Any hope on the social networking front? Coming up on my deadline to return....

[ticktock5]

So I absolutely love my HTC 8X. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of phone hardware I've ever held. And I was so excited to finally make the switch to WP8... all of my friends, even the people at AT&T thought I was crazy. But the OS just seemed so compelling to me... the live tiles, the people hub... great, practical, and attractive innovations to make using your phone easier. I didn't even care about the lack of third party apps, because to be honest, on my old phone I really didn't use anything besides Facebook, Instagram, and MAYBE a game or two that I'd get bored of quickly.


But I've had the phone for a few weeks now and I still feel the need to carry around either my old iPhone or my iPad "just in case" something comes up that I can't do (or not as easily) on the WP.


Facebook - the integration is cute... but it's still unacceptable that there's no way to get the full facebook experience without going through your browser. Chat/messenger integration seems like a great idea in theory but it's buggy and impractical. For example if you try to chat with someone they have to go through some process to "accept" interaction with apps... definitely not the case with other platforms. And it doesn't sync messages with the "real" Facebook. All this to say, I wouldn't even care about the weak integration if there was a Facebook developed Facebook app with chat. I have a lot of other issues with the official MS developed app but this is the real dealbreaker. Has Facebook indicated that they will finally support the WP platform any time soon?


Instagram - not as important but still. And the latest rumor I read was that it was going to be a Lumia exclusive... why is MS even allowing things like that to happen? This makes me really concerned about having a non-Lumia WP in the future when it comes to next "fad"


Google wars - If Google withdrawing support is going to in any way affect the usability of their services, I don't care who's in the wrong.


Honestly... everything else is great. I've had a few mild irritations (like for not being able to import messages from my old phone. iOS and Android allow for this, why not WP?) but they're not dealbreakers.


I'm really torn. I don't want to be stuck with this for 2 years if these things aren't going to be fixed. But at the same time I don't want to give up on such a great phone (and a $35 restocking fee) if they WILL be addressed.

 

[onlywaytomo]

I have no idea what your talking about in regards to Facebook messaging, it has been flawless and seamless on both ends for me. I've had none of the issues with the messaging that you are taking about. Any issues I've had with that are due to t mobiles poor signal strength in some areas.
Sent from my Windows Phone 8X by HTC using Board Express

 

[ticktock5]

Can you share how you've got syncing etc. to work since I've been trying to find solutions for weeks and all I've found is other people complaining about it.

 

[SoloXCRacer]

Can you share how you've got syncing etc. to work since I've been trying to find solutions for weeks and all I've found is other people complaining about it.

What about it doesn't work?? When I FB chat with friends on my phone, it works. I log into the website, and I see my chat history with them that I had on the phone. I also see it on my Windows 8 message app as well. There's nothing special to it. Just link it to your FB account. You might to also check that your chat status is set to online on your phone. I it's set to offline, you won't get any messages.

 

[ticktock5]

I know how to set up Facebook chat. By "syncing" I mean that you can't see messages on your phone that you have sent on your Facebook account on your computer, for example. Which I guess might be ok if you never use facebook on other platforms... but I think most people do.

Again, this wouldn't matter if there were just a real, facebook developed facebook app.

 

[inteller]

Considering Instagram is now going to license your pictures for the highest dollar, I could giv ea crap if it ever comes to WP, but that crap probably just guaranteed that it will so they can foist as many pictures from people as possible.

 

[ticktock5]

What about it doesn't work?? When I FB chat with friends on my phone, it works. I log into the website, and I see my chat history with them that I had on the phone. I also see it on my Windows 8 message app as well. There's nothing special to it. Just link it to your FB account. You might to also check that your chat status is set to online on your phone. I it's set to offline, you won't get any messages.

Let me give an example. I'm on my computer chatting with a friend on Facebook. Then I get up to leave, grab my phone and make myself "available" so that I can continue to the discussion. But you can't see the previous messages from the earlier conversation because it wasn't held on your phone.

With "real" facebook apps it grabs all the messages on your account in real time, regardless of how/when they were sent, so it's not as disjointed.

 

[TheDvlsAdvc8]

Why on gods earth is instagram so popular? ... so as to make it a deal breaker? Oh wow, I can add effects and share on facebook.... OMG!!! Oh wait, I can do that without instagram.

