The iOS app is awful

[Véronique 238]

One thing I've been noticing is that the app for BariatricPal is awful. It has very limited functionality and doesn't even keep you signed in. Also, I noticed that when people use emojis on the mobile app, they get turned into non-parsed BBCode on the web version of the forums. Why is this?

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

You definitely shouldn't be having these issues!

We are releasing a brand new and totally redesigned BariatricPal app within the next week or two. We'd love to have you as a beta tester!

[Véronique 238]

1 minute ago, Alex Brecher said:

You definitely shouldn't be having these issues!

We are releasing a brand new and totally redesigned BariatricPal app within the next week or two. We'd love to have you as a beta tester!

I'd love to. I have TestFlight on my iPhone already.

[ChaosUnlimited 559]

I had the iPhone mobile app but it was nothing but frustration when I used it, so I deleted it. I'd try a new one if it was improved.

[Véronique 238]

1 minute ago, ChaosUnlimited said:

I had the iPhone mobile app but it was nothing but frustration when I used it, so I deleted it. I'd try a new one if it was improved.

Personally, I think the mobile app should have a similar layout to that of the forums. Like, when you login, you'd see the forums you would normally see if you signed on the website. Not to mention features like editing the details of your surgery on your profile.

I know I'm teaching myself Objective-C and Swift now, but if I wrote this app, I'd be dreadfully ashamed of myself. It's so slapped together!

[ChaosUnlimited 559]

Well, I hope you get to beta test the new one so you can identify improvements before they put it out. Glad you spoke up!

While they're making improvements, maybe they can fix the notification sound. It has always sounded like it gets cut off abruptly, like it's half a sound. Does that happen to you? It was like that on the mobile app, and it's still like that on the website. Not a big issue, just a minor annoyance.

[Véronique 238]

I've noticed that too. It is... distinctive, so I don't confuse the forums with Facebook, so on that front, it does work. However, I'd like to have a better notification sound too.

[Ken S. 162]

On 9/1/2017 at 11:49 AM, Véronique said:

One thing I've been noticing is that the app for BariatricPal is awful. It has very limited functionality and doesn't even keep you signed in. Also, I noticed that when people use emojis on the mobile app, they get turned into non-parsed BBCode on the web version of the forums. Why is this?

Hey there! Thank you for providing feedback. As Alex mentioned we are actively developing a dedicated BariatricPal App, and as such we now have complete control over its development. This will not only allow us to address bugs and issues quicker, it also enables us to consider and implement requests from the entire BariatricPal community, which is something that our current app has prevented us from doing.

With regards to the issues you're currently facing, unfortunately there isn't much we can do at the moment. The BBCode is something that will resolve with the release of our own app as well as the being logged out. With regards to the notification sound, I'm not able to replicate the playback cutoff mentioned here, but we'll definitely pay very close attention to this and hope to prevent it with our release.

With regards to the beta testing - that's great that you're interested! Feel free to shoot me a private message with the e-mail address that is associated with your Apple account and when we're ready I'll reach out and send you an invite.

Thanks again!

[Véronique 238]

19 hours ago, Ken S. said:

Hey there! Thank you for providing feedback. As Alex mentioned we are actively developing a dedicated BariatricPal App, and as such we now have complete control over its development. This will not only allow us to address bugs and issues quicker, it also enables us to consider and implement requests from the entire BariatricPal community, which is something that our current app has prevented us from doing.

With regards to the issues you're currently facing, unfortunately there isn't much we can do at the moment. The BBCode is something that will resolve with the release of our own app as well as the being logged out. With regards to the notification sound, I'm not able to replicate the playback cutoff mentioned here, but we'll definitely pay very close attention to this and hope to prevent it with our release.

With regards to the beta testing - that's great that you're interested! Feel free to shoot me a private message with the e-mail address that is associated with your Apple account and when we're ready I'll reach out and send you an invite.

Thanks again!

One other thing that I've noticed is that you aren't integrating your store into your app, which seems like a missed opportunity. I mean, sure, I'm not going to buy from your store. I get a better deal buying from Bariatric Advantage directly, but somebody might want to buy from your store and it'll also allow you better advertising/monetization opportunities.

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

30 minutes ago, Véronique said:

One other thing that I've noticed is that you aren't integrating your store into your app, which seems like a missed opportunity. I mean, sure, I'm not going to buy from your store. I get a better deal buying from Bariatric Advantage directly, but somebody might want to buy from your store and it'll also allow you better advertising/monetization opportunities.

I couldn't agree with you more. This is already in the works! Thanks for your input and suggestions. Keep them coming, please!

Do you really get a better deal by buying from BA directly? What type of discount are they offering you?

[Véronique 238]

14 minutes ago, Alex Brecher said:

I couldn't agree with you more. This is already in the works! Thanks for your input and suggestions. Keep them coming, please!

