Tapas Mobile App - Your thoughts on it?

[roy7zen]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to know how you (both creators and readers) feel about the upgraded Tapas app (if you use it).

To be honest, I personally liked the older version, it just seemed a lot user friendlier. For one, the older version had a search function. Most of the times now I just leave the app and switch to the full site to see more details.

And also, as I remember, the interface didn't block any of the artwork each time I flipped pages. For me, making that extra tap on the screen just to clear out the interface just seems a step too much.

What are your experiences with the app?

[jacintawibowo]

I totally agree with you on the lack of search function and the reading experience. I'm saddened that the Daily Snack Comics don't appear to be in the new version. I read those comics everyday, and it was a delight to find new comics. A part of my day just feels missing without it.
It's a lot harder to find new comics through the app that aren't ridiculously popular already. The lack of search function and no Trending section makes it so hard for less popular creators to gain exposure through the app.
I think the thing that bothers me more than any of the changes is the reading experience though. Vertical scrolling is a much more convenient format to read comics in. The extra addition of having to "tap the screen and scroll up a little bit" is tedious.
I'm glad they are implementing a search function, and I do like the new look but I do hope they'll fix these issues.

[TrustyShamrock]

yeah i dont super like it. i agree with you guys a lot. it doesnt have a search which is not so great. and i miss the daily snack :/ and it is mostly only helpful for popular comics. i think i only used it once since they changed it so i cant say a whole lot about it
but its suuuper not helpful for comic makers. the last one i could kinda check some of the deets on my comic without havin to switch to full site mode but now its hard to even figure out how to get to my comic
plus i really liked the old opening pic. with the phone and the colors. i just always thought it was cool

[Sanz]

I prefer the old app i rarely open this one. I just use my browser on my phone. :/

[Louistrations]

I have to admit that I've been using the mobile website too. Although, it's mainly due to the PNG issue that's been causing most of the comics I follow to appear blank.

I really like the design of the new app though, it makes me feel like I'm in a coffee shop perusing fancy menus! I'm still intrigued by the whole coins/keys mechanism too - haven't encountered any comics that use it yet. With that being said, I do sorely miss the Daily Snack. It would have been so amazing on April Fools' Day!!

[elixiadragmire]

as a creator i never use the mobile site OR the app (especially the app) the app to me is pointless. i read comic inbetween working on my own so the PC is already in front of me.

Out and about, it desktop site forced on my moble phone to check comments.

[PotooGryphon]

I'm really trying to stay hopefully and open about it since it's not fully developed and more updates and features are yet to come, but I'm not a fan of the app.

It's not made with creators inmind for their ease of use, it's strictly for readers and to make their experience with it perfect. I can get behind that as long as readers are enjoying it. Currently, it's seeming that readers aren't enjoying it. With low reviews on Google play and ITunes, a drop in veiwership that a lot of creators are seeing, and the new 17+ age rating limiting a general audience, i worry about this new app update.

I originally complained about the new app/update on the "bitching" thread, but it also applies here now. So copy/paste

sigh... I'm not a fan of the Tapas app... And I'm sad that the update hasn't made it anymore appealing to creators, currently... I hope, in the future updates, it'll be more appealing to both readers and creators, but currently it does nothing for me and I feel like venting on this thread about it. : P

I'm also sad that the key program replaced the support program. Currently, it feels very frustrating on the app, it may change eventually. I would have like to have seen the key program resemble more of the support program, where readers can purchase keys to unlock early release content and support creators that way. Instead it feels more like Tapastic Premium where it unlocks chapters so readers can finish reading stories. How frustrating that must feel to readers, that on a site where 90% of the material is free to read on a few selected series, chapters must be bought to unlock, and how useless coins/keys must currently feel in that situation. I hope this will change eventually, so more creators will be able to enter with existing series (like the support program), that way keys will become more wide spread/common place (like the Support buttons were on the Tapastic site), and readers can choose to support creators with their keys/coins by unlocking episodes early, that would have been posted for free regardless (just like the support program).

I'm not a fan of the name change to Tapas. When I google search Tapas, I get foods and restaurants search results. When I google Tapastic, I get webcomics. Tapastic, is a strong unique brand that already sparks a connection with comics in the mind of a casual site user. Tapas, even though I get the reasons why, that it's a small bite size food item that represents the small bite size content shared on the app, sounds like a food app.

And final personal gripe, I'm very bitter about the upped app rating to 17+ limiting the general audience that can access the app and hurting all ages series on the app. Nothing can be done about that, because the apple store has labeled the app as such, but STILL. Super salty about it. D:<

Sorry, feeling a tad salty tonight.

[kurisquare]

I installed the new app, and it crashed as soon as I tried to log in. I couldn't open it again, so I just had to uninstall. that's my whole experience.

