Gospel Living app less than ideal to use right now

[keiffer]

There are a few things I believe are really lacking from this app that make it less than ideal to use right now.
1) The notification feature is ineffective. The badge function does not work and there is no way of knowing whether there is new message or not unless you open the app. Yes, I have verified my settings for notifications.
2) There is no ability to create new circles. This is important for callings like the Ward Mission Leader and the Temple and Family History Leader who need to hold monthly committee meetings and communicate with their committees prior to the meeting.
3) The app only being available for use on mobile devices makes a lofty assumption that everyone has a cell phone or wants to lug around a tablet everywhere. Many of our new YW and YM do not have cell phones. A desktop version would be beneficial for mbrs who do not have cell devices.

We want to use the app but unfortunately, it simply isn't more convenient to use than other messaging services. I believe with some tweaking, this can be a good tool, but for now, if we want timely communications with our youth and other members, this just isn't there yet.

[jknacnud]

This post gets a big amen from me. I was recently asked by my bishop to give a training on the Circles feature. There is not much to train on. This is the most very basic of group messaging applications. If the goal of Circles is to get people off of other platforms, this has a long way to go. Not only does each person need to be able to make their own circles, but they need to be able to direct message individuals. The My Life section is a great idea, but the implementation is far too basic.

When this app was first announced last year I was very excited. At the time I had been trying to get my ward to use Slack as a communication tool. It is a great tool for large organizations like wards and stakes. it was like pulling teeth to get people to try out one more app. I was hoping this was the answer. Then Gospel Living app was finally released and I was so disappointed. I have been holding out hope that maybe new features were forthcoming, but as the year has dragged on, there has been few, if any significant updates.

I look forward to the day when the church is no longer afraid of technology and can lead the world instead of constantly trying to play catch up. The church of the master of the universe should be on the cutting edge of technology.