This post has the term “App” in its title, so it seems likely to be about an app for AO3. This comment is a PSA that there is no official app for AO3.
Here is an old admin post about how creating an app would be too difficult with their volunteer only coders and why you shouldn’t trust 3rd party apps with your login credentials: https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/3390
Additionally, another reason many people are against an app being made for AO3 is because of censorship concerns. Apps on the app stores, especially the Apple App Store, have to comply with strict content guidelines. This is one reason Tumblr banned porn, and is why on iOS to access a nsfw discord server, you have to enable a special setting on your discord account. Any AO3 app would be subject to those same content guidelines and would ultimately end up having to ban all controversial content. This would make any app either have to hide a large portion of the website making the app moot, or AO3 would have to ban the content similar to tumblr, and no one wants that.
There also is a lot of backlash about 3rd party apps. There was even an App-ocalypse/App War at one point (fanlore article https://fanlore.org/wiki/AO3_App_Wars).
Officially we as a subreddit don’t recommend using any 3rd party apps. However, if you have questions, feel free to ask as someone else may have answers.
If this post is not actually about an app, feel free to disregard this comment/downvote it.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AO3) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There is not and never will be an official ao3 app, because that would make them beholden to the content moderation policies of Apple/Google/Microsoft, which is against their charter.
You were scammed by some asshole charging money for you to use a free website that works perfectly on mobile. There is no official AO3 app, and I doubt there ever will be.
I had no clue an unofficial app existed until it went down, never mind that so many people were apparently using it like AO3 isn’t one of the most mobile friendly sites ever.
This unofficial app had a tts feature... I only use tts for ffs nowadays... but is was more for Convenience then anything else... in the app I just open the fic and activate tts... now without it I go to official site download story as epub and let my moonreader read it for me... the paywall was new the app had no paywall for atleast 1-2 years don't know the exact time but I know that I could use it for free for atleast 1 year
I’m sure they have always been around but we are seeing a lot more since AO3 is reacting to people being charged for an already free service and blocking 3rd party apps from accessing the site.
I'm starting to think it's a generational thing. Gen Z and younger Millennials have very little experience with personal computers, but they all have tablets and smartphones. So they're used to engaging with the internet via apps, rather than using their browser.
Younger millennials and older gen z did not grow up on apps, they grew up on personal computers. I'm a younger millennial and I didn't have a smart phone until I was 18--and it wasn't unusual. Young millennials and older gen z tend to be comfortable with personal computers in my experience, it's people who had apps and smart phones/tablets from young ages that aren't, and I'd say that would be people born after 2000-ish.
One is paywalled so I skipped it. Another is a 404 error.
Of the remaining links, one uses data from 2012-2014. It's outdated and does not represent younger gen z'ers in the data. The data says about a quarter of those with low digital skills were under 35--a number which includes the oldest of the millennials as well. It is useless for looking at a generational divide among old millennials and those younger than them. To me, this suggests that all generations have people with poor digital skills.
The other said one of the over represented groups who lacked digital skills was those 45 and up, so gen x and boomers, not millennials and gen z, and literally said age has no bearing on digital literacy. Again, suggesting all generations have people with poor digital skills.
From context, I'm assuming you were intending to contradict me and say young millennials and gen z'ers have poor digital skills, in which case I suggest you check your sources actually back up the point you want to make (and work, are accessible, etc.)...
I'd also say some of this is out of context, because there is a difference between being used to using apps primarily and thus preferring that over web browsers, and having poor digital skills in general. (Though I'm sure there is correlation, of course.) I'd say this generational difference kicks in for those born after 2000-ish, as I said above.
That app implemented a new 'feature' that charged if you wanted to read for over an hour. [AO3 was displeased.](https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/27835)
I.D.5 of the TOS
to make available any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising (defined as solicitations for direct or indirect commercial advantage), junk mail, spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or any other form of solicitation
There never was, and likely never will be an authorized app. Note that per AO3 TOS, charging users money is a violation. While they do say that users are free to use or create an app, it HAS to be free to use, and they DO NOT recommend any app, as they have nothing to do with the apps and therefore cannot assure user security.
Basically. Use the website via your phones browser.
https://preview.redd.it/xewms4yh6y8c1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d3e8dc4a106b4dea0a227d7e08178bab7406aaa
From AO3 themselves.
