Circle.so (or Circle) is one of the best online community platforms around. It’s incredibly easy to use and offers all the tools you need to build a thriving community. And one of its best features happens to be its mobile app.
So, how does the Circle.so app work? What is the user experience like?
To answer these questions, we have created an in-depth overview of the Circle.so app. Based on our hands-on experience and hours of research, we’ll walk you through the app and explore its core features.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
What Is the Circle App?
The Circle app is a mobile app available on iOS and Android devices that allows owners and members to interact with their communities on the go.
The idea is to make it easier to participate in the community, offer an excellent user experience on mobile devices, and ultimately lead to higher engagement.
Using the mobile app, your members can:
- create new discussions,
- react to existing posts,
- watch online courses,
- attend livestreams,
- message other members, etc.
As a community owner, you can also use the app to join these discussions and add new content while you’re out and about. However, the app is made mainly for the community members’ experience, not the content owner, so you won’t find any admin settings.
What it does for the community, it does well. You can send push notifications to your members through the app and keep them updated about the latest activities in your community.
The good thing is that the mobile apps are available to all Circle communities at no extra cost. You and your members can use the app as long as you’re subscribed to one of the platform’s pricing plans.
One thing to keep in mind is that the apps aren’t white-label. Rather these are Circle’s apps through which members can access your community. Circle, however, is working on launching a branded community apps feature.
Now, let’s explore the app in more detail.
How Does the Circle App Interface Look?
The Circle mobile app has a clean interface and intuitive navigation.
The app’s homepage lists all the spaces in your community, so your members can easily access them. Plus, it displays all spaces and space groups in the exact order they appear in the web version.
Additionally, the app has an actions menu at the bottom of the screen that further contributes to its user-friendliness.
From here, members can easily add a new post, check their latest notifications, search for posts and comments, or start a chat.
You’ll find that Circle’s iOS app’s experience is a bit different than the Android app’s. And it’s not surprising because the iOS app has been available since the beginning of 2021, while the Android version was released at the end of 2022.
For instance, in the iOS app, you can start and join a live stream, delete chat messages, and edit posts. Currently, none of these options are available with Circle’s Android app, so you’ll find these things missing in the interface.
Otherwise, Circle’s mobile app (both iOS & Android) features a clean and intuitive design. It’s a pleasure to use and even more straightforward than the web platform, thanks to fewer functionalities.
How Does the Circle App Work?
Before your members can use the app, you’ll need to enable the feature in your Circle account.
To do that, go to Settings → Defaults in your admin account, and make sure that the option “Allow my members to access my community from Circle’s iOS and Android app” is turned on.
While you can always message your members directing them to download the app, Circle also lets you display a banner with download links for Circle apps in the web app as well as in your outbound emails.
How Does It Work for Members?
To start interacting with the community via the mobile app, your members will first have to visit the App Store or Google Play Store and download the Circle app.
After installing the app, users will be asked to enter the email address they’ve used to sign up for your community.
After typing in their email, they will get a temporary login code, and upon entering the code, they’ll be taken to the app homepage.
And that’s it! The login experience is frictionless, and we love the fact that users don’t need to enter a password. Moreover, Circle will remember the user so that they don’t need to enter their email address each time.
Upon opening the app, your members will see all the community spaces, and this part of the app acts as a homepage. As discussed previously, the platform has done a terrific job at making it effortless to engage with the community.
They can access discussions inside a specific space by clicking on it. To start a new discussion, they need to click on the Plus icon at the bottom part of the screen and click “Create a Post.”
This opens the post editor, where they can write the post title and content as well as including images and videos. They can even select the space where the post will go live.
Similarly, the Chat bubble icon will take them to the Messages page where they can see all their conversations. And they can start a new chat with one or more community members by clicking the Pencil icon at the top.
Circle’s app also allows members to see and manage their notifications.
They can access the notifications page by clicking the Bell icon at the bottom. Here’s where they’ll see their notifications. They can go to the Manage screen by clicking the Gear icon at the top, where they can choose activities and content they want to be notified about.
And if you’re wondering whether your members can watch courses from the app or not, the answer is YES!
Like other spaces, your course spaces are also listed on the app’s homepage. They can click on the course space to access the course player where they can watch course videos, download lesson files, and add comments.
Moreover, the app is in sync with the web version, so members can start watching them on one device and continue on another.
How Does It Work for Admins?
Considering Circle’s iOS and Android mobile apps focus on community members, it doesn’t offer many options for managing the admin part of your community.
For example, if you want to modify space settings, schedule a post, or edit a member profile, you’ll have to use Circle’s web app.
Still, there are several ways that you can engage with members via the app:
- Creating new discussion posts
- Responding to comments and mentions
- Starting a live stream (only for iOS app users)
All these options will help you keep your community active and participate in everything that’s going on as it happens.
Conclusion
All in all, the Circle.so app is a great way for your members to access and engage with your community from their mobile devices. Whether it’s adding new content, engaging in discussions, or attending a live stream, your members can do it all from the app.
Another highlight of the app is its user-friendliness. Your members can learn to use the app quickly without having to fumble around to find what they’re looking for.
As mentioned at the start, you just need an active Circle plan for your members to start using the app. If you don’t have one, you can start a free trial by clicking the button below.
We hope this guide was helpful in giving you an overview of Circle’s mobile app. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us, and we’ll be happy to help.
