Website is better.
Ok, so the content is pretty good. But it’s so obvious to me that the website is so much better, in design and just those little things that add up. I find the app much harder to use, so here are the things that I don’t like about the app that is on the website.
1. The “+” button is GONE. Still haven’t figured out the new way to start a new post on the app.
2. The app can’t support all the italics, bolds, crossed out bits and just makes them normal. When I put in sarcasm, I cross it out to make it clear. Doesn’t work on the app.
3. The app makes the buttons look… rubbish. Sometimes it’s just a hyperlink, not an actual button.
4. The layout, the design, the (everything) is better on the website. You can access stats, and just so much more stuff.
I’m sorry this is getting so long so I’ll just close up the review and say:
MAKE THE APP AS GOOD AS THE WEBSITE!!!
Thank you if you took your precious time to reas this! 🙏
1. The “+” button is GONE. Still haven’t figured out the new way to start a new post on the app.
2. The app can’t support all the italics, bolds, crossed out bits and just makes them normal. When I put in sarcasm, I cross it out to make it clear. Doesn’t work on the app.
3. The app makes the buttons look… rubbish. Sometimes it’s just a hyperlink, not an actual button.
4. The layout, the design, the (everything) is better on the website. You can access stats, and just so much more stuff.
I’m sorry this is getting so long so I’ll just close up the review and say:
MAKE THE APP AS GOOD AS THE WEBSITE!!!
Thank you if you took your precious time to reas this! 🙏
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Awful UX
I’ve come onto the app looking to find writers in the topic areas that I’m interested in (tech mainly). The app is difficult and non-sensical to navigate. at the beginning, it just gave me a list of writers that I’ve never heard of to follow… which is just silly, because how am I supposed to choose anything when I’ve never heard of any of these writers. I can’t believe it doesn’t let you choose topic to follow, and then bring writers in from that. Then when I do go and select a bunch of writers (having to randomly selects based on what they’ve called themselves, hoping that they are good ones, because I have no reviews or anything to help me navigate that)… The only thing I’ve left in my inbox with is the crap that made me select at the beginning (some sort of rubbish editors picks). None of which I’m interested in. And all the writers that I just went and clicked on are not appearing in my inbox! Unbelievably frustrating. So massively inferior to Medium. I’m not sure why anyone would use this vs Medium. And no. I don’t work for Medium. I just hope someone at Substack reads this. Also, why am I not paying for membership? Perhaps if you guys had sensible membership subscriptions, you wouldn’t have to go to crowdfunding to raise $2 million.
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Sound Advice this week…
Once again, I agree and can totally relate to your 3/23 Substack words. I appreciate you showing the support from respected authors (King, Patterson) and yourself regarding book banning politicians. Also, I love the phrase “fundamentalist Borg” as a way to show how these politicians push their agendas. It’s no wonder America is devolving. I also appreciate you shedding light on the rise of hate related crimes in America. Thank you for your video break (as always) regarding good healthy positive feelings on camera for that little girl being adopted. It was terrific to see you highlight Beth Hart’s video (L.A. Song). I have been a fan of hers for many years and been lucky enough to have seen her live performances many times. She always puts 100% into her live performances. I recommend people try to see her play live or via the video Paradiso, or doing Led Zeppelin covers or Blues standards from Etta James, with Joe Bonamassa or Warren Haynes. You’ll be glad you did.
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good app; “read” tracking needs work
I use this app every day and find it useful. I like that the app keeps track of how much of each article I’ve read, but this functionality is glitchy in its current implementation— often, after finishing an article, I find that it has not been marked “read” and I have to go back into it and scroll all the way to the bottom and exit again to get it to show as “read”. (Yes, I am certain that I had scrolled all the way to the bottom the first time I read it.) And there have been a couple of very short articles that I was never able to get marked “read” no matter what I tried.
I would also like to be able to delete (not just archive) individual posts.
Thanks for your work!
I would also like to be able to delete (not just archive) individual posts.
Thanks for your work!
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Can’t upgrade from free
I was just thinking how great the app was when I thought I might upgrade from free to a paid subscription on the Substack I was reading *but* it took me several minutes to dig around and find the “manage subscription” button which just tells me to “manage your account on the web.” Which means leaving the app and having to log in via my mobile browser instead of allowing me to easily upgrade right form the app in just a few seconds. With all the information sources and all the multitasking, and all the things we need to spend our money on, that our modern society expects of us it’s counterintuitive that the app would function as a detriment to users being able to upgrade easily. Imagine going into a brick and mortar store to buy something and they tell you “buy it on the web.” Why waste the user’s time and why make it harder for your writers to make money?
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A wonderful platform for creative writers of all genres.
Easy to use and flexible without a tiresome learning curve to navigate. And you can turn your subscribers, free or paid, into a dynamic social network. Brilliant!
Love Substack as a reader and a writer!
I love Substack from both a Reader standpoint and a Writer standpoint. It is an intuitive and user-friendly platform that has exactly the tools and features I find most useful. And it gives them to us in a professional, elegant interface where we get to hang out with one another. Love having my favorite writers all in one place, and as a literary professional, I’m enjoying building a Substack presence far more than my experiences with social media and personal websites. Substack does for writers and readers what Apple did for computer users—provides an enjoyable experience within a “lean production” environment—simplicity, efficiency, productivity.
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Pls Remove Played Episodes & Add Sleep Timer
I love the app and use it every day, predominantly for the audio player. Here are two suggested improvements that I hope you’ll consider:
1. A fix is needed to enable the last article in an audio playlist to clear itself from the queue after playing. Other articles “fall off” as they’re played along the way, but the last one sticks around, as if the app doesn’t allow for there to be an empty playlist.
2. Please add a sleep timer to the audio player. Sometimes I want to start listening to an article, knowing I won’t make it through before falling asleep. A customizable sleep timer would allow me to start an article and finish at a later time without worrying about accidentally clearing it from my queue and forgetting which article to go back to.
Thanks for your consideration and for a great app / product in general.
1. A fix is needed to enable the last article in an audio playlist to clear itself from the queue after playing. Other articles “fall off” as they’re played along the way, but the last one sticks around, as if the app doesn’t allow for there to be an empty playlist.
2. Please add a sleep timer to the audio player. Sometimes I want to start listening to an article, knowing I won’t make it through before falling asleep. A customizable sleep timer would allow me to start an article and finish at a later time without worrying about accidentally clearing it from my queue and forgetting which article to go back to.
Thanks for your consideration and for a great app / product in general.
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First Impressions
New to Substack and a baby boomer, one who as a flawed human being recognized his need for a rescuer, a redeemer and protector of his soul I turned to the author of perfect love and giver of wisdom. He first starting by revealing in increments the depths of that love for me exemplified by the sacrifice of His only Son as the redeemer of my soul. He is the one who also gives wisdom. Liberally and without holding back. The first and second ‘baby steps’ began in humility with the recognition of my broken and flawed state and respect for Him the author of love and life. He gives men wisdom who seek that and that’s is why I’m here. To gain wisdom.
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Support and app function NOT matched by reality
I am surprised to discover that Support entries are not found in the Substack reader app (e.g., require confirmation on adding emails to my account is nowhere among the options), and that there’s no way to delete archived entries when swiping left, unlike most iOS apps, ADDS the item to the Archive, instead of deleting the item. It is true that what I read matters. It is EVEN MORE TRUE that what I DON’T read matters, and that I don’t want it on my iPhone. I am specifically referring to entries that are NOT from a paid subscription. I have not read any of them, nor listened to podcasts, nor do I plan to. I view this as a serious breach of my privacy. I want it to be fixed soon!
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