Lock-in with user account

[simonsan]

Hey,
I wanted to try out your app but it wouldn't let me even get off the starting screen without me creating an user account. Personally I think that is not good from the UX perspective. I don't want to be forced to have an account somewhere for a photo album and camera app - even if it's promising me to make encrypted backups and what not.

I think what could be better would be a Skip option when starting the app, the user being able to voluntarily login to/register a new account from the options/hamburger menu. But the app itself being usable without having a user account and syncing being possible even to alternative storage providers (#47).

[alexamiryan]

We have thoughts about this already. However we have little bit another approach.
So to use app without having to create account or login you will have an option to use your offline account. This will create separate folder in the sdcard and you will have your regular Stingle Photos experience, but without backup, sync and secure sharing.
After that you can logout from offline account and login with online account. But mixing them is not a good idea. I mean imagine you have bunch of photos in offline account and you suddenly login on top of that, what we should do then? Upload existing photos using that account? For that we will need to reencrypt them. Lot's of problem arises that way.
I think best solution will be to separate them and for those people who need just an offline version they can use that.

Another idea is to release completely separate app in Play Store, that will be only offline and will also lack network permission.

Any thoughts?

[itsfarseen]

@alexamiryan you could add the offline/online option on each album.

Show an icon representing "not synced" on offline albums.

Maybe add an option to make an existing album online/offline too.

If the user hasn't signed in, default to offline album.
If they click the make online button, show a dialog saying they need to sign up.

[alexamiryan]

Thanks for the suggestion