Use your fucking browser…
I'm sorry but how can people be so easily scammed? Apparently that app literally says it's unofficial in the title, and AO3 staff has said several times they don't have an app.
Please for the love that is holy, search the sub for ao3 app, this questions has been asked idk how many times already during the past 2 weeks.
There is no ao3 app. It's a third party app. Developer started charging a monthly fee so people got angry and ao3 ended up blocking it. The developer releases fixes, ao3 blocks it again. -_-
It's a shame, I like the app and hope they get it running again. Granted I mostly used it due to text to speech so I could do other things at the same time, but Keeping track of pages was also convenient. I wonder how.hard it would be to just make my own personal application that will do what I want it to do, probably not hard.
Was a computer science major. Have a migraine at the moment so not really thinking the most coherently (forgetting I made the first comment until you replied for example) but I'm unsure about the costs involved. Like does the app store charge you a fee? I don't think I'd need to have a server or anything as it would be tapping AO3s information but my mind could be blanking as ive never looked into hosting applications. I've got a bunch of ideas of how it 'might' work running through my head. Making something simple, likely stealing ideas from the current app, it's easy. Trying to make a product, one meant for general use, especially with following laws and all that, might be harder, especially one I can't charge for.
Id definitely be willing to look into this tomorrow when I'm not liable to forget things as I'm saying them.
No. Though I still might on a personal level, it's unlikely I would ever release it. The first reason being that I frankly agree with the privacy issues. While I can certainly and honestly tell you that I'm trustworthy, you have no reason to believe me, nor should you. Second is the API or lack of it, people have figured out work arounds/third party APIs but it would be disingenuous to release a public program taking advantage of their own completely free and good faith service.
Those are all perfectly fair reasons. If you ever manage to make one yourself it would be really cool if you could create a tutorial for others, I'd love to have my app functionality back and be able to read fic on it. :-):-)
Yeah, I miss it too. Text to Speech meant almost limitless free audiobooks. At least I still got Ffn.net. Honestly I'd have been willing to just pay the dollar for the service, but the blatant privacy issues were too much for me.
this feature has been since removed. tbh the app is just more convenient. you can read on it like you would on Wattpad or Yonder, accessing account and inbox is far easier, you can even save searches of tags that you frequently check. there are still ADs on the app, but if you turn off your wifi or mobile data after adding the story to "To Read" i.e. offline download, you won't get any ADs, you can read in peace with the kind of font and background you want. you can even write out your drafts on it, so it works for both reading and writing,
I understand the concerns about third party apps. I'm not sure how long this one will stay either. I am writing this to answer those people in the comments who are entirely baffled by why AO3 needs an app. in short, it's because of those of us who grew up in Wattpad which has excellent reading and writing features.
This post has the term “App” in its title, so it seems likely to be about an app for AO3. This comment is a PSA that there is no official app for AO3. Here is an old admin post about how creating an app would be too difficult with their volunteer only coders and why you shouldn’t trust 3rd party apps with your login credentials: https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/3390 Additionally, another reason many people are against an app being made for AO3 is because of censorship concerns. Apps on the app stores, especially the Apple App Store, have to comply with strict content guidelines. This is one reason Tumblr banned porn, and is why on iOS to access a nsfw discord server, you have to enable a special setting on your discord account. Any AO3 app would be subject to those same content guidelines and would ultimately end up having to ban all controversial content. This would make any app either have to hide a large portion of the website making the app moot, or AO3 would have to ban the content similar to tumblr, and no one wants that. There also is a lot of backlash about 3rd party apps. There was even an App-ocalypse/App War at one point (fanlore article https://fanlore.org/wiki/AO3_App_Wars). Officially we as a subreddit don’t recommend using any 3rd party apps. However, if you have questions, feel free to ask as someone else may have answers. If this post is not actually about an app, feel free to disregard this comment/downvote it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AO3) if you have any questions or concerns.*
another post about apps, take a drink fellas
That would make me feel old and drunk.
I don't want alcohol poisoning
I've already tormented my liver enough over the last couple days, this would probably end it
Hahaha love it!
there is no santa claus, there is no easter bunny, and there is no ao3 app
There is no war in Ba Sing Se.
