I don't use the app and won't, however hard they push it. The fact that they push you to the app relentlessly shows how much this is for them and not for you.
No they get way more data from the app as they typically (unless you explicitly block them, which most people won't do, and I'm not even sure you can block everything) get geolocation info, as well as whatever they can scrape from other apps on the phone - on an ongoing basis. With the website you just get a browser type, computer, and some vague location associated to your internet provider
When is everyone going to get together and just start a magazine? lol I want to spend time reading all of my subscriptions but it's getting a little overwhelming.
This is so depressing! The enshitification of Substack shows how little respect they now have for the authors and their subscribers despite their claims.
Funny, I had the opposite reaction! When I found out that I could stop receiving all of those annoying emails by using the app, I was all in. It would be nice if substack made it clear to people what the options are. Clearly, you are different from me, and that is wonderful. And it is wonderful that they give us options, but they should make it clear what the options mean.
I agree. I used to want emails only, and now I prefer receiving newsletters in the app. But Substack does not make these settings options clear at all.
I wrote a simple guide to using Substack for my own subscribers based on my experiences and feedback from my readers. The platform is quite flexible—though not perfect—if you know how to tweak the settings.
I am glad the Substack emails are no longer spamming my inbox and I have always felt guilty that my own newsletters were spamming my subscribers. I am glad they are not.
I think it probably makes a difference whether your readers are typical Substack readers. If they are, they’ll come to the app and see your stuff anyway. If they are not, they will get the email, won't they? At least, that’s how I understood the option. Well done Substack!
FWIW Using the Substack website is 100x better than using the app because it gives all those browser features like back buttons and history and open in new tab.
So you…. decided to punish the writers you like to spite the app you don’t? And then decided to write about this… _on_ the platform you’re not happy with? Agreed Substack has made some shite choices recently but… really?
i think it is worth sharing to our readership about the nuance here. there are a lot of dark patterns and deliberately deceptive the substack product makes in lots and lots of pockets of the product. sunlight is the best disinfectant. and as for the part where @felix is unsubscribing from things as he isnt getting the emails, that is a real and actual consequence of the substack decision... pretty clear, linear logic for me to see.
Sure, but not my point. If you don’t like the platform or the app that’s cool, I’ve personally been failing to sort Substack email vs app notifications for ~a year now and it’s kinda shitty.
But deliberately unsubscribing from everyone you pay for, solely bc you think the platform’s crap, only defunds writers. It makes zero difference to Substack, which is who he’s actually pissy with. So yes to that real and actual consequence, he’s just directing it at people who had nothing to do with it
totally hear you and i agree with your sentiment re: substack writers. in fairness to felix and as I understood it, he took that action before he figured out the underlying product problem/deception. he was unsubscribing because he thought he was paying for newsletters that weren't creating product/output.
everything about substack is great.... EXCEPT the email handling. When you are starting out its not even clear what the difference between following and subscribing is, and there is no fine-grained control over what you do and dont want to receive email about.
This is insane. The lack of communication is what bothers me here. Like, I might be okay with not receiving emails but I should be able to make that decision for myself.
Honestly I wish they had the option for zero emails. I’ve never made it to inbox zero, and anything that adds to the hellscape that is my inbox (12000 and counting) pisses me off.
The app's "prefer push"setting seems to cut almost all email as long as you keep it active every day. The email you can't get rid of is generated by the Substack owner when they send a direct email, like a fundraising email or a special announcement. I did unsubscribe from one great writer because his daily begging for money drive me nuts! But as long as you're subscribed and using the app regularly, you will only receive those special emails.
I had the exact same vs experience, and I’m glad it wasn’t just me! But I know for certain I didn’t choose that setting myself—it automatically opted me in to the dumb “smart” setting.
There should be a global preference in your User Profile where you can set this and at each new subscription, that preference can be changed. And you should never have to Opt Out of ANYTHING like when you’re subscribing to a new Substack and the Recommended other stacks are already selected…
Followers are people who see your Notes, generally in the app. Think of them as the curious. Subscribers are people who express more commitment by offering their email address — they receive your posts as emails or in app as they prefer.
Substack doesn’t make any money off of your followers. The purpose of Notes and followers is to help “discovery,” meaning to help new people find your newsletter.
I'm sorry, but I don't think this is correct. The purpose of Notes, and of the app in general, is to create a social media platform and to provide them with far more granular data about their user base. That data has monetary value, and also better positions them to be acquired one day, which I think is really the entire goal of the platform—one big payout.
I don't use the app and won't, however hard they push it. The fact that they push you to the app relentlessly shows how much this is for them and not for you.
Good point. Why you think that is?
Presumably they can harvest a lot of personal data that they can sell
They can get that from us signing up on the website not just the app. Or easier done via the app?
No they get way more data from the app as they typically (unless you explicitly block them, which most people won't do, and I'm not even sure you can block everything) get geolocation info, as well as whatever they can scrape from other apps on the phone - on an ongoing basis. With the website you just get a browser type, computer, and some vague location associated to your internet provider
Whoa! 😦 That’s insane. I had no idea. Not been keen on the app. But now even less so.
