Do y'all use "apps" or just the mobile version of websites?

I use the mobile versions instead of apps, largely because it's easier to block ads and better for one's privacy.

I hate using apps for things that could be websites, to the point that I don't use certain kinds of services that are app-only (e.g. e-scooter rentals).

Desktop websites. Mobile sites are just garbage.

Websites wherever possible.

I will fight the dark patterns trying to manipulate me into using the app also.

If I cannot do anything without the app I will not use said service.

Something I use infrequently: website 10/10 times

It’s only if I use something almost daily that I’ll install an app for it.

I might use an app, but when the app is just a browser with no additional effort, that enrages me

I've recently cleaned up my Android phone and switched from apps to websites where possible and it's a surprisingly good experience!

Most apps these days seem to be web browser wrappers ether way. Firefox on Android allows to turn any page into a self contained instance (like an app) which is very convenient. I can also install Ublock Origin to block ads and other firefox addons which is amazing. In particular I use addon called Stylus to adjust styling of some pages.

It definitely feels like we're going full circle now: early desktop apps -> web browser -> smartphones launch native apps -> back to web browser The only thing holding back web browsers is Apple purposefully breaking the web to protect their 30% appstore cut.

I mostly use websites in order to use ad blockers and many apps use far more storage than necessary. I mostly use apps when they have functionality that I want that the website is missing or when the app just offers a significantly better experience than the website.

If its open source and privacy respecting then I'll use the app. If its not and I have to use the service then website

I have too many fucking apps on my phone already. I'd much rather use websites.

Apps I can't handle websites on my phone

I usually just use the website in a mobile browser as I generally avoid websites that require an app. It's an unnecessary waste of space when the website could just work in a mobile browser but some developers, whether it's because of incompetence or it's actually intentional, either limit what features are available in mobile browsers or just make the website not work at all.

I usually use apps but I still block the creepy tracking and stuff with DNS and disable location permissions.

Apps for things I use frequently. Websites are just inefficient in general.

The website, I prefer to switch on the desktop site than using an app. Only exceptions? FOSS apps that are on F-droid

I hate apps with a passion, desktop version is almost always better unless it's a shit website like tiktok or "x".

YouTube desktop has always been better than mobile for instance.

Website.

The only exceptions are imdb

YouTube when on mobile

Gmail app when on mobile

Other then that use the website. If the company is too stupid to fix their website and make it use standards so it supports normal browsers and not just one specific browser, then I just don’t go there

Uhaul wanted me to download their app to return a truck after hours. I will at most use uhaul once a year, but I'm not moving more frequently than that. In cases like that I'll use websites. Same goes for restaurants and other stores

Usually apps.

Right now I'm trying Instagram and Facebook as website shortcuts. I watch reels on Instagram and people send event invites on Facebook (birthdays and whatnot) but I don't like having them installed. The reels scrolling fucks up very often but otherwise it's fine.

In the end I don't know why I'm bothering, since I use messenger with a few people and I can't seem to use that without an app (or going to my PC every time).

i use mobile sites whenever possible, but if it's something i use often and the app is more convient i'll relent. looking at my home screen it's all mostly things that don't have a web equivalent. i'll use an app for things that i WANT notifications for, so really only mastodon and email. for mbin specifically i use the PWA because i'm not sure if any kbin/lemmy/whatever apps work with it, and the user CSS themes are pretty neat

Whatever is more convenient.

Generally speaking I try to look for the app first, because that's the most optimized experience for mobile, while the browser version is often not very smooth. But apps lately are getting so awful that the browser version is better.

E.g. YouTube is in the browser for me, because Firefox + uBlock combo is the only way to avoid ads.

As ads today are to be avoided due to privacy and security reasons, I got rid of all apps that are flagged as "contains ads" in Google Play store.

Just a funny story from a few months ago: one day when I opened LinkedIn, an unusual screen welcomed me, that I couldn't jump over: I had to pick where I wanted ads to appear without the LinkedIn app, with two choices: either above private messages or in-between posts. I deleted the app instead. Then I wanted to use it in the browser, but it didn't work in Firefox, the website just froze after login. So yeah. No more LinkedIn for me. Sometimes I log in on desktop to see if there's anything, but it's getting so rare, basically there's nothing to see there.

So if neither is convenient to use, then I use neither.

I really hate it when they make the website unusable to force you to use their app. So for that reason alone I’ll never download the yelp app.

Apps for things where I want local data (say, pictures), notifications (say, messaging), or tie into the hardware (say, navigation/compass). Mobile web for everything else.

App if I use it often, website for everything else. The UI is usually better in the app. Many mobile websites are a pain to use. Plus I have a system-wide ad blocker

Most apps invoke my inner Dennis Reynolds.

I use an app (Hermit) that allows me to appify and sandbox websites.

