Why Were APPs Two Years Ago So Easy to Use?
Categories: Thought
Finding Something Different
On the second day of the Apple WWDC 2021 conference in early June 2021, the iOS 15 developer beta was released. As a software early adopter with OCD, I couldn’t help but update it immediately. However, since it was a developer version, it was extremely laggy. I hadn’t backed up my old data, so it ended up being “Since I’m here, don’t think about leaving”…
The tricks previously used to speed up iPhones such as “Using native input method, Resetting all settings in General, Turning off Siri Search Suggestions, Turning off Background App Refresh, Changing language to English, Deleting infrequently used apps” were not obvious on this difficult “iOS 15 Developer Beta 1”.
Thinking about whether downloading a batch of old version APPs could alleviate it, I tried various methods and finally succeeded. Unexpectedly found a new world. Our domestic APPs in 2018-2019 were so pure. So why are our domestic APPs in 2021 so hard to use?
I got it working last weekend. After using it for a week, I took time this weekend to write down the complaints and thoughts during the process, taking you back to the feeling of 2019.
What’s Different
Alipay/Weibo/Didi
The changes in Alipay, Weibo, and Didi are particularly significant. I always use “Sinuiju” for Alipay, “vvebo” for Weibo. Didi actually started selling vegetables, I uninstalled it half a year ago. But now after switching to the old version, I found I can go back.
You can compare your current APP with the following video. Alipay homepage is unexpectedly so clean, icons can all be edited and deleted, mini-programs are not lagging, Friends Tab feels like no friends; Weibo unexpectedly has no splash screen ads, extremely few ads, almost no ads when switched to English mode; Didi in 2018 finally stopped selling vegetables and is driving honestly to deliver passengers.
Amap/Zhihu/WeChat Reading
Amap’s new version is actually okay to use, but I found this version from 19 is better to use, without messy things, focusing on experienced drivers leading the way, and not lagging; Zhihu hasn’t been used for a long time either, feeling there are too many ads, content is often deceptive like “Just got off the plane”. Tried many versions and found version 6.0.0 is the last pure stream, even the quality of Zhihu Q&A is higher;
WeChat Reading feels like “ Its current PD has many people teaching him how to make products, and he listened to all of them, so it became like this. He should learn from his godfather WeChat, 100 million people teach him how to make products every day, he doesn’t listen”. After switching to 3.6.3, guessing this version was made by Allen Zhang, you will find you love learning.
Keep/Mobile Manager/NetEase Cloud
Also recorded “Keep, Mobile Manager, NetEase Cloud”, also very pure. I guess gaining weight in the past year is mainly because Keep is not easy to use and then stopped exercising 🐶.
Why is it like this
Thought about why APPs were so easy to use before, and foreign ones are also not bad. Probably due to three differences: “Domestic software development methods, Domestic user purchasing habits, Domestic and foreign APP isolation environment”.
Domestic software development methods
18 ~ 19 years, just when the functions of various software began to mature, but “Need to grab user share, work hard on products, polish user experience”. Typical ones are Weibo, Zhihu, WeChat Reading, Keep, Security Manager. He expects everyone to use him instead of competitors. But after 20 years, user accumulation is about enough, need to hand in homework, that is “Monetize through traffic”, mostly in the form of advertising, at the same time, those related to e-commerce, local life, borrowing are added.
There is another category of non-tool-biased head, such as Alipay, Taobao, Meituan. There is a very typical feature which is “Centralized high traffic drive”. Behind it involves complex relationships of various business lines relied upon. It is necessary to solve internal business problems and allow users to reach this entrance. Under the situation of wanting both, this effect of Manchu-Han Banquet appeared. The information density is high, which makes a small number of students who pursue simplicity feel helpless.
Domestic user purchasing habits
Coincidentally, I probably started to have the habit of buying paid software from 20 years. Before that, used to be like many users, as long as there is free use, it is good. For example, video/music members will definitely not do it. Remembered at that time “Robin Li said Chinese users are willing to trade privacy for convenience” actually hit the point. This makes it easy for tool-biased APPs to have no way to take money from users’ pockets, so they take information to advertisers to take money.
Another reason, besides us students who engage in software or like technology in China, actually more “Willing to spend money to buy things that can be seen and touched, not willing to spend money to buy virtual things”. Analogous to traditional enterprises, money for buying hardware is easy to approve, money for software services is hard to approve. Same reason.
