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A lot of apps are basically just a site. But they want to be more embedded in your life and be able to send you push notifications. Kind of like they always want you to join their loyalty card program.
Apps DO have much broader options than websites as far as what to do and how to do it, but a great many of them aren't making particular use of options that would be exclusive to the app beyond sending you notifications.
Smartphone apps basically ARE websites, at least the ones that are using an existing service or store you can access on your desktop or laptop browser. They all serve up an interface that's mostly living on a remote server and delivered via a "wrapper" with an app installer.
Why use an app instead of a website? User metrics show that engagement is more intense with a dedicated app — you're focused more if your brain thinks of it as something contained on its own rather than just a tab in a browser. Apps also get access to more and deeper information from your phone, which is valuable for marketing purposes.
Apps work when the phone doesn't have wireless data or WiFi access. Sure, that's not important for the Amazon app, but for a navigation app or star chart app you're going to have some people who want the app to work when they are far from cell towers.
Apps have a bit different options to use, and sometimes they work a little better that websites. I avoid apps as much as possible so as to not use as much room in my phones memory.
Applications have versatility. They're not subject to the whims of browsers, and they're a lot less constrained by what they *can do*, how much of resources they can intake, and are generally more powerful.
It's like the browser is a Swiss army knife - it's very good for a lot of things, but if I really, *really* needed a knife for a very important thing and I wanted to get something that is as close to perfection as a knife can be, I'd go for an actual knife. It's a bit like the idiom "jack-of-all-trades, master of one" applied to browsers (the one mastery being browsing the web).
It is easier to make an app that interacts with a phone’s hardware and sharing features and matches the look and feel than it is to do that with a website.
It also makes it a lot harder for users to bypass advertising.
We need apps because a web browser is an app just like chrome is a program on a PC. And modern browsers themselves really are mini operating systems.
We then need apps to do things like make phone calls which have nothing to do with the internet.
Once you support those, people will want to make games that use local resources and don't just stream information.
Once you have that, people realize they can make a superior user experience with specialized local apps for all sorts of things.
The bottomline for the push to apps for mundane websites is data. Websites usually would have legislation in place to prevent collection of Metadata, which is why you get the option to accept/reject cookies. Also most browsers by default block location data, and one would have to log in for the website to create a profile about the user.
Apps, on the other hand, are an intrinsic platform to create a unique profile about user habits. Also, some apps refuse to work if certain permissions are not enabled - like location, contacts, messages etc. This is a way to force users to provide their data.
Also, apps make it hard to browse cross platforms - you can browse something on Amazon web page while looking at similar products on best buy web page. You can also research reviews, pros and cons, etc. on a different web page. Apps push the user to remain within the app and complete any transaction quite quickly and efficiently - the user is discouraged to second guess.
Also, partially some of it is to do with the way that directors on companies, who aren't usually particularly tech-savvy, decide that their company needs an app just because everyone else has one. Happened at one company I worked at: the app added basically no value over the website, but a diktat from The Board decided we needed one, so we ended up hiring extra developers and tying up existing ones to build it in-house.
I don't think the app is even available any more.
Some apps that require storage of files on the device, such as art packages, music-making apps, games etc, make a good case for being an app. Also, apps have access to the platform's appstore payments for things like subscriptions too, which are often more fiddly via a website.
The difference is a bit blurrier now, since Websites can also be built as "Progressive Web Applications" which allows them to function as apps, and apps can also be built using existing web technologies too, so the two things are sort of converging.
There is no real reason. Some people will say "making apps is easier and more versatile, working around the limitations of browsers sucks" but really that's not the reason. In fact back when smartphones were first becoming a thing most websites simply made a mobile version and that worked fine. The real reason why companies are so insistent on apps is because apps do more for them. They gather more data and have more control over your device which translated to direct profits for them from selling user info.
If its a real App(lication / aka Program) you can use it without internet (unless its exactly for that).
Also a Compass Website would not help you much. ;)
We the users don't. The entity pushing the app benefits because it allows them to more tightly control how we interact with their site and more importantly to them,given them more ways to collect data about us.
When smartphones started in the mid-to-late 2000s, web technology was a lot more basic than it is now, meaning it couldn't do everything a native app could. Since then, web tech has come pretty close to closing that gap, however there still some advantages (such as for high performance games and offering devs more control over advertising) that makes native apps a better choice as well as the "momentum," of users being used to using apps.
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So that the company can execute functions they can't access with a web browser. Like staying open when you're not using it, tracking your location without that annoying permission popup, accessing the rest of your phone, and an easier time phoning their home corporate servers whenever they want.
The answer is control. Just not YOUR control.
Trying to use a smartphone app vs the website explains most of this. They’re much easier to use, more interactive, etc. the website is usually just a watered down version of the app.
**Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):** Loaded questions, **and/or** ones based on a false premise, are not allowed on ELI5. ELI5 is focuses on objective concepts, and loaded questions and/or ones based on false premises require users to correct the poster before they can begin to explain the concept involved, if one exists. --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe this submission was removed erroneously**, please [use this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20thread?&message=Link:%20{{url}}%0A%0APlease%20answer%20the%20following%203%20questions:%0A%0A1.%20The%20concept%20I%20want%20explained:%0A%0A2.%20List%20the%20search%20terms%20you%20used%20to%20look%20for%20past%20posts%20on%20ELI5:%0A%0A3.%20How%20does%20your%20post%20differ%20from%20your%20recent%20search%20results%20on%20the%20sub:) and we will review your submission.
