{"id":89230,"date":"2023-08-04T14:54:22","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T14:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/08\/04\/stomp-brings-a-fully-functional-mastodon-app-to-your-apple-watch\/"},"modified":"2023-08-04T14:54:22","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T14:54:22","slug":"stomp-brings-a-fully-functional-mastodon-app-to-your-apple-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/08\/04\/stomp-brings-a-fully-functional-mastodon-app-to-your-apple-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"Stomp brings a fully-functional Mastodon app to your Apple Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Another former Twitter app developer has turned their attention to Mastodon in the wake of Elon Musk\u2019s Twitter takeover which put an end to third-party clients. Launching today, a new app from the developer of the Twitter app Chirp is bringing Mastodon\u2019s social network to your Apple Watch. Stomp, as the new app is called, offers a full Mastodon experience for the watch\u2019s small screen, including the ability to view your timeline, check trends, access your lists, search, send messages, and more.<\/p>\n

Stomp\u2019s developer Will Bishop has been interested in building apps for Apple Watch for years, having previously developed a micro version of Reddit called Nano before launching his Twitter app Chirp for Apple Watch in 2018.<\/p>\n

But last Saturday, Chirp finally shut down<\/a> as a result of the API changes enacted under Elon Musk\u2019s ownership of Twitter, which has since rebranded as \u201cX.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Looks like Twitter finally shut down Chirp<\/p>\n

19 June 2018 \u2013 14 July 2023<\/p>\n

It had a great 5 year run. It was my first app to gain traction and the experiences that resulted from it have been incredible.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll take it off the App Store later today.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Will Bishop (@WillRBishop) July 14, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Chirp isn\u2019t the only Twitter app to shut down in recent months.<\/p>\n

Twitter\u2019s\/X\u2019s new policies had already put an end to other third-party Twitter clients like Twitterrific, Tapbbots\u2019 Tweetbot, Echofone, Fenix, and others. And, like Bishop, several of those former Twitter app developers refocused on\u00a0building for Mastodon instead. Tapbots, for example, gave up on Twitter and launched Ivory for Mastodon users. Fenix\u2019s developer launched the Mastodon app Woolly, and the developer of the Aviary Twitter app created the Mastodon app Mammoth.<\/p>\n

Stomp\u2019s biggest differentiator from the rest of these new third-party Mastodon clients is, of course, that it runs on the Apple Watch.<\/p>\n

Explains Bishop, \u201cSince Twitter\/X\u2019s acquisition, people have been asking me to build a Chirp-esque app for Mastodon, and Stomp is my answer to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStomp<\/span> gives Mastodon the Chirp treatment, including all the major features you\u2019d expect from an iPhone Mastodon app, but in my trademark Apple Watch fashion,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, it\u2019s a fairly comprehensive Mastodon app. You can endlessly scroll your Mastodon timeline, like and boost posts, view images and videos, and even reply to posts right from the watch\u2019s small screen. You can also tap on links, mentions, and hashtags as you could on an iPhone app and check in on what\u2019s Trending.<\/p>\n

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However, when you click on links in Stomp, you\u2019re served a notice that explains you\u2019ll be asked to sign in as a workaround for viewing webpages on the Apple Watch. With another tap, you\u2019re then able to view the webpage in the Stomp app. This extra step is required because third-party apps aren\u2019t technically allowed to open links or display web pages.<\/p>\n

Stomp\u2019s way around this is to leverage the third-party sign-in support on Apple Watch \u2014 something that Apple permits in order to allow third-party logins through providers like Google or Facebook. That\u2019s why the app prompts you to \u201cSign in\u201d to display the website.<\/p>\n

Though Stomp is a free download on the App Store, not all its features are available for free.<\/p>\n

Via an in-app purchase, you can opt to upgrade to \u201cStomp Pro.\u201d This allows you to create and reply to posts, use direct messages, and access search and lists.<\/p>\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong> Stomp<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

But Bishop is offering several different ways to pay, including \u201cpay what you want\u201d one-time purchases of $2.99, $5.99, or $9.99 as well as a monthly subscription of $0.99 or an annual subscription of $9.99. An in-app Tip Jar is also available.<\/p>\n

Stomp is rolling out today to the App Store.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n