Last year, Imgur told us we could expect mobile apps in the fall, but that never happend. They did, however, launch a major site redesign, which appeared to set Imgur apart a bit from reddit with which it has become so closely associated. The redesign showed that Imgur was truly interested in catering to its own community, regardless of whether users came from reddit or anywhere else.
The Android app (and no doubt a pending iOS app) continues in this tradition.
“We’re really excited to bring Imgurians a mobile tool that makes their Imgur experience better,” says CEO and founder Alan Schaaf. “We’ve seen mobile usage double annually, up from about 7% in January 2011 to 30% at the beginning of this year. The decision to build and release our own app was due to a substantial increase in mobile browser usage over time. We’re trying to develop a closer, more intimate relationship with our users and we think people’s phones are the best way to reach out and do that.”
The app brings the full experience of the site with it. Users can view, share, comment and engage with images. The company compares it to a YouTube for images.
“To that end, discovering and consuming cool content is a core focus for both the site and for the new app,” the company says. “The user experience is all about finding the newest, most interesting ‘viral’ images, engaging with them, and sharing them with friends. The dynamic nature of the content inspires users to engage frequently, in many cases on a daily basis.”
Imgur is promising other new features in the coming months that will help aid content creation, personalization and discovery.
The app is now available in Google Play.