I’ve surprised myself recently, and have been using Twitter less and less. Something must have flicked inside of me because I couldn’t imagine letting it go previously. I decided to remove it from my Home Screen and turn off notifications to reduce the urge to check it. It worked.
In its place, I’ve been using other social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn more. I’ve also been checking my email (too much), listening to audiobooks, and exploring Mastodon. Mastodon is the closest alternative to Twitter I have found, and with many new clients available, the experience is improving. Additionally, many from the tech community have migrated to it, and I am steadily building an audience there.
One of the much-talked-about clients is Ivory by Tapbots. I missed out on trying the TestFlight beta, but as of this week, Ivory for Mastodon by Tapbots is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Ivory has an adorable elephant mascot and a design that is top-notch. The makers utilised their 12 years of experience making Tweetbot, an award-winning Twitter client, to build Ivory. Sadly, because Twitter recently restricted API access to third-party developers, Tweetbot was forced to shut down this month.
Users familiar with Tweetbot will immediately feel at home using Ivory. While it is currently in early access, it is still a feature-rich app with a smooth experience. My timeline feels faster, and the app has plenty of customisations to make it truly your own. I changed my app icon to Original: Pink, which features the cute elephant, Ivory, on a hot-pink background. I’d love a blush-pink version too, but I am not complaining. I also changed my accent colour in the app to pink, because, why not? The Display settings in the app let you preview how a post will look, which is a nice touch.
The last three items on the tab bar are customisable, letting you change to Lists, Statistics, Filters, Bookmarks, or Favorites. The Statistics are particularly cool, allowing you to see your overall activity, including how many Favorites, Replies, Posts, Boosts, Mentions and Follows you’ve made. The app also has cute iconography and interactions, making it a delight to use.
According to the Tapbots website, which is also beautifully designed, the roadmap includes adding functionality to edit your profile and posts, view ALT descriptions, and support custom-instance emojis. Additionally, improvements are coming to notifications, the tab bar, and hashtag search. I’m looking forward to tab bar improvements, in particular. I would love to be able to rearrange my tabs like I did on Twitter with my Blue subscription.
Another feature I would like is an always-visible button to follow/unfollow in my Followers lists and Notifications. You can press a little squiggly icon (it looks like a tusk combined with a settings gear) to get more options, but at a glance, I would love to see if I follow someone already or not, to make building my community easier. Ice Cubes, another Mastodon client, has this feature on the Followers list, which I like. However, I have no problem using multiple clients for different features. And I do trust that it will keep getting better.
I asked my followers about their favourite Mastodon app, and Ivory was a strong contender. About it, they said: “it’s smooth as butter and free of clutter”, and “it has the most polish” with “carefully considered features.” They loved the “timeline position remembrance, smooth scrolling, overall icons, alternative app icons and the team behind [it].” If you haven’t already, I recommend you check it out.
🔗 Sources and Further Reading
In Memory Of Tweetbot · Tapbots
Ivory for iOS · Tapbots
Ivory for Mastodon Review: Tapbots Reborn · MacStories
Tapbots launches a new Mastodon client, Ivory, after Twitter kills its Tweetbot app · TechCrunch
Tweetbot’s devs are back with a Mastodon client · The Verge