# (nearly) all apps require Internet?



## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

So the wife has been loving her Fire since Christmas, until this past week, when we went on vacation.  On the flight home, she could do basically nothing with it.  She tried launching 40+ apps, and every single one threw the error "This app requires internet access", even though most of them were single-player games that clearly do not.  Literally the only app that launched successfully was Gallery (a picture/movie viewer), but as she didn't have any movies loaded, that was useless.

So she put it away and read the seat-pocket magazine.  Based on this experience, I'm ready to bin the Fire in favor of the rumored 7" iPad, which I know from copious experience works just fine even when there's no internet.  Anybody else seen this?


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

Found an answer of sorts on the Amazon boards.  Apparently, free apps require internet at all times in order to download new ads--heaven forbid we get stale ads once in a while.  Paid apps must call the Amazon app store every 30 days (max, can be set lower by the developer) to get a new token, or they stop working.  If that happens to be while you're off-grid, you're SOL.  It sounds like using the sync function in the settings menu grabs a new token for all your apps, so doing that right before going on a trip will make them work for a while.

Not insurmountable, but a bit of an annoyance to have to remember pre-departure, that hasn't been a problem on our 6 iOS or 2 Android devices.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Many of the apps I use on my fire, including many free ones, do not require Internet access at all times. I frequently use my Fire where I do not have WiFi. If an app requires Internet access to be used, I tend to not use it. However, if it only requires the Internet for an occasional "phone home," then that works out fine for me.

The suggestion to sync before being away from WiFi for a while is a good one.

Some of the game apps I use have threads on this board and do not require Internet to be able to play. Two are Villagers vs Vampire - Our first game is on Amazon! and [Free Game] Fifteen Puzzle X 0.12 (Sliding Tile Puzzle ). The free version of Villagers vs Vampire does check for ads on occasion but if the Internet is not available, it posts a message between levels but the game continues.

One of the criteria that I used in choosing a free diet and exercise tracking app was that I could use it without Internet access. One reason I wanted the app was to not have to remember or write down what I ate in order to enter later. Most of the free apps I tried either required the Internet to be available all the time or were missing important features I wanted (such as the ability to enter my own foods). LoseIt! worked for me because it keeps the data on the Fire as well as online; the two sync when possible.

I appreciate apps that do not require me to have the Internet available at all times in order to be able to use the app.


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## bullbitz (Aug 13, 2012)

I'm a developer, and yes unfortunately 95% of apps needs internet access. here is why.

most app thrives on being rated especially if the developer thinks that his App has a good potential
and needs to be rated.

users have two options to rate the app.
1. user goes to the amazon or which ever app store and finds the app and rate it.
  * this is cumbersome to users ( not very convenient )

2. developers embed the rate link inside the app.
  * this needs internet access, but is convenient for the customer to have a ready link
     straight to the app store's app page.



* now for best practice for developers,
  app should only connect if there is internet access, otherwise the app should prompt that "internet is required" and continue
  with the game flow.

  i only connect to the internet, once this link is pressed, or
  only when facebook or twitter icons are clicked., this way the app does not crash, 

* if some apps crashes and needs internet access, maybe the app is not checking for internet connection, and always presumes
  the internet is available, the app continues believing internet is available and will crash due to errors.


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