What are the pros and cons of implementing social login for a mobile app?
By social login I am referring to enableing users to login to your app using their social identity from more FB, twitter, ...
Thank you.
If login is via FB, Google, etc. I delete the app and do not use it.
On the other hand I may be too grumpy for my own good. A couple of days ago I came across an iOS app that seemed like a useful idea. Health, exercise etc. related. I downloaded it. It needed a username/password. I nuked the app com my phone. I decided I am not sharing health details (weight etc) at random. And I thought "Oh no, not another fucking username/password pair to go into 1Password." I am happily living without the app.
This puts you in a tough spot. If your app requires username/password to work I'm not likely to use it, no matter what system you use -- if there is personal information involved.
As I said, sample size n = 1.
[1] http://blog.mailchimp.com/social-login-buttons-arent-worth-i... [2] http://hyperallergic.com/54018/man-bartlett-why-i-deleted-my...
- There are people out there who do not have a social media account.
- Many of those people that do have one don't want to "share" their information with said social media account.
- This is a bit political, but I deeply believe that we, as developers, have a responsibility to our user-base. This responsibility includes but is not limited to user freedom and the ability to be anonymous if they desire that freedom.
- You are depending on the whims of another corporation, and a corporation that, by all historical evidence, won't be around or popular ~two years from now. Users delete and abandon accounts, now what?
- I think that, ultimately, it depends on your site and your use. For example, I want to promote anonymous discussion because I feel that this will create more honest discussion. Although there is a bit to be said about enforcing real names as an implied moderation tool, I put further weight on anonymity if the user chooses so.
- I want to be able to explore some of the functionality without providing any information at all. I want to read some copy, see a demo, see some screenshots, and ideally play with some functionality.
- I have no trouble creating a username/ password to try out a site. I have a 'throwaway' username/ password combo that I often use for sites I am just checking out.
- I will almost never use one of my established social identities for an app that I have just heard about, or one that has no traction yet. I don't want brand new apps to have any connection to my established identities, unless I have really good reason to trust that app and its developers.
Hope that helps, I imagine this is a pretty common mindset when people are checking out new apps.
But what about the advantages, like:
* no need to create and remember yet another new password
* automatic profile info and pic upload
* easier to find and be found by friends, more interactions.
The leverage that FBs social graph provides is real, otherwise they wouldn't cut the cord as they did many times on apps they felt were designed to be mainly a Facebook competitor.
Those positive aspects should be weighted as well.
A lot of our good (active) users are ones who make a custom account.
Another benefit for us offering an option is that we have found a place in schools.. But this is pretty specific to our app and may not apply to you at all.
We also give our users the option to not sign in at all, but limit what they can do (no community access)