I'm not a big user of the apps though, not even the old one. It's more for readers than for creators.

[sushy00]

I am also not a fan of the new app. I cannot find my own comics easily. But as long as the readers are ok with the app I do not mind. I can manage my comics from my computer of course.
For now I really want to see the ad revenue program returning.

[dglisson]

I'm not a fan of the app either, I got it right away. I've never been a fan of in-app purchases and paid content to begin with, but I get why it's there. Mostly my hugest issue has to do with the fact it's built to create confirmation bias--the biggest comics with the most subscribers are always on the front page or near the front, which MUST mean they're the best because everyone keeps reading them, which leads to them staying on the front page--those of us who were steadily gaining subscribers as we started out are now left in the dungeon with less exposure, and there just aren't enough genres/subgenres in the app to help readers browse to lesser known comics. This wasn't as big of a problem before because of the search, the daily snack, etc, but I feel more invisible on this site now than ever before. I don't think that's the effect the staff wanted to achieve. Anyway, rant done.

[Doubtcent]

I've already voiced my opinion to the staff through several emails, but I'll simmer down and point out a few things that grind my gears about the new Tapas App.

I'm sorry Tapastic, but you really messed up.

For one, even though it's nice and polished looking, it feels terribly incomplete, or almost alien in design. The day 1 update of the older Tapastic (I was there) app was convenient, user friendly, easy to understand, and orientation savvy. Even though creators weren't able to see much of notifications or useful things for creating, we could still see our subscriber counts, our walls, our series with one touch, and while the zoom feature was buggy, I could read a lot of my subscriptions easily.

I could also find other and new creators with ease. While I wasn't a big fan of the snack, it was helpful for both new and existing creators to find some exposure. As a small creator at present, the snack was almost a goal to get to. Plus, the featured/popular sections were easily viewable, and the fresh section was also included, which to me is the MOST important way of finding new series that have regular updates.

But now, the new Tapas App has no priority in the "I just updated today - response to that" system. Right now, since it's only listed by popularity, it has little use for both new creators and readers that don't know that the desktop site even exists.

I also have some problems with the "key/coin" system. For one, I have no idea how to use any of it. Two, because I updated to the new app from the old one, I got 600 free coins... which expired on the 1st of April. And I had no idea how to use any of it to the benefit of other creators in the meantime.

Then there's the new novel section. First of all, I don't know why the staff made it an exclusive system. Why is it only on the app? And why can't we as individual creators upload to it like comics? Why is it only certain authors rather than all? The only novels currently available are only through purchase, and they are very limited in quantity, so I have no personal desire to read any of it. I am also an aspiring writer, so this false opportunity got me back into writing, just in case we individuals could upload to it, chapter by chapter, much like how the site works.

To me, a new app should be an improvement on the previous. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" plays a big part here. Perhaps the new innovations were what the staff was focused on first, rather than integrating the important stuff that made the original app so great.

Maybe they should've just included a new tab labeled "novels", and left well enough alone. Or if need be, create a new side to the site exclusively for novels. Then, just substitute the old support program to keys and coins... Oh wait, that's what we thought the new app was going to be... then I'll be saying it again:

I'm sorry Tapastic Staff, but you really messed up.

[AffectedMind]

It will sound a bit stupid but I kinda feel relieved seeing how many people don't like the app, I even started to think Tapastic staff don't like me because I started to complain about the app lol. Anyway let's rant!
sits comfy
The new app sucks! As @CyndiFoster, I was trying to stay positive as well, I was looking forward to all the changes, but after the big updated the site is really screwed up now... It's more buggy than before. Thanks god the staff is still working on it. Back to the subject! In the older version I could at least check on my wall, as a creator I didn't really have much to do there, even for reading I was opening my browser (somehow my tablet don't like the mobile version :<). Now with the new app I don't see a single reason why should I have it. It's readers only. I'm perfectly aware it's being developed, but damn... Even the readers aren't pleased and less popular creators are so hard to spot now. Not to mention the newbies.

I'm sorry guys, you are nice and all, but you messed up so hard.

[gateofselidor]

I agree with a lot of what people have said about lack of search and visibility, but I also want to give some feedback on the IAP side of things.

I don't really like the coin/key system at all. It seems a very convoluted way to get the content I want. It seems that you are forced to buy more coins than you actually need to unlock a particular series. I started reading something, and having exhausted the free keys and sample chapters, I need 47 more keys to read the rest. The best value option requires me to spend 12,144 coins to get them. However, there is no option to purchase that number of coins. Instead, I would have to spend at least $20 and get around double the number of coins I need. That's a lot of money just to read a single ebook/comic, and I don't know if I'll immediately find something else to spend the rest on. I would much prefer to be able to buy a series pass or something, that I could use to unlock a whole series of my choice. The idea of being able to unlock the chapters in any order I like is kind of pointless. Why would I want to unlock the chapters out of order, especially for the books?

