Good app I want widgets
Good app, headline notifications are good, would be nice to have a headline widget that would act like a front page of newspaper. I miss the Apple made news widget.
Where did edge swipe to-go-back go?
Not a question as important as “Why are drive-thru menus so hard to read?” But important none the less. My right thumbs left edge seeking muscle memory has been thrown into confusion as I now have to hunt low for a back button.
Links no longer open in app
Links from outside the app, eg on social media or in the Spinoff’s own substack newsletters - no longer take you to the article linked to. They just open the app’s front page. Can this be fixed?
No dark mode
Great content. Needs dark mode option for night time viewing
Lost links
Opening the app from email or Substack takes you to the homepage. I deleted the spin-off app and then Substack worked fine showing the article I wanted in a browser window. I’ll keep using Substack for now thanks
Disappointing refresh
A disappointing "new look" refresh; ignoring subjective things like "it seems to use every font in the word all on the same page", objectively things like "back" swipe don't work anymore with the now-must-use-button for this present in a very non-standard place, and tapping on notifications now yields the "spinoff" banner forever, with the app never starting. Slower to load at clean startup, too. All-in feels like cheap portware with several bugs that nobody cares about.
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Prefer the web version
No dark mode or font customisation, much better to use Reader mode in the browser
Great update
Very nice app, easy to navigate.
Well done to those who developed it.
Well done to those who developed it.
New app much better
New app is much faster and easier to use than the old one.
Only thing missing is the swipe to go back and landscape on iPad.
Only thing missing is the swipe to go back and landscape on iPad.
Update definitely feels like a downgrade
Much harder to use now and doesn’t look as good
Feedback
Great functional good looking app!
Adding swipe from edge of screen to go back functionality would make this amazing instead of just a back button.
Adding swipe from edge of screen to go back functionality would make this amazing instead of just a back button.
Updated app - still no real iPad support
The new app feels just like a react native wrapper, and still no landscape support for iPad!
Not working
What happened to this app? It says there is a new app and I need to update I click on it takes me to this page here that shows already updated. Last update 5mo ago.
Very much improved
This latest version supports my retina iPhone perfectly. Text and pictures are sharp and it’s very snappy.
Great app but kills battery
This app is great because the reporting is mostly excellent, but it uses battery faster than any other app on my phone- why? 4 stars for content. Minus 2 for draining my battery.
Love Spinoff, love the app
I bought this app when it first became available, yes, there’s been some issues over the years. However, I’ve loved the app all the way through. It sits on Home Page on my phone like a gateway to a load of reporting, opinion, updates, breakdowns and information. Excellent articles and excellent journalism. I now also support the Spinoff with a regular donation. Thanks!!
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Landscape mode needed
Can you enable viewing in landscape mode please, it’s annoying that it’s only in portrait mode.
Letting ya know
Your app’s broken atm which is hoohaa when it redirects you from FB to it. Just letting ya know
Battery drainer!!!
This app will drain the battery life rapidly, my guess is because of their background updates. I noticed it and delete it immediately!!! Stay away from it if u want a better battery life.
Accessibility Bugs in an Accessible Magazine
A Two-year reader of The Spinoff, I was pleased to discover an iOS app for it when I got my iPhone. My feeling changed somewhat when I opened the app, expecting a fair and inclusive experience much like that of reading the magazine, only to find it had rather shut out it's blind users / readers.
As such a person - interfacing with my device via the native screen reader, VoiceOver - I was surprised that an app which consisted largely of rich text would or could have this problem. I was doubly surprised that it was The off of all apps which had this quality.
Apple provides high quality accessibility guidelines and testing facilities to make sure users of any ability or disability can use apps through the accessibility utilities which are built in to every device.
The primary issues with the app are:
* A complete inability to close articles.
* No labels on controls, the problem above being a symptom of this one.
* A complete inability to access the app drawer.
* A complete inability to click embedded links in articles.
* Random focus jumps and cuts in speech.
* A sluggishness which makes the phone hot and difficult to use when tapping on the unlabeled controls.
It is my hope that the developers of this app read this not as a feature request, but as the bug report it is. Inclusion is vitally important, and in the past The Spinoff has always faithfully reflected this in its journalism and valuable reports. I would love to be able to tap those notifications I get and read the magazine like anyone who can see, and to be able to refer other blind readers toward this app, instead of away. Please make that possible.
I am willing and available to give information and feedback. Thank you for your time and effort.
As such a person - interfacing with my device via the native screen reader, VoiceOver - I was surprised that an app which consisted largely of rich text would or could have this problem. I was doubly surprised that it was The off of all apps which had this quality.
Apple provides high quality accessibility guidelines and testing facilities to make sure users of any ability or disability can use apps through the accessibility utilities which are built in to every device.
The primary issues with the app are:
* A complete inability to close articles.
* No labels on controls, the problem above being a symptom of this one.
* A complete inability to access the app drawer.
* A complete inability to click embedded links in articles.
* Random focus jumps and cuts in speech.
* A sluggishness which makes the phone hot and difficult to use when tapping on the unlabeled controls.
It is my hope that the developers of this app read this not as a feature request, but as the bug report it is. Inclusion is vitally important, and in the past The Spinoff has always faithfully reflected this in its journalism and valuable reports. I would love to be able to tap those notifications I get and read the magazine like anyone who can see, and to be able to refer other blind readers toward this app, instead of away. Please make that possible.
I am willing and available to give information and feedback. Thank you for your time and effort.
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