Short Story
Mobile app for StocksCafe is now available again! Here is the Android link and this is the iOS link.
This is an early version and hence lacking many features. Of course, I will continue to add more features to it over time and the final goal is to make it as comprehensive as the desktop web version where possible.
If you prefer to install the pseudo mobile app which has more features supported currently, please follow the instructions on this article.
Long Story
Almost since the start of StocksCafe, users have been requesting for a mobile app. This request is not surprising as 50% of sessions of StocksCafe comes from mobile.
Given the limitation of being a one-man show, I tried to fulfill it with a simple short-term solution by building WebView app (i.e. basically a browser branded with StocksCafe) and released them in July (for iOS) and August (for Android) of 2016.
While it was meant to be a simple short-term solution, it was a bad solution for various reasons. I had more code bases to maintain (one for iOS, one for Android and one for Web) and worst, they are in different programming languages (cannot share code and had to learn more languages). This solution worked for a while until Apple decided to update their swift version and have an inanely complicated way of recovering passwords.
My next solution was simply to encourage users to install pseudo mobile app for StocksCafe. This solution still works, and if you do not mind it being imperfect in term of aesthetics, I would recommend it in the interim because it is quite comprehensive in terms of features.
All the above are just compromises and short-term solutions; I really do want to build native mobile apps that would give StocksCafe users a good mobile user experience.
Hence, for the last few weeks, I have been working hard on researching the modern way of building mobile apps effectively, then learning the framework which I believe would be the long-term solution, and finally actually building it. Of course, it is a far more complex process than I just described, but I’m sure you get the idea.
The happy news is that we now have native mobile apps for StocksCafe which you can download from Play Store (for Android), or App Store (for iOS).
This is an early version and hence lacking many features but I will continue adding features to it until it can satisfy everything you need to do with StocksCafe while on the go!
I would like to invite you to let me know what is the most important feature you need on the go. To keep in line with the definition of “most”, please suggest only one feature per person 🙂
Happy investing!
Thanks Evan! Is it possible to allow the user to choose some key info of their stock holdings eg average price, number of shares etc. which they can scroll to the right under the portfolio current tab. This can give user a quick look at key infor of their portfolio especially when making purchase or selling decisions. But may want to limit the number of key info one can choose. Similar to how it can be done on the web based version.
Added this ticket to reflect the request => https://stocks.cafe/friend/viewissue?issue_id=982
Thank you so much for the hardwork! Just a random question, do you have any resources that you used to build this app? Was always thinking of learning the know-how.
Great start! Hope for more features to be added in soon, esp dividends and prices and daily performance
” dividends and prices and daily performance ” => of individual stocks? You can see them now.
Great Job Evan! Thanks for the hard work!
@evan, At the moment, we can only see the performance of individual stocks for that day.
Will be good if we can have the information of the performance of our total portfolio for that day (Day Change).
Also, how much stock we have, our cost price etc, will be very helpful. Like what is shown in our portfolio view on desktop.
Hope this make sense.
“Will be good if we can have the information of the performance of our total portfolio for that day (Day Change). ” => You can on Portfolio/Overview. There is a + after “Total Portfolio”, it will give “Day Change”
“Also, how much stock we have, our cost price etc, will be very helpful. Like what is shown in our portfolio view on desktop.” => I suppose you mean, the ability to choose which column to display. Sure. Will do.