Tapatalk Pro Retirement

[GazHyde]

Hi all,

This is nothing at all to do with Zorg specifically and is relevant information for all forums you visit using Tapatalk. I have no control over how Tapatalk conduct their business. This is all information coming from the developers of the software. Hopefully they have done a better job of informing users than they have forum owners

You may know about this already if you are a "Pro" user and paid for their app. The concept is that you are being moved to a "free" application so that they can start feeding adverts to you through the app, as it's a bigger revenue generation model for them.

If you bought Pro, you should get updated to 'VIP' status which means you should not start seeing their adverts in the free application. I don't have any more details on VIP other than what is in their blog statement below!

At this point in time the Zorg has in app advertisements disabled, because at this point in time we have control over doing so. As to whether Tapatalk back track on this decisions is entirely up to them. You may of course start seeing adverts from other forums you visit who use it as a way of generating income.

I'll add stuff to this thread as and when I manage to find out more.

From the Tapatalk Blog May 22nd, 2014

"We have found that more time is needed for a smoother transition to ending Tapatalk pro, so Tapatalk Pro will remain available until the end of the month. This extra time is being taken to ensure that as many of our Tapatalk Pro users will have their Tapatalk ID accounts converted to VIP status. If you haven’t been converted to VIP status yet, it will only be a matter of time. After June 1st, any Tapatalk Pro users who have not created a Tapatalk ID or feel their Tapatalk ID has not been converted in error will still have a chance to get VIP status, as we will run checks continually to make sure users are not falling through the cracks. As long as you have a Tapatalk ID and have purchased Pro, you will be included.

Please note, only owners with current and finalized Tapatalk Pro purchases through Google Play are eligible for VIP status. Buying and returning the app within the Google Play return window will not count toward this conversion of your Tapatalk ID.

To ensure your VIP access is granted in a timely manner please make sure your Tapatalk ID has been created and your app is fully updated from Google Play. This way we can find you easier and quicker to flip the switch. All coversions right now are being done automatically by the system, and will continue to be done that way in batches as more pro users fulfill the above requirements and are discovered by the system. Manual conversions will be done at a later time."

Tapatalk blog extract - May 4th, 2014

Current Tapatalk Pro users: You won’t be losing your Pro status as a Tapatalk Pro supporter. The transition to a single free app means that we are going to have to find a new way to enable you to use all your Pro features with the same app everyone has access to. To achieve this, we are enabling “Tapatalk VIP” status for all users who have purchased Tapatalk Pro. What does Tapatalk VIP mean? It means while logged into your Tapatalk ID, you can browse without advertising regardless of admin toggles, your image uploads will be watermark free, and of course be image upload storage will be unlimited as well.

From their support forums - May 10th, 2014

Hi we are actually trying to make Tapatalk's available to as many people for free hence our transition to being a free app. However maintaining multiple apps makes development and support more difficult of a transition than it needed to be, hence the retirement of Tapatalk Pro.

Since lifetime support and updates for $2.99 was pretty unrealistic for an app that is constantly being updated to support 12 of of the major forum platforms out there, we had to think of a sustainable way to keep Tapatalk going strong.

Becoming a free app that supports forum owners through revenue sharing is a way of keeping the lights on while removing the price of entry for anyone that wants to give Tapatalk a try. This way we also are able to keep updates coming through because as forum systems like vBulletin and phpBB get updated and customized, new bugs are found every day.

However going free does not mean we are ignoring people who purchased Tapatalk Pro (the 1st version of Tapatalk with exclusive features). While many features that initially came out with Pro filtered down to Tapatalk free (HD support, tablet layouts, etc), some features will remain exclusive for Pro customers. To do this we moved these features (no advertising, watermark free photo hosting) to be server side functions that are tied to your Tapatalk ID. Any Tapatalk user that purchased pro will have Tapatalk VIP status enabled on their Tapatalk ID.

This allows us to mainatin a single app for everyone, while keeping these exclusive features alive for Pro customers.

 

[Stormy_be]

I have tapatalk, but not the pro-version.
So I would start seeing add's then, correct?

 

[GazHyde]

I have tapatalk, but not the pro-version.
So I would start seeing add's then, correct?

You may start seeing ads, but only if the forum you are visiting has decided to display them.

It's currently at the discretion of the individual forums if they want to make money from the application. You won't see ads in content from Zorg, but let me know if you do see any in our content - as I don't really trust Tapatalk at all.

 

[akirk]

If lifetime support and free updates was unrealistic for 2.99 why did they offer it?
Also intrigued as to why anyone uses tapatalk... I use a wide range of forums directly on iphone or ipad many now have a mobile theme, all are usable as is...
Alasdair

 

[Stormy_be]

why I use it: have never tried anything else. btw, I'm on Android

 

[GazHyde]

Also intrigued as to why anyone uses tapatalk...

There are a lot of reasons why people use it. I think the main one is that it brings posts from various sources in to one location for ease of reading. Another is that most forums don't allow you to upload images above a certain size, and TT allows you to upload to their servers directly (although we never enabled this feature because server disk space is so cheap these days). Finally the push alert system is useful, but that's the end of the benefits list as I see it.

However, Tapatalk users actually miss out on a bigger forum experience. Unlike most other forums we have a lot of functionality available which TT can't access, so people miss out if they only use it. I'm talking about the media galleries, showcase, user profiles and so much more. We have been fully mobile responsive since moving to XenForo, and at that point I stopped using TT.