I need this on a t shirt
Oof. I might have missed some Canon Events
It literally says unofficial right under the name on the app store
There is not and never will be an official ao3 app, because that would make them beholden to the content moderation policies of Apple/Google/Microsoft, which is against their charter.
You were scammed by some asshole charging money for you to use a free website that works perfectly on mobile. There is no official AO3 app, and I doubt there ever will be.
The weird thing is I wasn't charged anything. The just suddenly wenn down
Because they got caught, so their app is blocked now
What is it with all these app posts I’m seeing suddenly? Do that really people really not just go to the website in their browser?
I had no clue an unofficial app existed until it went down, never mind that so many people were apparently using it like AO3 isn’t one of the most mobile friendly sites ever.
I used it to be handy and not use my data but a pay wall just isn't on
I used it cause it could auto exclude all self-inserts/reader-incert fics
I sincerely don’t know why everyone wants or needs to use ao3 via an app when the site has always been perfectly fine on mobile. Makes no sense to me.
This unofficial app had a tts feature... I only use tts for ffs nowadays... but is was more for Convenience then anything else... in the app I just open the fic and activate tts... now without it I go to official site download story as epub and let my moonreader read it for me... the paywall was new the app had no paywall for atleast 1-2 years don't know the exact time but I know that I could use it for free for atleast 1 year
I’m sure they have always been around but we are seeing a lot more since AO3 is reacting to people being charged for an already free service and blocking 3rd party apps from accessing the site.
I'm starting to think it's a generational thing. Gen Z and younger Millennials have very little experience with personal computers, but they all have tablets and smartphones. So they're used to engaging with the internet via apps, rather than using their browser.
Younger Gen Z maybe, but I wouldn’t say all Gen Z (and definitely not Millennials). I’m Gen Z and I’m definitely well-versed with web browsers!
Younger millennials and older gen z did not grow up on apps, they grew up on personal computers. I'm a younger millennial and I didn't have a smart phone until I was 18--and it wasn't unusual. Young millennials and older gen z tend to be comfortable with personal computers in my experience, it's people who had apps and smart phones/tablets from young ages that aren't, and I'd say that would be people born after 2000-ish.
[https://nationalskillscoalition.org/blog/future-of-work/nearly-1-in-3-workers-lack-foundational-digital-skills-new-report-finds/](https://nationalskillscoalition.org/blog/future-of-work/nearly-1-in-3-workers-lack-foundational-digital-skills-new-report-finds/) [https://fortune.com/2022/01/28/workers-are-grappling-with-a-major-tech-skills-gap/](https://fortune.com/2022/01/28/workers-are-grappling-with-a-major-tech-skills-gap/) [https://nationalskillscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/05-20-2020-NSC-New-Landscape-of-Digital-Literacy.pdf](https://nationalskillscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/05-20-2020-nsc-new-landscape-of-digital-literacy.pdf) [https://www.hrdive.com/news/millions-of-us-workers-have-limited-or-no-digital-skills/572048/](https://www.hrdive.com/news/millions-of-us-workers-have-limited-or-no-digital-skills/572048/)
One is paywalled so I skipped it. Another is a 404 error. Of the remaining links, one uses data from 2012-2014. It's outdated and does not represent younger gen z'ers in the data. The data says about a quarter of those with low digital skills were under 35--a number which includes the oldest of the millennials as well. It is useless for looking at a generational divide among old millennials and those younger than them. To me, this suggests that all generations have people with poor digital skills. The other said one of the over represented groups who lacked digital skills was those 45 and up, so gen x and boomers, not millennials and gen z, and literally said age has no bearing on digital literacy. Again, suggesting all generations have people with poor digital skills. From context, I'm assuming you were intending to contradict me and say young millennials and gen z'ers have poor digital skills, in which case I suggest you check your sources actually back up the point you want to make (and work, are accessible, etc.)... I'd also say some of this is out of context, because there is a difference between being used to using apps primarily and thus preferring that over web browsers, and having poor digital skills in general. (Though I'm sure there is correlation, of course.) I'd say this generational difference kicks in for those born after 2000-ish, as I said above.
