I understand the technical and financial reasons for this decision...but launching with full Android/desktop capabilities would have been smart and considerate of your creators.
I use a MacBook Pro, but primarily engage with my readers on my phone, a Samsung.
Just an urgent request—I know it is coming! #AudioIssues
This is a great idea. When it comes out for android, and especially desktop, I think I can make good use of it by drawing from my subscribers and new potential subscribers from other social media.
Hello Elena are you already using this feature? My question is will everyone that has the app download it automatically be forced to be involved with chat threads chat alerts and then have to figure out how to turn off chat notifications altogether? I feel that would be very stressful and could possibly piss off so many of my readers because I got them to download the app by just pitching the ease of access and the email provider is no longer be in the gatekeepers of our contact. I never said anything about you're going to be forced to involve in a chat thread and for anyone that has lots of readers the amount of notifications they would receive upon immediately download in the app and sign it in could cause a massive problem and a lost interest between me and my readers as they may feel as if I beat it and switch them I have a older demographic that reads my stuff. Lastly if you do have it is it true that the only way for them to opt out of chat is to completely unsubscribe from you all together and lose them as a reader? If so sadly I won't be able to launch chat and I really want it but I fear too many people will get stressed not take the time to learn how to silence chat notifications and just unsubscribed and it's not worth it.
The feedback is greatly appreciated! Read everything Subs Doctor has online about it and that's why these concerns of mine are being raised I read that our subscribers have no way to opt out of chats on the app without disowning us completely in unsubscribing from our publication. Which me personally I kinda am a bit sideways about that because lipstick has had all those push in the app and I was happy to do so I love Subs Doctor but however I was not informing all of these people that when I activate the chat aspect of things that they're gonna be forced to endure it or have to figure out a way to silence all of that we'll walk a very fine line between our readers and it's based on trust and I feel like some people will feel that might've been a little bit shady on my cart not really easy and it was out of my control and that if you want the app in a publication of chat enable your force to be part of it as well and your only option is to silence those notifications or your only other option is to opt out completely and we lose a reader. So I almost feel like Subs Doctor is twisting your arm here in a way that is if you want your readers on the app your readers you're gonna have to be automatically opting to chat and I get it the amount of engagement will cause a lot more traffic for sustack but it will certainly caused us to lose some trust and no telling how many readers until you actually take the risk and do it.
Only work around I see from this is to make all chats a premium option and surely God sub stack would not require someone who is a free reader to endure the alerts of a premium chat thread that they can access that would make them even more mad feeling like it's like ha ha you can't read what we're talking about until you pay us money and you're gonna be forced to hear all of these dings on your phone until you can figure out how to turn the dings off. Lol sorry for the long message I've had a few glasses of wine and this is stressing me out thinking about it because I'm trying to watch the feature ASAP. I wish there was a way to rule things out and beta test them without our entire reader base seen these features.
That would be a great upgrade tool for writers to have so we know how everything fully works before launching it on our readers.
Will be interesting when it works for Android as well. It took me a while to realize that it doesn't currently, that information should be more prominent :)
This post is helpful -- thank you -- and my chat thread launched well this past week (you can see my launch post at https://sarahrunning.substack.com/p/lets-chat -- I customized the Substack template for it. Thanks for providing the template!). However, I am still struggling with notifications. I only want to receive notifications when someone on my newsletter's chat posts. I do not want to receive notifications from other chat threads; for example, I am part of the Isolation Journals chat, which was generating a gazillion notifications of new posts, so I turned off notifications. Now I am not getting notifications for my own thread's posts. Anyway to change this so I get notifications only for my newsletter's chat?
Looking forward to when this is available on Android. Will you repeat this post then please as it is a bit irrelevant at the moment for us non iphone people?
I think this is spot on! It really opens up possibilities. You can share more the behind the scenes. I will definitely give it a try. Great work Substack team!
I was thinking a few days ago, how switching to substack gave me more confidence and ease in my writing process. This feature is super smart within the model.
As an Android user, I have to say this is the first time I've been frustrated with Substack rolling out features at different times. I'm getting all kinds of requests for chats with other Substacks that I can't participate in. It feels like we're being left behind a bit.
I know how hard you guys you work and what you put out is amazing. And I'm sure there is all kinds of behind the scenes stuff we're not even aware of. I just wish you could've waited and rolled out at the same time. I can't help but think our subscribers are getting messages from other Substacks and at least some are wondering why we're not participating.
Really cool feature-- looking forward to incorporating this!
I understand the technical and financial reasons for this decision...but launching with full Android/desktop capabilities would have been smart and considerate of your creators.
I use a MacBook Pro, but primarily engage with my readers on my phone, a Samsung.
Just an urgent request—I know it is coming! #AudioIssues
Heard! We will get it out asap.
This is a great idea. When it comes out for android, and especially desktop, I think I can make good use of it by drawing from my subscribers and new potential subscribers from other social media.
We will get there soon!
Amazing feature! Thanks Substack for this opportunity
What is the difference between Chat and the comments sections?
