Parler is the Latest Social Media Darling
Reviewed by Jimbo
Connecting with people is incredibly easy thanks to social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Hangouts, Instagram, and many more that are less popular.
So how does a social media app actually get popular enough that it’s a go-to app for those looking to hang out and chat with like-minded individuals who share your interests? Afterall, what good is a social media app if those you want to connect with aren’t using it?
This is what you might call a “chicken and egg” problem and cracking it is not easy or inevitable.
Parler is a well-designed and easy-to-use app that makes connecting with those you know, as well as new like-minded people, quick and simple.
However it did it, Parler is on the way to reach escape velocity to become a verifiable winner.
Concept and Functionality: 
Signing up for Parler, a free app by Parler, LLC, is incredibly easy – all you need is an email address and a phone number. We were a bit disappointed to see that a phone number was required, but if you touch the ? next to the phone number field, Parler explains that they only use your number to authenticate your account and add a second layer of security.
An interesting aspect of Parler is that it actually bills itself as a News app and, in fact, it’s rated #1 in the News category of the App Store.
The app description says that it’s a “non-biased, free speech social media focused on protecting user’s rights”. We’re not sure that unrestricted commentary is the same a “news” but it does give people a place to sound off.
Getting up and running with Parler is easy. You’re not grilled with questions so you can be matched with the “perfect” people or topics to follow; just select any people or hashtags that you find interesting and you’ll be able to see their comments and share in the conversation.
Features:
Parler iPhone App
Parler makes it easy to see what topics are top-of-mind with its users. You can opt to see what “Partners” or “Affiliates” are posting just by tapping those headings.
By tapping the envelope icon in the upper right or swiping in from the right you access a “Private Messages” panel.
Once you do post something, it’s quite easy to add a photo to your comment. Unfortunately while adding a gif is easy, changing your mind is less so. If you select “Giphy” to add a gif to your comment and then decide not to use one, the “back” button doesn’t work, at least on an iPhone X, so you have to kill the app and start over.
If you tap on the magnifying glass on the right side of the bottom panel, you’ll see users or hashtags that you can follow.
Right now it seems much of the commentary is somewhat USA-political centric and conservative within that, even though one of the hashtags you can follow is #ParlerUK.
Even under #Apple you’ll see comments about the politics of tech companies, but that seems to be one of the big appealing aspects of Parler, that you can sound off about anything you like, or don’t like.
We were disappointed to see many users post completely unrelated ideological messages in hashtags so, for example, under the #bitcoin you see comments about Covid-19, Jesus Saves and a variety of fringe political rants.
Value:
Parler is available to download for free from the App Store.
Overall, we highly recommend Parler if you’re looking to chat with new people and talk about things you have in common.
It’s a great app that definitely has freedom of speech (within reasonable limits) in mind, and, in addition to being a top news app, will no doubt be a top social networking app very soon.
Parler requires iOS 10.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Source link:https://www.theiphoneappreview.com/parler-iphone-app-review/
