The Popular Social Media Platform That Doesn’t Work Well On Android Phones
Mastodon does not work well on an Android phone, but a third-party app called Ivory is working to solve the problem.
As more people take their social media musings to Mastodon, most seem to like it there. Users are smart, friendly, and less likely to get mad over silly things. But since the app is still in its infancy, the interface felt a little basic. This problem was solved with the release of Ivory, a third-party app that mitigated all the little problems. The only catch is that the service is not available for Android.
Ivory was created for Mastodon by Tapbots who previously developed the popular third-party Twitter app, Tweetbot. But when the service was killed by the Elon Musk-owned platform, the company decided to create a version for its competitor. A beta version is currently available on the App Store as an Early Access release, Tech Crunch reports.
The Early Access label is a temporary subtitle added by Tapbots to indicate there will still be features missing as it debuts on Mastodon. By launching publically on the App Store, more people can try out the app. However, it’s worth noting that the test version may still have a few bugs in it such as a few technical issues around subscriptions.
For longtime Tweetbot users, Ivory will offer a familiar experience on Mastodon. Though not quite as simple to use or understand as Twitter, the social media site has gained traction in the months following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the larger micro-blogging site. Founded in 2014, users to join different servers run by various groups and individuals instead of a central platform.
Its sign-up process is also a little complicated. Prospective Mastodon users are prompted to choose a server, which are categorized by cities or interests like gaming and movies. These group servers are also organized into sub-themes. But server choice isn’t that important since users can follow people on other servers too. The only downside is that new accounts may require approval from moderators.
But some Mastodon newcomers found the app tedious, especially after using more polished options like Twitter and third-party apps like Tweetbot. As a result, interest in up-and-coming offerings like Ivory was piqued. So it’s not surprising that its lack of availability on Android has frustrated some users. There have been some fascinating conversations on the site recently about this very subject.
According to The Verge, quite a few Mastodon newcomers, especially those who are used to the Twitter interface, are searching for apps to refine the experience. And iOS is the company creating better apps than Android. But there are a few valid reasons for the discrepancy. The first is that developers who created apps for Twitter are moving to Mastodon.
That means Android is not on their Mastodon radar. Additionally, developing apps for the iOS competitor is more complicated. Apple only sells a few different phones each year which are built to accommodate its latest operating system. By comparison, Android is present on a variety of phones from several manufacturers. And the operating system is often tweaked for each one.
For instance, Samsung offers a version of Android whose interface and most basic features can be pretty different from those of Google’s version which are found on phones like the Pixel line. So while it may be disappointing not to have access to Ivory on Mastodon, the good news is that it will probably be available soon. It will just take a little longer to create.
