Note to readers: Check out the new Substack app

I was a beta tester and use it all the time to read and comment

Mar 13, 2022

I’m really excited about the new Substack app. I have been one of the beta testers for the past couple of months, so I’ve already shifted from reading Substack on email and web to almost entirely on the app.

You can download it for free on Apple phones here:

Available for iOS and Android

BEFORE YOU FREAK OUT, you can still get my newsletter just by e-mail. You don’t have to change.

But I think you should try the app because it’s a much better experience for both reading and commenting. It’s very calm and simple. Watch it in action in this video:

Benefits of the app:

As my paid subscribers know, the commenting system on Substack is so hard to track and talk to each other. In the app, we can easily see each other’s comments and have a smoother discussion.

As a writer, I’ve shied away from sending you updates that are short or not “important” because I didn’t want to fill up YOUR inbox with too many unread “Emily Posts” emails to go through. I think that if more of my readers are on the app, I’ll write more of the short things that I generally just put on social media because it won’t be another email to click open and read.

When I first started using it, I kept forgetting to check it because I was still looking at my emails. But I turned off my Substack emails so now I open the app to see what I want to read. For me, the biggest selling point is fewer emails. I get HUNDREDS a day — on several accounts — and I never get to the bottom of my inboxes. Now I know my Substack newsletters are streamlined in the app.

Also, I like being able to swipe into and out of stories more easily than opening and closing emails or websites. See this:

If you have an Android phone, there’s a waitlist for the app here.

I like being on Substack’s product development writer team because it lets me share my opinions on their products directly with them. So if you find bugs or problems with the app, just tell me in the comments on this post, and I’ll ask them to fix it.

Available for iOS and Android

If you have any questions about the app and how to transition to it, just ask me in the comments. I opened them up to free subscribers too…

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PS- I just read back this post and it reads like I’m selling something. I just want to make it clear that the app is free. I’m not getting paid to beta test it. I’m not getting paid for downloads. I just like it! As I often used these hashtags on social media: #NotanAd #JustaFan for the Substack app.