So regarding facebook, you're wanting your phone to be chiming away next to you while you're pecking away at the keys on the computer? So if you carry your WP, iphone and ipad around with you... and you sit them on the desk while facebook chatting on the computer... you want 4 notification dings? The opposite should happen. The conversation on windows phone does appear on facebook's full website. ie... you're on the facebook website chatting... why should it send to your phone? If you want to view the whole chat you had on the computer, you can get it by opening the facebook app. The messaging hub is for MOBILE communication... if I'm sitting at the desktop chatting, I don't want my phone going off too. How annoying.

Everything is working as it should. If the full chat is important to you, pin the messages section from the facebook app to your start screen. Tada...

 

[D0gsballs]

Why on gods earth is instagram so popular? ... so as to make it a deal breaker? Oh wow, I can add effects and share on facebook.... OMG!!! Oh wait, I can do that without instagram.

So regarding facebook, you're wanting your phone to be chiming away next to you while you're pecking away at the keys on the computer? So if you carry your WP, iphone and ipad around with you... and you sit them on the desk while facebook chatting on the computer... you want 4 notification dings? The opposite should happen. The conversation on windows phone does appear on facebook's full website. ie... you're on the facebook website chatting... why should it send to your phone? If you want to view the whole chat you had on the computer, you can get it by opening the facebook app. The messaging hub is for MOBILE communication... if I'm sitting at the desktop chatting, I don't want my phone going off too. How annoying.

Everything is working as it should. If the full chat is important to you, pin the messages section from the facebook app to your start screen. Tada...

I'm pretty sure mine does this and it annoys the crap out of me. How can I stop it?

 

[ticktock5]

Why on gods earth is instagram so popular? ... so as to make it a deal breaker? Oh wow, I can add effects and share on facebook.... OMG!!! Oh wait, I can do that without instagram.

The thing is, there are obviously a lot of people out there who would disagree with you... And most of them aren't going to be on this forum, because as soon as they walk into AT&T or whatever and hear WP doesn't have things like instagram, they're not even going to bother. I'm one of the few that's open minded. So yeah... do you want to be using a niche platform that everyone gives up on in a few years? Or do you want to be using a successful OS with tons of support (both third party and MS) for years to come? If the latter, they have to give consumers the biggest variety of options of what they can do with their phone.

So regarding facebook, when you're wanting your phone to be chiming away next to you while you're pecking away at the keys on the computer? So if you carry your WP, iphone and ipad around with you... and you sit them on the desk while facebook chatting on the computer... you want 4 notification dings? The opposite should happen. The conversation on windows phone does appear on facebook's full website. ie... you're on the facebook website chatting... why should it send to your phone? If you want to view the whole chat you had on the computer, you can get it by opening the facebook app. The messaging hub is for MOBILE communication... if I'm sitting at the desktop chatting, I don't want my phone going off too. How annoying.

Everything is working as it should.

That's not what I'm asking for at all. I didn't even have my old facebook app set to push notification because that's not what I was looking for (I agree, it would be annoying to have every device going off at once).

All I want is when I open up my "conversation" with a person, I want it to be able to display all the previous messages in that conversation. With the iPhone and Android facebook and facebook messenger apps that's possible, because they all download the messages directly from Facebook's servers each time you open it up. You don't get a new "ding" for each old message, because it knows that you've already read them through another medium. WP's chat integration is unable to do that (probably because they're just working with the public API as opposed to having facebook develop for them). Which would be FINE, if there were an app that could. Just give us both options... the integration for people who want it, and the full facebook experience through an app for people who want that.

 

[UnfixedPyle]

Have you tried Fim chat? I haven't personally but it claims to do what you are asking it to do as far as chat goes. As for google, they are getting very anti competitive so unless there are a lot of WP users that they can mine data from I doubt they will make apps. As for Instagram, it will only be a Lumia exclusive (if it is at all) for a limited time, kind of like Words With Friends etc. The reason it would be exclusive is because Nokia is paying them to bring it to their phones. HTC and Samsung couldn't care less if you get those apps, so you might want to think twice about their phones until they show they can move some stuff to make it happen. Nokia has already proven they will bring stuff to WP because thier livlihood is on the line.
good luck

 

[ticktock5]

Have you tried Fim chat? I haven't personally but it claims to do what you are asking it to do as far as chat goes. As for google, they are getting very anti competitive so unless there are a lot of WP users that they can mine data from I doubt they will make apps. As for Instagram, it will only be a Lumia exclusive (if it is at all) for a limited time, kind of like Words With Friends etc. The reason it would be exclusive is because Nokia is paying them to bring it to their phones. HTC and Samsung couldn't care less if you get those apps, so you might want to think twice about their phones until they show they can move some stuff to make it happen. Nokia has already proven they will bring stuff to WP because thier livlihood is on the line.
good luck

Thanks for the helpful response. I'll have to check that out when I get the chance.

