Mobile App Changes

[nvestysly]

Hello Admin (particularly Janet H),

The apps have also been discontinued for other Social Knowledge forums. That makes sense and I've seen the notices on the other forums I use.

I know you said there will be exciting news soon. Can you provide more details on the time frame?

Thanks.

[kscherzi]

Put me on the side of not too happy with this change. I can't see one thing that's better about the mobile web version that replaced the Airforums app. The screen is harder to view. Little videos ads keep popping up every time I view a different thread. Navigation is worse. Speaking of threads, the mobile app remembered where I was when I looked again a few days later. The web view always defaults to post #1. On a thread with dozens of posts this is a PITA having to do scroll forward many pages. Overall the mobile experience is now pretty lousy. I really hope this isn't the new normal.

[SSquared]

One important tip:


While using the mobile version of the web page, when you want to read a thread, don't click on the thread title. Instead, click on the arrow to the right of the title. That will take you to your next unread post.

[AKNate]

Originally Posted by FishByFly

I’ll pile on here. The website is not as user friendly and the APP. I had several threads I’ve been following…for years. Some go back 2003 before we got our first trailer. I’m very disappointed for that history loss.

Absolutely agree. The mobile website is terrible and has nowhere near the functionality or usability of the app. Not that the app didn’t need updating, but it should have been updated, not deleted with no alternative and not even a timeline given for when a new app might be available. The website is even more outdated than the app was and is not a usable alternative on a phone.

[Llittle54]

Web 👎👎
App 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[Eric1013]

I am having trouble making a new thread.
I have typed it out 3 times!!
Every time I click on submit thread it says I am not logged in. But I am!
Then if I log in again it takes me to totally white page and I have to quit the browser and start over.

What I am I don’t wrong?

In a iPhone

[vonherrmanna]

I agree. I'm mostly new to the forum, and enjoyed the app. It was easier to navigate for me.

[vonherrmanna]

I loved the app. It was easier to navigate and much less clutter.


A little over a year ago, I purchased a 1999 Excella 30' travel trailer to fix up. The advice, information, and general help I've received through the forum has been amazing. Almost exclusively, I used the app. I've been away from the forum for a while due to various reasons and when I tried to load it, it was gone. This made me sad as it was much easier to navigate. To say I'm a little disheartened is a bit of an understatement.


Please reinstate the app. I'd even be willing to pay a small fee for it's use.

[AKNate]

Six months ago we were told “In the coming months, we'll be moving to new software (exciting details soon) so this current change is a temporary one.” Not a word about it has been said since. An update would be nice. This forum is essentially unusable for mobile users now.

[davidlbriggs]

Are ads removed with rvlife pro subscription?
Should I start logging in to airstream forums with my pro credentials?
Telk me about "aging platform", is it ultimately going to be completely replaced with something new, or go away completely?


Thanks, david

[AKNate]

Good grief this website is absolutely infuriating to try and use on a mobile device. I hope they release the long ago promised mobile app replacement soon.

[Monoman]

Following. Looking forward to an up to date system and app.

[Jum]

From another thread, the site is supposed to be migrating to Xenforo away from vBulletin. I've owned/setup/managed forums on both (and phpbb, SMF, etc) and Xenforo was my preference.

One big positive for Xenforo is (not sure if vB has it now) the fluid themes that adapt to whatever resolution/aspect ratio you're using on a device.

I hope the parent company gets it going at some point because it's a huge improvement.

[Johnsito]

I have used the air forum app since I joined 11 years ago. Now, it won’t let me login. It throws an error as if my password is bad. I log into the web site forum with no issues.

I’m running the latest posted air forum app.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Johnsito

[FishByFly]

Sad. Right? Supposedly there is going to be a new app. That has been the “story” for MONTHS!

[Wazbro]

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f13...es-247238.html

[AKNate]

Originally Posted by Janet H

In the coming days forum access via the mobile app will be discontinued …

…In the coming months, we'll be moving to new software (exciting details soon) so this current change is a temporary one. ]

This was stated in 2023. It’s now 2025 and there’s been no update, let alone the promised new app. I’d just like to reiterate my opinion that the mobile website version of Airforums is absolutely HORRIBLE and utterly unusable as a substitute for the app on mobile devices. Without a mobile app or even anything close to a decent mobile website, this website is dying a slow death. The majority of web users access the internet through their phone nowadays, with that number being heavily skewed toward the younger generations. By not having a mobile app, Airforums is loosing the daily interactions and community of all but desktop users, which is not a growing demographic. I myself used to go on here multiple times a day, but now it’s probably less than once a month and I usually shortly leave in frustration.

[Monoman]

Originally Posted by AKNate

This was stated in 2023. It’s now 2025 and there’s been no update ....

Unfortunately, I have seen this happen with other forums as well. The admins/owners are likely not knowledgeable about tech and/or getting bad advice. As membership and activity goes down so does their desire to invest in new things they do not understand.


I am one of those desktop holdouts. I don't like social apps on my phone but I will put them on my tablet.

A modern community forum with the right app and social media integration is the way to go but they need someone that knows what they are doing to lead them there.



Again, I've seen this before and it will be sad to see another huge community and collection of knowledge disappear.

PS - @admins - Do not change the forums to another platform if it means you are going to lose the ability to easily find old posts. Florida Sportsman did this and it was the beginning of the end to what was once the most active fishing forums on the internet. It has still not been replaced by another online community and all of the helpful content is lost forever.

[Monoman]

Follow up - I just looked through a handful of the communities RV Life now manages. https://rvlife.com/feature/rv-life-communities/


You can see they have been actively changing them over to the new software and it seems to have been mostly successful. It looks like they put all of the forums on notice that they would be changing over around the same time. I am guessing it is taking much longer than they expected.


I also suspect they waiting to upgrade the largest forums until after they get comfortable with the process.



@Janet H - can we get an update and a realistic timeline?

[Bearstream01]

Just 2 cents to say i use the airforums all the time on my phone. I just do “Request Desktop Website” and it loads the desktop version. (I do this for EVERY website that tries to load the mobile crap first. Sorry, i hate mobile versions of ANY website! Ha.) 2 more cents…. Using the desktop version on my phone, I dont even see the need for an app. Just sayin.