Actually can try paid or subscription models, it will be very fragrant. For example, the experience of paid Toutiao Professional Edition, Gezhi, Bear, Apple Music, Money Pro is super good, and “Now Yuque membership is really super fragrant to use”.
Domestic and foreign APP isolation environment
Have you noticed, “Foreign software is difficult to develop well in China, and domestic local software is also difficult to develop abroad”. At the same time, due to the existence of the wall, this phenomenon is further isolated. Through their respective operation means and user training methods, completely different usage habits are formed.
This situation is called “Galapagosization”, a Japanese business term, referring to carrying out “optimization” alone in an isolated market environment, and losing interchangeability with outside the region. Facing varieties from foreign countries with high adaptability and survival ability, finally falling into the danger of being eliminated. Taking the Galapagos Islands ecosystem of evolution as a warning.
Complex cultural differences between Asia and Europe/America also deepen this problem. The former loves lively and dazzling, the latter likes simple and clean. Comparing these two “Shanghai Pedestrian Street” and “Chicago Pedestrian Street” Google pictures makes it very clear, but this is not the main reason. The main reason is “Software needs to make money to survive”.
What to do then
Code well
Feeling slapped in the face when sorting out this article on the weekend, because I also write front-end pages, including commercial things. But imagine actually WeChat is also doing commercialization, actually users feel okay, can also “make money standing up”. Front-end can do is to give good ideas in daily requirement reviews as much as possible, and “High-end Atmosphere Luxury” effects, try to do “Commercialization that does not damage user experience and interests”.
Another point I am also thinking, “If from the mentality of ordinary users, APPs 2 years ago actually completely satisfied my use, then it is contradictory, that is, did everyone code for nothing in these two years???”
However, business needs to develop, update and iteration is inevitable. So what can engineers do?
“Learn more about real user pain points, try to do really useful requirements, ask product business why to do this a few more times, consider clearly really useful before doing it, will have much more motivation”. If it is a requirement you think users are not big, but must do, should find a way to see “Can simplify business logic but verify the minimum version of business product ideas, use 1 week to shorten the original 1 month development volume, quickly verify, get data, continue if data is effective”. But for many businesses chasing competitors like our Fliggy, indeed many things belong to trial and error, cannot be all right. Then here should improve throughput efficiency to help quick trial and error, and at the same time use data to help business take down some entrances and displays with poor data before, preventing bad user experience.
Change mentality
Mentality here refers to, being an ordinary user yourself, can cultivate your own “Pay reward for good service” mentality, let companies and individuals developing software focus more on the product itself, and “Don’t think about the problem of purely doing functions and not being able to feed yourself”.
Reminds me of Anthony Fu, a student from Taiwan. After graduation, he had the courage to work full-time as a Github open source engineer. Many works he made are great and comfortable. Many domestic and foreign Sponsors have been paying for support. At the same time, Vue open source also lives very well and is extremely easy to use.
Try old versions
Maybe some students want to see “How to download old version APPs on iPhone”?
It used to be troublesome and not recommended. Generally, used old version iTunes to get old version APP download link through own login info. When clicking download, use packet capture tool to intercept and get download link, then get ipa source file (only usable if bound to own Apple ID). Because old version iTunes cannot connect to current iPhone, you need to download the latest iTunes (now in Finder) and then manually drag in to install, very troublesome. Later tried many other ways, found cannot install successfully.
Finally found “Use i4 Assistant iOS Speed Installation Version. Solved the problem in 2min”. First need to download “i4 Assistant mac version”, after connecting phone with data cable, it will automatically install a “i4 Assistant Speed Version” on the phone. Then you can search “Weibo” in this APP, download a 19 year old version to try (Original APP needs to be uninstalled and then installed. For APPs wanting to keep data, need to go to iPhone Settings to find Storage, choose Uninstall App without clearing data, but also not recommended for stingy APPs like WeChat where chat records are local to downgrade, preventing data loss). After running one through, you can delete the Mac i4 Assistant, because the phone version is completely enough.
Version suggestion choose within 2018/10 - 2019/9 time interval. Lower ones generally can’t be installed on iOS 14.5, higher ones are not easy to use. Try to choose low version and usable one as much as possible. Can also refer to the good versions I tried out this weekend in the video above.
Sigh, APP product managers seeing this article might want to beat me…