Banner advert in the app

[MagicFox]

Hi MNHQ,

There's a banner ad appearing in the ap (at the top) that makes the app visually really annoying to navigate. Will it be there permanently? It would be less bad at the bottom! Thanks!

1. I've NEVER seen ads like these on any other platform? Are you sure they are standard 'across the internet'?
2. Is it not worth taking on board that they are totally ineffective, and are driving your users away from your product? I'm currently writing on the browser version, on a PC, as the app on the phone is glitchy, really hard on the eyes, and impractical, with the banner.
3. What does 'due consideration' mean?
4. In terms of ads generally, I'm fine with them! I quite LIKE ads, if I'm reading a print publication, for example, I often cut out ads for services / products I'm interested in. On other apps (e.g. X - which has its own problems, sure!) I have sometimes found their ads / sponsored content quite useful actually. So properly placed, well-designed, user-friendly (including colour, sizing and movement) ads are ok in my view. Can you not go back to your designers and advertisers and come up with a better approach?
5. Why all the gambling ads?

Haven't we already said which ads are causing the problem?

How the fuck do we take a video of the offending ads on an app that we are using, by definition, on our phones

Quite apart from the fact that you can't attach videos on the app - even you were able to borrow another phone with which to take the video.

Time to delete the app and reduce my MN usage as it will mean going on to my laptop which is through in the kitchen.

Perhaps no bad thing

Yes. Multiple times. Very very annoying.

So I’ve gone ahead and deleted the app. This will significantly reduce my MN usage no bad thing as I have to go through to the kitchen to use my laptop - but perhaps not what the advertisers would want

I wonder how many others have likewise deleted the app?

This is the inevitable consequence when people’s valid issues are not listened to and worse minimised

Poor show @MNHQ @LilyMumsnet @JoMumsnet Very poor show

Royal Kingdom and any one of the Solitaire Clash and other scrolling adverts are the worst, as you've been told many times already @mnhq @LilyMumsnet @JoMumsnet

The ads you’re seeing are a standard format commonly used across the internet and in line with the set-up of the site.

I’ve checked the other social media type sites that I use (FB, X, Threads, Reddit) and none of them have a top banner permanently taking up limited space in their app in addition to the ads that we see as we scroll through the threads which we all understand the need for

And arguing that it is in line with the set-up of the site, when the app has such pared down functionality compared to the browser version, is disingenuous to say the least

The app was useful in its simplicity, so that you could concentrate on content (something I’m even more aware of now that I no longer have the app - but it is achieving the goal of keeping me mostly off Mymsnet. It’s certainly greatly reduced the time I spent on it today )

@JoMumsnet
@LilyMumsnet

Here you go though I don't know if it will upload as a video.

It's really slowing down the app..

I don't think you can upload videos in the app. Like others I'm totally frustrated by this - it makes the app almost unusable and I don't want to see gambling adds every time I'm looking at posts.

This is the main one I'm also getting (I can't find a way to upload a video of it).

I agree - it's slowing down the app and draining my phone battery.

This is borderline unusable and ridiculous MNHQ! Barely able to see one post at a time with banner and mid ads.

Who the heck designs your tech? Are they trying to kill the iOS app?

If this is permanent then will delete the app too. Going off to Reddit now instead.

@prettybird yes let's take a video on the app which doesn't allow video of something that's changed, without consultation, or reason.

Super idea

Thanks for responding @BeckyAMumsnet I'm not aware of any apps that use fixed banner adverts in this way, are you able to give some examples?

I know you get them on websites accessed via browsers, but I haven't seen them routinely used on apps.

@BeckyAMumsnet that's simply not true. Please could you share which apps you think this kind of design is standard on? There are three issues, none of which seem common anywhere else:

1. The amount of space the new banner takes up. I've had my ruler out. 17% of my phone's screen height is already taken up by the top and bottom menu bars. The new ad space takes up another 18% sp when I'm reading a thread over one third of the space is taken up by non-thread stuff

For info, on fb it's 16% menu bars which compacts to nothing when I scroll and on IG it's 12% which reduces to 0%.

1. The fact the ad space is fixed at the top. It's taking up space, as above, but is also right in the key eyeline permanently.

1. The fact that most of us seem to be getting gambling ads. You say to let you know.... well we have, repeatedly.

Sorry I missed a bit from my second point or perhaps it's a fourth point.. that these are animated ads and not static.

Just to repeat what lots of other posters have said, these ads are not standard across other sites I use and the gambling ads are particularly inappropriate.
@BeckyAMumsnet
@MNHQ

Please take these ads down!

Here's another point @BeckyAMumsnet

The banner ads are basically illegible. (That's because they are not meant to be used on apps!).

So what's the point of them? Is the one I've attached advertising a jewellers? I don't know, as all I can make out is 2 rings 🤷🏻‍♀️

Another joining in to say I'll be deleting the app and will no longer be able to use Mumsnet. There is just no way I can read with an animated ad on my screen. At the moment it's some slot machine going crazy. Very unfortunate.

Given that @mnhq don't update the app, and it doesn't have the same functionality as the desktop version, do you think that this is possibly what they want? Users to stop using the app?

The thought had crossed my mind

The only thing I can suggest at this stage is write an e mail to the CEO Justine Roberts, perhaps if enough people contact her about this then maybe something will be done because clearly whoever is in charge of the day to day running of this site couldn't give a shiney one about any of our opinions.

As phones get more and more advanced, and people are expected to download and use apps for pretty much everything, MN will be losing users left, right and centre. Many of us aren't sitting at laptops or computers all day and find the app easy and simple to log on to and read. I hate using Mumsnet on a browser, the page is so busy I can't find what I'm actually supposed to be reading. Headache inducing quite frankly.

The fact the ad space is fixed at the top. It's taking up space, as above, but is also right in the key eyeline permanently.

Worse than being right at the top, it's between the top bar and the posts. I've accidentally clicked an ad (once a gambling Install button) when going for flip screen, filter or back arrow.

@EarringsandLipstick - that’s true. Although now that I no longer have the app, I now have to make a special point of going on to MN via a browser and have therefore drastically reduced the time I spend on MN (effectively now just checking in on threads that I was already following).

No more random browsing of active threads for me

Probably a good thing for me but a bad thing for Mumsnet