Why do we need to pull to update the mobile application?

Question

I am wondering why I still see a lot of applications (including fb and instagram) that use the pull function to update to update the content? I mean, they have a notification system that can tell itself to update when new data arrives. I see that FB, for example, has a small bubble in the news section that says that I have new feeds there, and it can take over if I click on it, but the update function for updating still exists . Why?

Answer 1

This is a great question. I interpret it in terms of user experience.

Fast Company interviewed Kevin Systrom several years ago when Instagram added pull-to-refresh. He was not at that.

Systrom feels a gesture that allows mobile users to update their photo feeds by simply dragging their thumb, is an unnecessary addition to its application, a relic of another era of the smartphone. “I don’t believe there should be update buttons,” he says.

You are correct that applications do not need to provide manual update features. I would say that actions related to updating and other users fall under the category of interfaces that return the agency to users, rather than relying on automatic processes to complete the task - in this case, updating the content.

There are several questions that the user can ask if the update links were removed from the examples you gave.

• How do I get new content?
• How often is this content updated?

Does the user know that the content is automatically updated? Do they hope that it is quickly and consistently updated?

The Nielsen Norman Group wrote a message at the end of last year about the visibility of the state of the system, in particular, that progress indicators contribute to a positive user experience, reducing uncertainty. I would continue this study to proceed with the update and its associated interfaces. Preserving the user's ability to manually perform an action that retrieves new content covers two of the ninety-fifty usability sketches — visibility of the state of the system and user control and freedom.

In this light, the user who connects to the update has a special vision: I need the latest data, and I want it now. Necessary or not, allowing them to update manually, can help improve the user experience.

Answer 2

FYI: Pull to refresh was first used by Lauren Brichter in the Tweetie 2 app, which was later acquired on Twitter.

I think his answer is how he implemented it. Pull down to refresh the gesture would be the appropriate answer to your question

Tweetie 2 just took this idea from Tweetie 1, that rebooting was just “downloading new”, and “downloading new” puts new messages at the top of the list ... and activated an action based on the movement of the finger that you already did. Why would the user stop scrolling, raise them with his finger, then press the button? Why don't they continue the gesture that they are already in the process of creating? When I want to see newer things, I scroll up. So I made a scroll of myself with a gesture.

Gesture is only half the battle, although you need appropriate Feedback. After activating the reboot, the scrollable area of ​​the list actually changes to leave the feedback interface in place (rather than bouncing off the screen). Without this part, the user interface is unintuitive. And also after the download is complete, the user interface itself disappears.

Link

Answer 3

It’s usually better to choose when to update the news feed, for example, in Social applications . Since it’s usually not recommended to update the content automatically when the user is still reading it. This may cause confusion with the user. And pulling to upgrade is a qualified feature to do the job.

In addition, it is the preservation of mobile data use, especially in countries where the Internet is expensive

Answer 4

Your question is awsome .. I have R&D on it. see currently applications never use pull to update in android. because android has a service that can work in the background using wack-lock. but ios do not have a background service.

Service

always consumes the battery in the best way, when the application is open, you can use the service at any time and after stopping, and also use wipes to synchronize or update.

hope you have an idea about this.

I have a link for more information about this. comments that may open you up for this point.

Answer 5

A simple point considering google Do and Do not

Swipe-to-Refresh can be used for single-phase downloads. We can use a different type of progress indicators, i.e. circular etc. to load content for the first time and load and simultaneously display all content or load items when scrolls.

You can clearly understand the goals by going through this