Seems like threads and chats are intended for the same use but threads don’t require downloading the app? It is a bit confusing.
Comments are attached to a post, which goes out via email (if you choose).
New Chats do not go out via email to your readers' inboxes.
Also - in Chat you can use photo replies.
I had the same thought
Love it! Will activate it once ready for Android!
Great we will have it ready for you soon!
Exciting! Thanks for this feature and the use cases 👌
Hello Elena are you already using this feature? My question is will everyone that has the app download it automatically be forced to be involved with chat threads chat alerts and then have to figure out how to turn off chat notifications altogether? I feel that would be very stressful and could possibly piss off so many of my readers because I got them to download the app by just pitching the ease of access and the email provider is no longer be in the gatekeepers of our contact. I never said anything about you're going to be forced to involve in a chat thread and for anyone that has lots of readers the amount of notifications they would receive upon immediately download in the app and sign it in could cause a massive problem and a lost interest between me and my readers as they may feel as if I beat it and switch them I have a older demographic that reads my stuff. Lastly if you do have it is it true that the only way for them to opt out of chat is to completely unsubscribe from you all together and lose them as a reader? If so sadly I won't be able to launch chat and I really want it but I fear too many people will get stressed not take the time to learn how to silence chat notifications and just unsubscribed and it's not worth it.
The feedback is greatly appreciated! Read everything Subs Doctor has online about it and that's why these concerns of mine are being raised I read that our subscribers have no way to opt out of chats on the app without disowning us completely in unsubscribing from our publication. Which me personally I kinda am a bit sideways about that because lipstick has had all those push in the app and I was happy to do so I love Subs Doctor but however I was not informing all of these people that when I activate the chat aspect of things that they're gonna be forced to endure it or have to figure out a way to silence all of that we'll walk a very fine line between our readers and it's based on trust and I feel like some people will feel that might've been a little bit shady on my cart not really easy and it was out of my control and that if you want the app in a publication of chat enable your force to be part of it as well and your only option is to silence those notifications or your only other option is to opt out completely and we lose a reader. So I almost feel like Subs Doctor is twisting your arm here in a way that is if you want your readers on the app your readers you're gonna have to be automatically opting to chat and I get it the amount of engagement will cause a lot more traffic for sustack but it will certainly caused us to lose some trust and no telling how many readers until you actually take the risk and do it.
Only work around I see from this is to make all chats a premium option and surely God sub stack would not require someone who is a free reader to endure the alerts of a premium chat thread that they can access that would make them even more mad feeling like it's like ha ha you can't read what we're talking about until you pay us money and you're gonna be forced to hear all of these dings on your phone until you can figure out how to turn the dings off. Lol sorry for the long message I've had a few glasses of wine and this is stressing me out thinking about it because I'm trying to watch the feature ASAP. I wish there was a way to rule things out and beta test them without our entire reader base seen these features.
That would be a great upgrade tool for writers to have so we know how everything fully works before launching it on our readers.
Will be interesting when it works for Android as well. It took me a while to realize that it doesn't currently, that information should be more prominent :)
Heard, thanks for the feedback Adam.
Thanks for your hard work on this!
This post is helpful -- thank you -- and my chat thread launched well this past week (you can see my launch post at https://sarahrunning.substack.com/p/lets-chat -- I customized the Substack template for it. Thanks for providing the template!). However, I am still struggling with notifications. I only want to receive notifications when someone on my newsletter's chat posts. I do not want to receive notifications from other chat threads; for example, I am part of the Isolation Journals chat, which was generating a gazillion notifications of new posts, so I turned off notifications. Now I am not getting notifications for my own thread's posts. Anyway to change this so I get notifications only for my newsletter's chat?
Let me check with the team on this, Sarah!
Looking forward to when this is available on Android. Will you repeat this post then please as it is a bit irrelevant at the moment for us non iphone people?
Absolutely, thanks Cali!
I think this is spot on! It really opens up possibilities. You can share more the behind the scenes. I will definitely give it a try. Great work Substack team!
I was thinking a few days ago, how switching to substack gave me more confidence and ease in my writing process. This feature is super smart within the model.
As an Android user, I have to say this is the first time I've been frustrated with Substack rolling out features at different times. I'm getting all kinds of requests for chats with other Substacks that I can't participate in. It feels like we're being left behind a bit.
Hi Michael! We are truly, sincerely bummed we couldn't launch on both platforms. We know it's frustrating, and promise to get Android to you asap!
I know how hard you guys you work and what you put out is amazing. And I'm sure there is all kinds of behind the scenes stuff we're not even aware of. I just wish you could've waited and rolled out at the same time. I can't help but think our subscribers are getting messages from other Substacks and at least some are wondering why we're not participating.
Anyway, thanks again.
I wonder if Locals.com having recently launched articles forced this move. The world may never know
Exciting feature, thanks Substack 🫶
Wow that’s really amazing
Can you make a web version of this chats? It will be for everyone!