemmy.ca
relative link
https://lemmy.ca/c/lemmyconnect
I'm also happily using it, it's the only app which works on my old phone, haha :D
- Same. I prefer it to Jerboa. But I am disquieted by the currently unverified post stating that it might be full of trackers.
  
  Tested Connect using three different privacy apps and none of them found any trackers. I don't know if I can trust the source of that post. Instead of blindly taking my word for it you should also conduct your own tests.
  
  The developer himself responded further down the comment and said there are no trackers, and the Aurora store verifies that - it scans the app source and also found zero trackers.
  Most likely the trackers the commenter was referring to were from browsing many external websites from within the app itself like when clicking links.

I've yet to find an app as good as just using the browser
- You might like this then, a userscript I made, works on Firefox Android (or probably anything that supports installing userscripts) https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/469273-lemmy-universal-link-switcher

Aurora Store is working for you? I always get the Oops, This Account is rate limited no matter how much new sessions I request. The main screen seems to be loading though so idk.
- You now have to log in with a Google user for it to work
  
  That's sad, because the anonimity was the reason I was using it. Well, it was expectable with Google being Google.
- There is also the workaround to search an app in your browser and then open the link to the Google store page witg Aurora. No need to login with Google (at least that's how it is working for me right now)
- You can try to clear the cache, then it works sometimes.

Just downloaded it, exactly what I needed. Thanks!

Good... Good... Let the app wars begin.

We are trying to keep an updated list of apps over on the Android community.

I use it, but some things are lacking. I find the mobile site better at the moment
- I'm currently keeping a close eye on both Thunder and Liftoff.
  Both have been really nice and interesting so far :) I would recommend trying both out and see of one fits your needs.
  
  Thunder looks close to what I'd like interface wise.
  "Everything else has too much chrome" - Diehard RIF user
  
  Upvote for liftoff
  
  Liftoff looks slick, thanks for the heads up.
  We Lemmians are spoiled for choice right now you just gotta love it!
  
  unfortunately liftoff is not at all working for me currently.
  I logged in and now my subscribed community posts are just empty, which is the whole point.
  I do wanna see where they go tho.
- Do you install the mobile site as a web app to your home screen? Otherwise it gets lost in a million tabs in my browser.
  
  Yeah that's my approach

Connect is pretty good. Stil missing some important features, like block, and the instance name is missing from usernames and communities, which is a pretty major oversight, but other than that it's solid and being developped surprisingly fast.
- If I am logged into Lemmy.ml, can I reply in other instances' posts like in any one of beehaw's?
  
  Looks like you can.

Only just found Connect and its very good IMO
I tried to sign up on lemm.ee with Jerboa and it would give me constant server error messages...but Connect is great so far. Like the layout better as well 👍

They all look cool, hopefully they add support for kbin in the future.

Liftoff is basically a fork of the "old" Lemmur. It's kinda sad they don't even mention it anywhere on the repo :/ (they mention in the app's about page)
@zachatrocity@lemmy.world

I'm using it, Jerboa, and standard mobile site. They each leave something to be desired, but each have their good points. I don't know why, but Connect seems slower, with images loading slower than the other two. Don't know why.
- I have since discovered https://wefwef.app
  It is amazing. Basically an open-source clone of Apollo for reddit.
  
  I really want to like wefwef, but it jutters so much while scrolling and opening threads. Not sure if that's just the nature of being a web or or because it's poorly optimized.
  I'm on a pixel 7 so I don't think it's just my phone.

I'm missing the ability to collapse threads, but otherwise it's very sleek Edit: nevermind you just need to hold the top comment for one second
- Hi, there's also a setting to make comments collapse on single tap instead of long press.
  
  I take it you're the developer! Well done! As a Sync for Reddit user, this one is making me feel at home on my phone. 👍

The rate these are coming out are astounding.
- Absolutely. I've since found another one I like even more: https://wefwef.app
  
  That's an interesting one, appears to be a PWA.

Connect works way better for me than Jerboa. My only irk is that it only runs at 60 Hz instead of 90 or 120, so scrolling feels sluggish compared to other apps.
- I saw a "high refresh rate" option in the settings. Have you tried enabling it?

Is it on F-droid?
- https://github.com/liftoff-app/liftoff#version-xxx-was-released-why-is-it-not-yet-on-f-droid
  
  Different app

I've been using Connect for the last few days and so far really enjoy it. it's still missing a few features but I really like the UI.

I use it and it's a lot less buggy than Jerboa. I also like the UI a bit better.

Been using it since yesterday after I saw this post. I like it! Not sure if I'll stick with this or Jerboa yet (or go to Sync when it's ready for Lemmy).

Won't even open up on my galaxy fold 4 :(
- I can confirm same on my fold 4 also.
  
  Hi, this should now be working on the latest release (1.0.39). Thanks!
- It's probably something to do with the tablet interface. It works fine on my S23, but immediately crashes on my Xiaomi pad 4

It's awesome. I can tell I'll be anxious for each release to watch it mature.

This has to be the best looking Lemmy app I've used to far. Great job!

I accidentally posted this twice. https://beehaw.org/post/777706

I love it! reminds me of infinity for reddit.

Wow. This app is really nice at first glance. I like the gesture to swipe left on a comment to upvote. Reminds me of Sync for Reddit!

I used Infinity up until yesterday, it's going to be offered as a subscription app starting July 1. Connect is very similar, I like the way it works. I have Jerboa, haven't used it yet.

Crashes on startup on my galaxy fold 4
- Hi, this will be fixed in the next release (tonight)!
  
  It was! Posting this from my fold-4 as we speak. I'm loving the app so far. Great job on this!
- Same. I'm using a Surface Duo 2 and I saw a 1 star review for a Z Flip with a startup crash. So I think it's an issue with nonstandard screen ratios/resolutions.
  I made a post on it in the app's community. May want to post there so the developer knows.
  !lemmyconnect@lemmy.ca

Just trying it right now, great app

Which of these apps allows me to hide posts? At this point that is the only feature I care about.
- I have not looked at that feature yet.
  Here is a nice chart comparing Lemmy apps https://kbin.social/m/kbinMeta/t/73564
  https://wefwef.app is the most polished one I have seen.

Much better! Feels more similar to the old app I was using for reddit.

I like the general look of Connect, but the dark mode needs some work. When I click through a web link to a WebView, the web page's background and text are both dark, making the article basically impossible to read.
- Hi Connect dev here. I'll see what I can do about fixing that! Thank you for the feedback.
  
  Thanks, I really appreciate it! Let me know if you need any more details.

Well done to whoever is behind this app. Been using it a couple of days now, and it's hard to fault it. You must have worked your butt off.

Love the icon, super cute :)

I've been using in for a few days alongside with jerboa and I'm not sure which one I prefer yet, I really like both. I prefer jerboa look wise, but I like some of the little shortcuts connect has.
Connect comes up on duckduckgo tracking attempt block list, the only tracker is google so far, Jerboa has yet to show up.

Just installed it. It's great!