That's a bit relieving to hear that it'd be temporary exclusivity... I was really disappointed in the Lumia's current line-up due to the form factors (I really liked the 800/900 versions but didn't buy because they weren't getting wp8).

 

[iamtim]

Why on gods earth is instagram so popular? ... so as to make it a deal breaker?

Why does it matter? The bottom line is that there are a LOT of people who use it and who want it on Windows Phone. If you're not an Instagram user, you'll likely never understand. But... can you understand that it is important, if for no other reason that many, many prospective Windows Phone users say it is?

 

[inteller]

i think after today's money grab announcement there will be a lot less instagram users.

 

[iamtim]

Maybe... maybe not. Similar TOS changes have happened before in the past with other social networks, and they've either changed their TOS's or ridden through the backlash and are still around today. You're probably right, but it remains to be seen.

 

[ticktock5]

Yea I don't see people caring. I remember the faux-outrage when Facebook and google pulled this crap and as far as I can tell they're still going strong. I'd rather them not use my data, but it's a free service... I'm definitely going to keep using it.

 

[Ultimateone]

Almost everyone I know on Facebook are deleting their IG accounts

 

[ticktock5]

Ha, I'm pretty sure few of my friends/followers even know about the changes let alone would quit. And on fbook I have maybe 500 friends and haven't heard a peep about it on my news feed... Was surprised actually there's always a few ppl who freak out whenever facebook does something sketchy, but not a single person has mentioned this

 

[TheDvlsAdvc8]

The thing is, there are obviously a lot of people out there who would disagree with you... And most of them aren't going to be on this forum, because as soon as they walk into AT&T or whatever and hear WP doesn't have things like instagram, they're not even going to bother. I'm one of the few that's open minded. So yeah... do you want to be using a niche platform that everyone gives up on in a few years? Or do you want to be using a successful OS with tons of support (both third party and MS) for years to come? If the latter, they have to give consumers the biggest variety of options of what they can do with their phone.

That's not an argument. What does instagram provide that isn't available a dozen other, often superior, ways? (other than them owning the rights to your pictures now) Any given app simply provides a service. Do you just want the name?

That's not what I'm asking for at all. I didn't even have my old facebook app set to push notification because that's not what I was looking for (I agree, it would be annoying to have every device going off at once).

All I want is when I open up my "conversation" with a person, I want it to be able to display all the previous messages in that conversation. With the iPhone and Android facebook and facebook messenger apps that's possible, because they all download the messages directly from Facebook's servers each time you open it up. You don't get a new "ding" for each old message, because it knows that you've already read them through another medium. WP's chat integration is unable to do that (probably because they're just working with the public API as opposed to having facebook develop for them). Which would be FINE, if there were an app that could. Just give us both options... the integration for people who want it, and the full facebook experience through an app for people who want that.

Great. You have that then. Pin the messaging section of the facebook app. Where it says "messaging", hold on it, "pint to start". Instant access to your full facebook conversations whereever you have them.

I'm not being a ******, I'm a developer for multiple platforms. I honestly don't get your complaint. Its not a matter of API, Microsoft developed the wp facebook app and your whole conversation is there. The messaging hub provides mobile communication only, probably going through microsoft services first. You'll notice your non-mobile messenger conversations aren't showing up in the hub either.

 

[TheDvlsAdvc8]

Why does it matter? The bottom line is that there are a LOT of people who use it and who want it on Windows Phone. If you're not an Instagram user, you'll likely never understand. But... can you understand that it is important, if for no other reason that many, many prospective Windows Phone users say it is?

Again another faux argument. I was an instagram user on iphone. It was a means to an end. I have other means on WP to do the exact same things... and in fact, I've found some implementations better or more slick than instagram. No loss.

Again, what does instagram bring to the table?