I deliberately read all my substacks in the app. This helps unclog my inbox and lets me set aside time for reading my substacks.
When is everyone going to get together and just start a magazine? lol I want to spend time reading all of my subscriptions but it's getting a little overwhelming.
This is so depressing! The enshitification of Substack shows how little respect they now have for the authors and their subscribers despite their claims.
Funny, I had the opposite reaction! When I found out that I could stop receiving all of those annoying emails by using the app, I was all in. It would be nice if substack made it clear to people what the options are. Clearly, you are different from me, and that is wonderful. And it is wonderful that they give us options, but they should make it clear what the options mean.
I agree. I used to want emails only, and now I prefer receiving newsletters in the app. But Substack does not make these settings options clear at all.
I wrote a simple guide to using Substack for my own subscribers based on my experiences and feedback from my readers. The platform is quite flexible—though not perfect—if you know how to tweak the settings.
https://babblery.substack.com/p/a-simple-guide-to-staying-sane-with
I am glad the Substack emails are no longer spamming my inbox and I have always felt guilty that my own newsletters were spamming my subscribers. I am glad they are not.
I think it probably makes a difference whether your readers are typical Substack readers. If they are, they’ll come to the app and see your stuff anyway. If they are not, they will get the email, won't they? At least, that’s how I understood the option. Well done Substack!
FWIW Using the Substack website is 100x better than using the app because it gives all those browser features like back buttons and history and open in new tab.
This is what has happened to me but I didn't even realize it. They just don't come. I don't want to use the app
So you…. decided to punish the writers you like to spite the app you don’t? And then decided to write about this… _on_ the platform you’re not happy with? Agreed Substack has made some shite choices recently but… really?
i think it is worth sharing to our readership about the nuance here. there are a lot of dark patterns and deliberately deceptive the substack product makes in lots and lots of pockets of the product. sunlight is the best disinfectant. and as for the part where @felix is unsubscribing from things as he isnt getting the emails, that is a real and actual consequence of the substack decision... pretty clear, linear logic for me to see.
Sure, but not my point. If you don’t like the platform or the app that’s cool, I’ve personally been failing to sort Substack email vs app notifications for ~a year now and it’s kinda shitty.
But deliberately unsubscribing from everyone you pay for, solely bc you think the platform’s crap, only defunds writers. It makes zero difference to Substack, which is who he’s actually pissy with. So yes to that real and actual consequence, he’s just directing it at people who had nothing to do with it
totally hear you and i agree with your sentiment re: substack writers. in fairness to felix and as I understood it, he took that action before he figured out the underlying product problem/deception. he was unsubscribing because he thought he was paying for newsletters that weren't creating product/output.
everything about substack is great.... EXCEPT the email handling. When you are starting out its not even clear what the difference between following and subscribing is, and there is no fine-grained control over what you do and dont want to receive email about.
This is insane. The lack of communication is what bothers me here. Like, I might be okay with not receiving emails but I should be able to make that decision for myself.
Honestly I wish they had the option for zero emails. I’ve never made it to inbox zero, and anything that adds to the hellscape that is my inbox (12000 and counting) pisses me off.
The app's "prefer push"setting seems to cut almost all email as long as you keep it active every day. The email you can't get rid of is generated by the Substack owner when they send a direct email, like a fundraising email or a special announcement. I did unsubscribe from one great writer because his daily begging for money drive me nuts! But as long as you're subscribed and using the app regularly, you will only receive those special emails.
It wouldn’t be difficult to have a setting where we can choose which newsletters we want in email and which we want only in the Substack inbox.
I had the exact same vs experience, and I’m glad it wasn’t just me! But I know for certain I didn’t choose that setting myself—it automatically opted me in to the dumb “smart” setting.
There should be a global preference in your User Profile where you can set this and at each new subscription, that preference can be changed. And you should never have to Opt Out of ANYTHING like when you’re subscribing to a new Substack and the Recommended other stacks are already selected…
And none in app after? Well, I've followed your advice and many thanks for it.
Hm, in my settings I can only choose "prefer push", "in email and app" or "only in email". Perhaps they've updated settings. :-)
The language of the settings choices is different in different places! That’s one of the reasons this is confusing.
Followers are people who see your Notes, generally in the app. Think of them as the curious. Subscribers are people who express more commitment by offering their email address — they receive your posts as emails or in app as they prefer.
Substack doesn’t make any money off of your followers. The purpose of Notes and followers is to help “discovery,” meaning to help new people find your newsletter.
I'm sorry, but I don't think this is correct. The purpose of Notes, and of the app in general, is to create a social media platform and to provide them with far more granular data about their user base. That data has monetary value, and also better positions them to be acquired one day, which I think is really the entire goal of the platform—one big payout.
Hmm, I hear you & of course this may come to pass as it has on so much of the internet.
Currently Substack does not collect or sell that kind of behavioral data.
https://substack.com/ccpa
I've heard this from many people and most will probably just shrug and unsubscribe, understandably, same as you. Not great!