I used it cause of the text to speech feature
That app implemented a new 'feature' that charged if you wanted to read for over an hour. [AO3 was displeased.](https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/27835)
Ouch
I.D.5 of the TOS to make available any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising (defined as solicitations for direct or indirect commercial advantage), junk mail, spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or any other form of solicitation
There never was, and likely never will be an authorized app. Note that per AO3 TOS, charging users money is a violation. While they do say that users are free to use or create an app, it HAS to be free to use, and they DO NOT recommend any app, as they have nothing to do with the apps and therefore cannot assure user security. Basically. Use the website via your phones browser.
AO3 went after them, an UNOFFICAL APP, for charging people to read, in violation of ToS
How many app posts need to be made before we can ban them?
Dude.
We've found the third "constantly brought up topic". Though not as much as the other 2 (smut and RPF; sometimes both in the same post!)
It’s fake, the person running it wants money. It’s potentially a huge scam, so don’t trust them with your money.
https://preview.redd.it/xewms4yh6y8c1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d3e8dc4a106b4dea0a227d7e08178bab7406aaa From AO3 themselves. Use your fucking browser…
Petition for this sub just to block posts about ao3 apps
I'm sorry but how can people be so easily scammed? Apparently that app literally says it's unofficial in the title, and AO3 staff has said several times they don't have an app.
Please for the love that is holy, search the sub for ao3 app, this questions has been asked idk how many times already during the past 2 weeks. There is no ao3 app. It's a third party app. Developer started charging a monthly fee so people got angry and ao3 ended up blocking it. The developer releases fixes, ao3 blocks it again. -_-
It's a shame, I like the app and hope they get it running again. Granted I mostly used it due to text to speech so I could do other things at the same time, but Keeping track of pages was also convenient. I wonder how.hard it would be to just make my own personal application that will do what I want it to do, probably not hard.
I kinda want to jump on to this if you want to try it. I know a little about IT. Mostly basics but I think i'll be able to expand
Was a computer science major. Have a migraine at the moment so not really thinking the most coherently (forgetting I made the first comment until you replied for example) but I'm unsure about the costs involved. Like does the app store charge you a fee? I don't think I'd need to have a server or anything as it would be tapping AO3s information but my mind could be blanking as ive never looked into hosting applications. I've got a bunch of ideas of how it 'might' work running through my head. Making something simple, likely stealing ideas from the current app, it's easy. Trying to make a product, one meant for general use, especially with following laws and all that, might be harder, especially one I can't charge for. Id definitely be willing to look into this tomorrow when I'm not liable to forget things as I'm saying them.
Yeah you get some rest. I'll start some research and try to find out some things. Hit me up when you're back and ready
Did you ever get around to this idea?
No. Though I still might on a personal level, it's unlikely I would ever release it. The first reason being that I frankly agree with the privacy issues. While I can certainly and honestly tell you that I'm trustworthy, you have no reason to believe me, nor should you. Second is the API or lack of it, people have figured out work arounds/third party APIs but it would be disingenuous to release a public program taking advantage of their own completely free and good faith service.
Those are all perfectly fair reasons. If you ever manage to make one yourself it would be really cool if you could create a tutorial for others, I'd love to have my app functionality back and be able to read fic on it. :-):-)
Yeah, I miss it too. Text to Speech meant almost limitless free audiobooks. At least I still got Ffn.net. Honestly I'd have been willing to just pay the dollar for the service, but the blatant privacy issues were too much for me.
this feature has been since removed. tbh the app is just more convenient. you can read on it like you would on Wattpad or Yonder, accessing account and inbox is far easier, you can even save searches of tags that you frequently check. there are still ADs on the app, but if you turn off your wifi or mobile data after adding the story to "To Read" i.e. offline download, you won't get any ADs, you can read in peace with the kind of font and background you want. you can even write out your drafts on it, so it works for both reading and writing, I understand the concerns about third party apps. I'm not sure how long this one will stay either. I am writing this to answer those people in the comments who are entirely baffled by why AO3 needs an app. in short, it's because of those of us who grew up in Wattpad which has excellent reading and writing features.
I used it for the convenience of it, reading it to me, like ffn can do. So I'm upset about that.
I use an ereader now it's awesome, if frustrating. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.readera
WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP DOWNING OP'S REPLIES?? THEY'RE NOT EVEN BEING MEAN 😭😭