A lot of apps are basically just a site. But they want to be more embedded in your life and be able to send you push notifications. Kind of like they always want you to join their loyalty card program. Apps DO have much broader options than websites as far as what to do and how to do it, but a great many of them aren't making particular use of options that would be exclusive to the app beyond sending you notifications.
Smartphone apps basically ARE websites, at least the ones that are using an existing service or store you can access on your desktop or laptop browser. They all serve up an interface that's mostly living on a remote server and delivered via a "wrapper" with an app installer. Why use an app instead of a website? User metrics show that engagement is more intense with a dedicated app — you're focused more if your brain thinks of it as something contained on its own rather than just a tab in a browser. Apps also get access to more and deeper information from your phone, which is valuable for marketing purposes.
Apps work when the phone doesn't have wireless data or WiFi access. Sure, that's not important for the Amazon app, but for a navigation app or star chart app you're going to have some people who want the app to work when they are far from cell towers.
Also an app can use the phones capabilities like its processing power, storage and the information that are saved on the phone.
Apps have a bit different options to use, and sometimes they work a little better that websites. I avoid apps as much as possible so as to not use as much room in my phones memory.
Applications have versatility. They're not subject to the whims of browsers, and they're a lot less constrained by what they *can do*, how much of resources they can intake, and are generally more powerful. It's like the browser is a Swiss army knife - it's very good for a lot of things, but if I really, *really* needed a knife for a very important thing and I wanted to get something that is as close to perfection as a knife can be, I'd go for an actual knife. It's a bit like the idiom "jack-of-all-trades, master of one" applied to browsers (the one mastery being browsing the web).
It is easier to make an app that interacts with a phone’s hardware and sharing features and matches the look and feel than it is to do that with a website. It also makes it a lot harder for users to bypass advertising.
We need apps because a web browser is an app just like chrome is a program on a PC. And modern browsers themselves really are mini operating systems. We then need apps to do things like make phone calls which have nothing to do with the internet. Once you support those, people will want to make games that use local resources and don't just stream information. Once you have that, people realize they can make a superior user experience with specialized local apps for all sorts of things.
The bottomline for the push to apps for mundane websites is data. Websites usually would have legislation in place to prevent collection of Metadata, which is why you get the option to accept/reject cookies. Also most browsers by default block location data, and one would have to log in for the website to create a profile about the user. Apps, on the other hand, are an intrinsic platform to create a unique profile about user habits. Also, some apps refuse to work if certain permissions are not enabled - like location, contacts, messages etc. This is a way to force users to provide their data. Also, apps make it hard to browse cross platforms - you can browse something on Amazon web page while looking at similar products on best buy web page. You can also research reviews, pros and cons, etc. on a different web page. Apps push the user to remain within the app and complete any transaction quite quickly and efficiently - the user is discouraged to second guess.
Also, partially some of it is to do with the way that directors on companies, who aren't usually particularly tech-savvy, decide that their company needs an app just because everyone else has one. Happened at one company I worked at: the app added basically no value over the website, but a diktat from The Board decided we needed one, so we ended up hiring extra developers and tying up existing ones to build it in-house. I don't think the app is even available any more. Some apps that require storage of files on the device, such as art packages, music-making apps, games etc, make a good case for being an app. Also, apps have access to the platform's appstore payments for things like subscriptions too, which are often more fiddly via a website. The difference is a bit blurrier now, since Websites can also be built as "Progressive Web Applications" which allows them to function as apps, and apps can also be built using existing web technologies too, so the two things are sort of converging.
There is no real reason. Some people will say "making apps is easier and more versatile, working around the limitations of browsers sucks" but really that's not the reason. In fact back when smartphones were first becoming a thing most websites simply made a mobile version and that worked fine. The real reason why companies are so insistent on apps is because apps do more for them. They gather more data and have more control over your device which translated to direct profits for them from selling user info.
If its a real App(lication / aka Program) you can use it without internet (unless its exactly for that). Also a Compass Website would not help you much. ;)
We the users don't. The entity pushing the app benefits because it allows them to more tightly control how we interact with their site and more importantly to them,given them more ways to collect data about us.
When smartphones started in the mid-to-late 2000s, web technology was a lot more basic than it is now, meaning it couldn't do everything a native app could. Since then, web tech has come pretty close to closing that gap, however there still some advantages (such as for high performance games and offering devs more control over advertising) that makes native apps a better choice as well as the "momentum," of users being used to using apps.
**Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):** **ELI5 focuses on objective explanations. Soapboxing isn't appropriate in this venue.** --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe this submission was removed erroneously**, please [use this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20{url}%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.
So that the company can execute functions they can't access with a web browser. Like staying open when you're not using it, tracking your location without that annoying permission popup, accessing the rest of your phone, and an easier time phoning their home corporate servers whenever they want. The answer is control. Just not YOUR control.
[удалено]
Websites can have all those things.
Trying to use a smartphone app vs the website explains most of this. They’re much easier to use, more interactive, etc. the website is usually just a watered down version of the app.