16 replies to this topic

[Alex Brecher]

We noticed over the last few months that over 30% of our community traffic is taking place on mobile devices. Our clientele or market is health based, not technical in nature at all. I'm sure most forum owners are seeing similar numbers. We signed up for IPS's White Label apps offering right when it was released but that died a few months back. We're extremely frustrated since we have many members begging us to release full mobile apps for our communities, not just a simple mobile skin offering. I believe this would increase our traffic considerably. Now we're stuck between a rock and hard place. IPS dropped the ball on this one. Mobile is HUGE at the moment and will only continue to grow. They're at the forefront of forum software but really need to hurry up and come through on the mobile side of things. I wish IPS would be clearer with their plans for white label mobile apps. This leaves me with almost no option but to look elsewhere for our mobile app development.

At the moment there are two developers that offer white label iOS and Android apps - TapaTalk and ForumRunner. I'm testing both options. Tapatalk is extremely expensive to white label and I'm leaning towards springing for the ForumRunner option.

[Charles]

I'm pretty sure we have stated it in the past but we might not have so just to be clear on our plans: we will have new mobile app along with IP.Board 3.3's release.

[Alex Brecher]

Thanks for the update. Two questions:

1) will there be both an iOS and Android app ?

2) will we be able to customize or white label these apps on our own ?

[Charles]

Android will be after 3.3's release.

Your second question is hard to answer at this time as we are implementing a different strategy and will post about it when ready.

[Myr]

I know I'm in the minority here, but how about a Windows Phone app...

[Charles]

Windows isn't on our list until it may warrant the effort.

[Rimi]

IPS may not have a fantastic mobile presence, but out of all the commercial software they certainly have the best one. They've even gone so far as to hire a professional mobile app developer so I'm not worried. I just wish they'd implement more of the feedback that's been given in regards to the mobile skin (and that my tracker issues regarding it would show up in the filter...).

Either way saying that they dropped the ball is going a little too far.

[Nimdock]

I know I'm in the minority here, but how about a Windows Phone app...

I know it has already been answered but I would appreciate WP getting love as well.

[JesperF]

I'm pretty sure we have stated it in the past but we might not have so just to be clear on our plans: we will have new mobile app along with IP.Board 3.3's release.

I'm sorry if missed it - but will there be any details released about this anytime soon?
Like, is it an *actual* app, that can compete with for instance Tapatalk?

I'm starting to feel pressured to do something, the mobile services we have at the moment do not feel like enough for a forum service (which I feel like is something that should be very accessible on the go).

[bfarber]

We will be releasing an "actual" app, yes (you will download it from the app marketplace, not from us). We had one in the past and decided to overhaul it from the ground up taking a different approach, and that app is currently in heavy development.

[JesperF]

We will be releasing an "actual" app, yes (you will download it from the app marketplace, not from us). We had one in the past and decided to overhaul it from the ground up taking a different approach, and that app is currently in heavy development.

Thank you for the quick response!

I should clearify what I mean by "actual app", I mean it as in "not an app that wraps around a browser window" (which is what the previous one did - if I'm not mistaken).
But a json (or similar) driven app that uses actual components from the phone OS.

That would be oh so awesome.

(Noticed you got the html emails working as well, great!)

[AlbusDumbledore]

We will be releasing an "actual" app, yes (you will download it from the app marketplace, not from us). We had one in the past and decided to overhaul it from the ground up taking a different approach, and that app is currently in heavy development.

One question Brandon is the mobile skin set to detect the old App? I logged in last night from my iphone and was presented with the default skin. I had to manually change to the moble skin.

[DarkStarr]

Definitely looking forward to this.

[Rikki]

Thank you for the quick response!

I should clearify what I mean by "actual app", I mean it as in "not an app that wraps around a browser window" (which is what the previous one did - if I'm not mistaken).
But a json (or similar) driven app that uses actual components from the phone OS.

That would be oh so awesome.

Yes this is a native app, not a browser

[Jinkler]

Please don't leave it too long before getting the Android app out. There are more Android users here in the UK now than iPhone users.

http://www.intomobil...akes-iphone-uk/

[DChiuch]

Will we be able to customise the app, and integrate it into our existing app?

[bfarber]

Thank you for the quick response!

I should clearify what I mean by "actual app", I mean it as in "not an app that wraps around a browser window" (which is what the previous one did - if I'm not mistaken).
But a json (or similar) driven app that uses actual components from the phone OS.

That would be oh so awesome.

(Noticed you got the html emails working as well, great!)

This will be a native app, as Rikki mentioned.

One question Brandon is the mobile skin set to detect the old App? I logged in last night from my iphone and was presented with the default skin. I had to manually change to the moble skin.

The mobile skin and the app are two separate unrelated items. The new app is a native app, and the mobile skin will not be used by it (it generates its own output).

Will we be able to customise the app, and integrate it into our existing app?

More information on what the app can and can't do will be forthcoming in due course.