Do you really get a better deal by buying from BA directly? What type of discount are they offering you?

Alrighty, here are a few more:

• Apple Health integration: You know, device-specific integration might be delayed for a time if you're using the health database already coded into iOS, Apple Health. It's a great repository of things including weight, steps and even a count of flights of stairs taken. I'm not sure what you could do with that data, but you might think of something. After all, activity is a crucial part of success after bariatric surgery (so everyone involved in this process has told me). Also, in doing so, you would be able to capture the data from those of us who use Apple Watches.
• WLS Magazine: There's a way to integrate this feature of the site into the app in a way that is more pictorial and attractive. Look at the sidebar on this site. That might be understated for the real estate a desktop/laptop screen might have but it would be perfect for a mobile app.
• This isn't really an app-specific issue, but more a site-wide issue: If I select to use metric units to note my weigh-ins, why is it that some areas of the site (such as other people's weigh-ins, the sidebar which reads "together we have lost", etc) are also shown in imperial units (lbs)? Also, it does make me wonder if the "together we have lost" bit takes into account those of us who do use metric as the ticker shows this for me:
  
  Which is interesting, since I do not weigh 137,5 lbs but I do weigh 137,5 kg (which is roughly 303 lbs). Is that number being lowballed, not including the weight of those of us who use the site in metric?

The most important thing is that the app should be an extension of the site and should put your best foot forward. It's an opportunity to have more control over the design and layout of how a mobile user experiences Bariatric Pal. Use it to your advantage.

Also, my discount from BA is 15%.

[Véronique 238]

Oh! One thing I've just thought of: a Vitamin tracker (both taking and supply tracking). It gives us, the end-users, the benefit of an app that tracks our vitamin usage (including when we took our Iron vitamin so we can know when it's okay to take our calcium citrate vitamins) and also allows you the benefit of upselling Vitamins when we start to run low.

[ChaosUnlimited 559]

On 9/8/2017 at 1:59 PM, Alex Brecher said:

I couldn't agree with you more. This is already in the works! Thanks for your input and suggestions. Keep them coming, please!

Do you really get a better deal by buying from BA directly? What type of discount are they offering you?

@Alex Brecher I don't know about anyone else, but I get a BA punch card that gives me a free item when I have accumulated 10 items at my surgeons office, and a validation code to use on the BA website so I know I am getting the Vitamins my nutritionist recommends instead of having to compare all the nutritional info on each product. They also have a quantity discount on the web, can't remember what it is, but it is similar to BP's store.

Just a side note on BP's store, I had bought some of my vitamins and Protein Shakes from there, and did a subscribe and save on a couple items. For all other subscribe and save type services I have used, an email is sent prior to the next shipment so you have an opportunity to make any changes. BP's service does not do that, and the last shipment I had intended to change flavors of my Calcium but forgot, and now I have a large supply of a flavor I didn't want to get again. Customer service was not helpful and kind of like "oh well", so I discontinued all of my subscribe and save items. I realize that it is my responsibility to change my order if that's what I want to do, but it is nice to get that reminder before shipment. I'm not saying I wouldn't use BP again, I would, just not the subscribe and save service. I think BP has some good sales and deals. When I'm due for more I'll shop around for the best price.

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

1 hour ago, ChaosUnlimited said:

@Alex Brecher I don't know about anyone else, but I get a BA punch card that gives me a free item when I have accumulated 10 items at my surgeons office, and a validation code to use on the BA website so I know I am getting the Vitamins my nutritionist recommends instead of having to compare all the nutritional info on each product. They also have a quantity discount on the web, can't remember what it is, but it is similar to BP's store.

Just a side note on BP's store, I had bought some of my Vitamins and Protein Shakes from there, and did a subscribe and save on a couple items. For all other subscribe and save type services I have used, an email is sent prior to the next shipment so you have an opportunity to make any changes. BP's service does not do that, and the last shipment I had intended to change flavors of my Calcium but forgot, and now I have a large supply of a flavor I didn't want to get again. Customer service was not helpful and kind of like "oh well", so I discontinued all of my subscribe and save items. I realize that it is my responsibility to change my order if that's what I want to do, but it is nice to get that reminder before shipment. I'm not saying I wouldn't use BP again, I would, just not the subscribe and save service. I think BP has some good sales and deals. When I'm due for more I'll shop around for the best price.

Thanks for the BA info! I always wondered how they tracked territory sales. The punch card is a genius idea.

That's so odd that you didn't receive a notification prior to your BP Store renewal! I double and triple checked and we absolutely do send out notifications 3 days prior to orders renewing. I hope it didn't end up in your spam folder.

[Dakini 4]

I wish there were a way to see user's info like surgery type, date, high weight, current weight, etc. It provides a lot of useful context to the discussions. I have tried clicking on screen names but see none of that info there, either.