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For those developers who also have to support Android, please please please stop porting your iOS code and its login/signup code/UI. Android already has a mechanism for dealing with accounts and they are already populated with Facebook, Twitter, Google, Skype, LinkedIn, Dropbox etc. You can add your app too if you want to be a provider of authentication/authorization for your service. All you have to do is use the AccountManager API - http://developer.android.com/reference/android/accounts/Acco...

This is my number one peeve with apps ported from iOS and highly annoying. The AccountManager system already knowns my credentials and can provide the necessary access tokens - there is no need for your app to have yet another crappy username and password prompt. My passwords are also excruciating to enter on mobile devices because they are long and varied.

There seems to be some sort of fetish over repeatedly entering passwords and usernames on iOS. Am I the only one who noticed? https://plus.google.com/110166527124367568225/posts/Xdnbu4RP...




One of the reasons they added even more of the Apple ID password dialogs is because of issues like this: http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-sued-over-apps-luring... Basically, without repeated re-authorization (generally via password), accidental or unintended purchases were causing them issues.

I'll agree it's not ideal.


All they need is a little checkbox "Never ask again". The never ending stream of password prompts I encounter also have nothing to do with paid apps - I don't even have a card associated with my Apple id and only have free apps.


The sad thing is, almost every major app on Android has gotten this wrong. I was personally the one who contacted the Facebook for Android developer to beg him to use their own app's account sync when they released FB Chat for Android. Of course there was a silent update two days later that did not require the silly and redundant login.

There are many things like this. Developers whine that "it doesn't work well on Android" because they don't bother to learn how it should work on Android and just port their iOS app are surprised that it doesn't work well. iOS and Android are pretty darn different when it comes down to the details that matter in applications.

(IE: Instragram on Android is almost silly, whereas it seems nearly necessary to make the camera in iOS worthwhile).


Please elaborate on why you think Instagram on Android is silly. I'm don't quite follow.




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