There is however a dark side to this in that TT is created and maintained by a shambles of a company. Security exploits, bugs and poor decision making is rife over there. They don't communicate major decisions properly, particularly those that impact the end users. They don't answer support questions promptly, if at all, and when they do its in appalling pigeon English (take that as you will).

Tapatalk is a company that wants to make money from you. They realised charging for the app doesn't make as much money as feeding you adverts hence the change in policy.

Forum owners are moving away from it at a high rate due to the problems it causes both them and members. I continually have to review its benefit over the potential risk of keeping it - and t's borderline at the moment for keeping it. We avoided a potential security exploit a while ago because I delayed installing their latest version on the server. This is because I learnt from experience that installing their latest version before others have found the faults is way easier. I already removed a similar product (ForumRunner) because of similar risks.

I have to try and change peoples attitudes to using it, because I can't guarantee not having to switch it off in the future.

 

[Stormy_be]

what should/could we use instead of TT?
(for me on Android & I suppose for some of you on IOS)

 

[GazHyde]

what should/could we use instead of TT?
(for me on Android & I suppose for some of you on IOS)

Use whatever web browser you have on whatever device you are using

I use Chrome on my Galaxy SII 'droid phone, and Safari on my iPad. Here are some screenshots from my 'droid phone which has a resolution of 480x800

 

[Stormy_be]

I rarely use the normal browser on my tablet.
A dedicated application should always perform better than a general browser, not?

Are there other (better than TT) forum-app's that we could use?

 

[GazHyde]

A dedicated application should always perform better than a general browser, not?

Depends on your definition of "perform better". If you define that as speed, then in some circumstances it could be quicker than a browser on slower devices.

If you take in to account the sloppy coding, security issues and overall lack of engagement with forum owners & end users - then not really.

Also you are merely reading posts and conversations, and miss the other things the forum has to offer. That's fine if you have decided to do that, but in some ways TT detracts from an overall community experience XenForo allows us to provide you. But like any service you have the choice to interact with what interests you most

Are there other (better than TT) forum-app's that we could use?

We tried Forum Runner which was the only viable alternative, but they haven't updated it in over a year. It had it's share of issues as well.

 

[Stormy_be]

For me TT is only to see a quick update when I'm on the move and have a minute to spare (at work between meetings, waiting for the train, etc).
At home I still look on the normal PC (via Firefox).
I suppose I'm not the only one who still uses a "real pc" at home when really want to do something "major", and a tablet when on the move (or for a quick view on the sofa, when the wife is watching her soap-series).

 

[board]

I don't bother with TT on my phone or iPad anymore as the site works so well. I can see updates quicker than using TT just using safari and as Gaz says you get all the extra forum features on offer.

 

[Stormy_be]

For me, a nice thing to have on the move is the new or updated items directly in my "notification"-bar.
You can't get that with a browser.

But everyone his choice.
It all depends on what you want from it, and which aspect you find important.

 

[Titan]

I'm with stormy on this one. I use TT for quick browsing especially when at work because images are blocked by our firewall.

 

[GazHyde]

I totally agree it's a convenient way for accessing the site, but it really does have potential security issues which can't be ignored.

They have finally admitted there was a security issue (by email today), but are trying to play it down as being minor. That's 3 weeks after it was discovered and posted on various security websites. They are only doing so via email, so any forum admins who have opted out of their mailing list may not know about this issue.

If they keep doing crap like this then we may have little choice but to permanently remove access through it, until a time that they can be trusted with both ours and your data. As you can see from this list it affected every major forum software.

* Tapatalk Plugin for bbPress 2.0 Series version 1.2.2
* Tapatalk Plugin for IP.Board 3.4 Series and Above version 3.9.0
* Tapatalk Plugin for Kunena 3 version 1.1.4
* Tapatalk Plugin for MyBB 1.6 version 3.9.0
* Tapatalk Plugin for phpBB 3.0 Series version 4.4.0
* Tapatalk Plugin for Simple Machines Forum 2.0.x version 3.9.3
* Tapatalk Plugin for Vanilla 2.0 version 1.4.1
* Tapatalk Plugin for Woltlab Burning Board 4.0 version 1.0.0
* Tapatalk Plugin for xenForo 1.x version 2.0.3
* Tapatalk Plugin for vBulletin 3.7.x / 3.8.x version 4.4.0
* Tapatalk Plugin for vBulletin 4.x version 5.0.0

 

[Titan]

I have no qualms with you pulling the plug if it's security based but will still be sad to see it go.
There is an undeniable convenience about it although adverts will irritate the hell out if me
As regards mini web version of the forum, can you facilitate a list of participated threads? Of all the features that TT offered that was by far the most useful. If made checking for replies SO easy.

 

[GazHyde]

Let's just say for now I'm keeping a very close eye on what they are up to, and I really hope they sort their quality control out soon. If they do, then it's not an issue.

Hopefully not all the forums you visit will decide to take the cash incentive to display the adverts.

 

[Titan]

It's no great shakes Gaz. I only browse 3 Z forums (Zorg, Snot and Zfourum) plus a Canon DSLR one. If you do ditch it I will just have to brush up using the main web versions again. As you rightly say there is so much more functionality that way.