“It works better in the app”
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Google's Calendar app cannot subscribe to calendars from a URL, requiring a desktop browser.
Terence Eden rants about half-baked apps, using Google Calendar as an example that still cannot subscribe to a calendar via a link on Android 17. He had to use desktop mode on calendar.google.com to add a calendar, which then synced to the app. He argues that many companies push users to apps that are incomplete, harder to update, and essentially reinvent the web browser poorly. He notes that modern browsers support homescreen icons, offline service workers, and advanced APIs, making many app-only functions redundant.
What commenters are saying
Commenters broadly agree, blaming incentive structures where Googlers get promoted for launching features, not finishing them. One notes that Google deliberately half-asses open standards to lock users into their ecosystem. Several users report avoiding apps entirely due to privacy and tracking concerns; they use web versions or PWAs instead. A split emerges: some argue real-time, sensor, and offline tasks genuinely require native apps, while others counter that most apps are just web wrappers with worse privacy. The thread overall criticizes the 'it works better in the app' push as a data-collection and engagement tactic.