Medium’s Free App Change and Toilet Writers Will Hate It

No More Sitting on the Toilet to Write a Story

While I do not think I sat on the toilet to write a story, I have written other social media on our toilet. You see, we have a bidet, or integrated toilet. The seat is warmed, the water spray can be as warm or cool as you want, and we never have to worry about toilet paper shortages again.

UPDATE BELOW

Tuesday’s Terror

But I digress.

If you have an iPhone, and I’m sure this is also the same with Google or Android phones too, the application on said phones has changed.

When I woke up this morning, I opened up the Medium app on the way to my morning routine. I was still groggy, having stayed up until 1 am last night reading and commenting on posts. I did not screen-shot the message and now I am kicking myself that I have not.

It said something like, we’ve updated the app to make it easier to do topic filtering and easier story navigation. Also, publication story previews that highlight authors, which I have no idea what that means. Some other stuff and then…something to the effect of:

We are taking away your ability to write on the toilet with your app. You can only use the desktop browser version to write your stories.

I was like, Ok I get it. and clicked the green button. I was not yet awake.

Went into the app and did not notice anything unusual. But then wait, were was that Plus sign I usually see on the right side of the screen? Where had that gone?

NO Green Plus Sign

As a scientist, I have to check out the multitude of angles. I opened my Safari on the iPhone to go to Medium that way. I had to re-log in and they kept re-directing me to the app. I was like no, I want to see the web version. There was no way to write a story.

BUT

You can still comment, clap, highlight, respond, share, and copy in the app. You can comment on your own posts or other followers posts as well as bookmark, display settings, and view stats of your posts.

The Medium App had become a social media app with restrictions.

WHY?

I think there were armchair or toilet sitting writers out there that were writing their stories, articles, and posts quickly without review first. I also think there are many people who decided that they do not need a desktop or laptop computer to write anymore. They only use their phone (and at $1,500 a pop, I can understand that being enough) to write their articles. I am so thankful that I have a desktop and a laptop and an iPhone to do my writing, reading, and researching.

What does this mean for you?

For some, this is the end of their writing career on Medium.

They do not have the laptop or desktop to write their stories. I have no idea for those with iPads or tablets, but if you are using the app, I would have to think you cannot write on there. At the App Store it showed the updates for the iPhone, but I could not click on the iPad updates as I did not have one.

It might mean better writing.

People will have to use the browser version on their computers. Most browsers (I have five different ones on my desktop: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Microsoft Edge) spell-check for you and might even do grammar too. You can research right there on the browser, without having to pull up a different program. You can move between tabs as quickly as you want.

I am sure most will hate it.

Even on most social media, you could write a post. The Medium app might be trying to be become a social media app but does not have the reach yet. This update pulled it back into the 20th century, not the 21st century.

Right now, I am writing on my computer. I have had some caffeine and I am writing out what I plan to do for the day ahead. I am writing, writing, writing, on my computer, in my journals, and in my planners. I plan to have breakfast soon and watch a Zoom about blogging. Then I will revisit Medium and start reading, clapping, commenting on my followers’ posts using my article:

It has become even more apparent to me now that everyone needs an article like this to find their followers rather than the home screen of what Medium is trying to show you. Maybe the lists portion will be where I go next. I am not sure.

I would love to know if my theory on the iPad or Tablets is correct. If you have to use the app to get to Medium on an iPad, does that mean you can no longer write on said iPad? Please let me know so I can update this story.

What do you plan to do? Let me know in the comments below.

Updated on April 16, 2022

While you cannot use the app, you can make changes in the Browser. However, it is Not the same as it once was, and that is a shame.