The 600 free coins were pretty useless. Since keys cost 345 each, you could only purchase one key before you had to buy additional coins, and I was so confused by the system in the first few days that they expired before I had the chance to use the free coins anyway.

Since the new payment system is essentially just the premium system, I don't see how it is of any benefit to creators outside of the small circle you have invited to the premium program, and especially it's no benefit to people with ongoing series, whose comics surely make up the vast majority of what people are reading and being drawn into the site by. I'm also disappointed that you don't even accept submissions for novels, let alone let us freely upload as you do for comics. I would have liked the opportunity to have my comics and prose on the same site and have them generate traffic for one another.

[PotooGryphon]

The idea of unlocking book chapters, as a whole, sounds a bit odd to me. IF I spend money on an app, and that's a big if since i don't spend money on apps, it'd be to buy a full complete set or to support an artist. Pledge to give a coin a day or unlock early access would convince me to invest in coins/keys more than the current system with premium content that i didn't read in the Tapastic Premium program either.

[awsumlife01]

Okay, I was all super excited for the new app update, however, it just lowered my expectation. like I can't search for any comics, for an hour and a half I was trying to figure out wtf was going on and they removed the best part of the app the fresh reads/ daily snack., yeah that was all my rant please tell me it's not just me who misses the old update..

[Dozzer]

Nope, you're not alone. Here's a building list of changes and known issues in this thread:
http://forums.tapastic.com/t/tapastic-tapas-app-changes-known-issues-and-feedback/10926

There ARE plans of implementing a search button in the future. The Daily Snack was removed with the intention of adding a new way of sharing series to many users.

[Doubtcent]

So apparently the Android app has the "fresh" section in the categories. However there are no "popular" or "trending" options. Only search by name or by popularity.
If those parts do come to the iOS app, it would be a slight improvement, but not exactly.

Right now, it's a waiting game to see how the staff will polish and fix the app in the future.

[Aspie_Gamer]

Everybody here took the words out of my mouth. No search feature, biased towards the top echelon of creators, comic images files showing up blank, gimmicky coin system that nobody really got to use in the first place, the new written comics part of the site not open to the general public yet. (I'd personally like to make written versions of each chapter of my comic Life of an Aspie at some point in the future for people who don't care that much for my art).

Honestly, what was wrong with the original app in the first place? If the staff really needed to update it, they could've simply added a notifications feature for us creators.

[jacintawibowo]

I soooo agree with the name change to "Tapas"! When I searched for the app in the app stores I am flooded with cooking apps. "Tapastic" as a unique name had no competition with being searched. "Tapas" is a cultural food dish that would be practically impossible to search up without confusing people.

[Kura]

I don't like reading on it, it's a pain. Like... really a pain...

I don't like reading comments on it, all comment strings are under the parent comment and just gives me a heck of a lot of clicking, also the bubble notification is really easy to miss because it just doesn't stand out very well.

I don't like responding to comments on it, for some reason it doesn't want to work with my phone's auto correct and capitalizing. Then sometimes even when I try to respond to someone it will instead put it as it's own comment instead of in the comment string.

I don't like the lack of creator wall.

I don't like not having search function (though this will be fixed it honestly should have been one of the things that was a ****ing priority)

I don't MIND the coin key system, I understand why it's implemented, however the prices are somewhat insane, costing more than even e-books. At this point I should just be buying books at the bookstore, WHICH BTW WOULD HAVE A READING SELECTION I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HOLY SHIT WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE LAUNCH TITLES????

One the up side I don't miss the daily snacks being thrown in my face... but I don't like them NOT being there. I would like to have that list, I just don't want it to auto open every time I open the app. My data plan is not ideal because the money I make in a month is not ideal (and I gotta share it with other people on my plan). I wanna save my data for shit I actually wanna read and leave the daily snack loading for when I'm at home.

I really don't like it's lack of featured lists. We got 6 for novels and 3 for comics, with only 1 list in the comics section not being a 'this is what staff likes' and 'this is what is statistically popular.' Doesn't help that the list is 'Drop dead gorgeous' with for me personally (I know it's not this way to the majority of readers), the the weakest selling point when it comes to trying to to pitch a comic my way.

(btw for those looking for 'fresh comics' you actually can filter them by most recently updated, the app doesn't really make it obvious though. After entering the genre you want you need to click on the word 'popular' and you'll get a drop down that will let you sort between popular, fresh and name)

As a reader, this really sucks, I do not enjoy using it at all, and I really have no interest in using it. There is no nicer way to say it. There are plenty of meaner ways to say it that would much better express my frustration with this update, but I will refrain from saying them.