As Twitter struggles to limit the number of accessible tweets and faces issues with its Tweetdeck app, the open-source Twitter alternative Mastodon Refreshes App for Android was released with significant updates.
The new app, released on the weekend, has been redesigned using Google’s Material Design language and offers unique features such as tab bars, settings, and a compose screen.
Mastodon founder and CEO Eugen Rochko has announced that the social network’s monthly active user base has grown to 1.4 million users.
This figure is 19% higher than previously reported and shows that Mastodon is still popular despite a drop in users since late last year when the website experienced a peak in popularity following Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. The update affects the mobile apps, web version, and third-party clients of the social network.
The new Android app from Rochko offers users dozens of ways to customize their experience in the settings screen, such as changing the default posting language, setting reminders to add alternative text to their media uploads, and hiding the “boost” and “favorite” counters.
The “boost” counter is Mastodon’s equivalent of Twitter’s retweet feature. Additionally, users can access information regarding the server they’re connected to and view its rules.
Mastodon’s decentralized social network allows users to join a server that is connected to other servers across the network. Each server is managed by its admin(s) and follows its moderation guidelines.
To further enhance the user experience, the Android app’s refreshed user profile section now displays all the featured content that was missing from the app, such as pinned posts, featured hashtags, and endorsed users, as noted by Rochko.
Mastodon now allows users to filter content based on phrases or keywords, as well as customize when the filters should be applied. Additionally, users can opt to pause notifications for a period of time if they need a break.
Furthermore, Mastodon has made it easier for users to verify their profile by providing a link that can be placed on their website that points to their profile.
Although this verification process does not grant users a “blue badge” as on other social networks, it does help to authenticate someone’s identity across the web.
The refreshed app for Mastodon is available on the Google Play Store, but there are other options for Android users as well. Popular alternatives include Tusky, Megalodon, Fedilab, Tooot, and more.
iOS users have an even wider selection including apps like Woolly, Mammoth, Radiant, and Ivory, which have grown in popularity since the Twitter acquisition by Elon Musk and the subsequent API changes that put many Twitter apps out of business.
An update to Mastodon’s official mobile app has a greater effect on Android users than on iOS users due to the fewer third-party options available on Android.