It's not perfect, but better than relying on Chrome or Firefox PWA mecanisms.

I very rarely adopt apps anymore, most of what I do with my phone is in Firefox or the default utilities.

A dedicated service that I use on the daily? App Otherwise website

i tend to only use the mobile version or desktop-in-mobile on firefox, because it works 90% of the time without me having to worry about yet-another-fucking-app

one big exception is banking.. but social media? im not using an app for a generic website.

For frequent use-cases, and where the technology is superior, I will use the native app version, and the web version for all other cases.

Web technology is generally slower than native apps

Mostly mobile web for everything, apps for a couple of restaurants/groceries and for tickets to concerts because that is unavoidable at this time.

For Lemmy, website.

Sync app on mobile, but I prefer using the site on desktop

Voyager app. Free, no ads

Mobile version because PieFed's API is still under development.

YouTube: grayjay

Twitch: grayjay

Odysse: grayjay

I mostly use websites in order to use ad blockers and many apps use far more storage than necessary. I mostly use apps when they have functionality that I want that the website is missing or when the app just offers a significantly better experience than the website.

Lemmy is an app, almost everything else is browser. YouTube is just better in a mobile browser than the app ever has been and likely ever will be.

Only for mail, F-Droid/other app stores, yt (because revanced and newpipe), Mastodon, banking, and Wattpad. Otherwise, give me the god damn website.

Most of the time it's the same thing.
I typically use apps if it's something I'll want to open on my own, and website for things I only ever open if I'm sent a link to it

I'm happy to use mobile apps in the fediverse. Begrudgingly I'll use mobile banking apps as needed.

I go back and forth between the YouTube app and mobile website. Mobile web is nice because SponsorBlock and Dearrow both work on it.

In general, I use apps, mostly because I root every phone (and yes, root ability is a major deciding factor when buying) as soon as I get it so I have tighter control for the tracking BS as well as being able to block ADs, effectively, system-wide. Literally no AD load on my phone (ok leak rate is like <2 % so It does happen, but it's rare lol) be it a webpage or an ad-riddled app

Lemmy I definitely use an app because I find the UI..... distasteful...

I'm of mixed opinions on it generally but like the web-apps where you go to a site and then 'install' it. My mixed thoughts are because it seems to only work in chromium browsers rather than Firefox, but it's a nice way to get a custom configured app on the spot.

I'm fine with apps, as long as I'm not drowning in them for redundant services; i.e. I installed a bunch of Lemmy apps while I was trying it out, but now that I've settled on one, I removed all the others. I try to curate my apps every now and then and keep the clutter at a minimum, or at least remove any that I'm not regularly using.

YouTube is one app I will not use, though. Using Firefox with uBlock Origin, I can prevent it from advertising to me. But I can't stop ads in their app. So I've disabled their app (can't remove it, as I currently have a Google phone) and I forwarded all YouTube links to Firefox.

There is no way I'd use Lemmy with the web app if I didn't know about:

• Summit

• Voyager

• Boost

• Eternity

• Sync

Clients... The same could be said for more apps (like Reddit, Feedly etc) so yeah I think I am more in the mobile apps, aside from extremely annoying ones, such as Amazon, Ebay, AliExpress etc.

I generally prefer the app, in most scenarios. But it depends on what the platform is. Some will just perform better in the app because the app is the main focus of the platform, but others are just a web wrapper for the mobile site and just eat up space on your device for no discernible reason.

I find that it's also generally easier to sandbox permissions on a per-app basis than a per-website basis. So even though a lot of times the app is meant to be a vector to harvest more data out of the user, in the right setting it can actually be more secure than just using the website. But that's very situational.

I don't use websites on mobile.

Most companies aren't allocating nearly enough funds to their website teams for responsive web pages that using their apps is a better experience, and that's by design.

But to clearly summarize your question, apps unless they are just a web app in a app container (looking at you Farmer's insurance)

Sites, but it's just fedia and reddit for the most part. Exceptions are YouTube, mail, and calendar.

I use a lot of web apps on my iPhone. Like for memos the moememos app adds nothing…

I still need to use Reddit for one particular subreddit and more I'm annoyed the mobile web version has been taken away.

For the fediverse I currently use Voyager and Raccoon for browsing and web for moderation.

As the mod tools becomes better over time I'll likely see myself primarily using Voyager and Raccoon.

In general though it's hard to say:

• Like my banking apps have become so enshitified with spyware level 'features' I deleted the apps and just use their webpages now.
• For Youtube and Peertube I primarily use Newpipe/Tubular/Peertube's official app. I use Invidious as the webpage exception for sharing youtube links here as Youtube's own links won't properly load thumbnails for me.

For mobile, PWAs if possible.

Neither, I don't use my phone for social media. I use the PC version of everything.