190

Currently, the only way to vote to delete (and undelete, since you can't see deleted posts) in the Android app is to open the post in a browser, and then vote to delete from there.

Can we get delete vote functionality within the app, as well as the ability to delete our own posts?

Worth to mention: users can delete their own posts using the iOS app, so it's possible in the API.

Related: Allow us to vote to reopen from the Android app

9
  • 7
    Note: This feature also talks about self-deletion on question and answer, since by pressing "delete" on own post, you're actually voting to delete the post. Jan 28, 2015 at 6:19
  • 11
    Came across this today. I fat-fingered and wrote a comment as an answer by mistake, and had to reach allll the way across my desk and open up the lappy toppy to delete it. #FWP. I would consider it a win even if I could only delete my own answer. I don't care if I don't see it once it's deleted, if that's the holdup.
    – yshavit
    Mar 5, 2015 at 5:54
  • 2
    @yshavit Glad it's not just me that does that. It's all too easy to post a comment as an answer.
    – Majenko
    Feb 29, 2016 at 19:40
  • BTW, you can't reopen questions either.
    – Braiam
    Jan 1, 2017 at 11:26
  • @Braiam: This question links to that very other request. Jan 1, 2017 at 11:27
  • @BoltClock'saUnicorn IT'S TOO SMALL! (also, I had already voted on it, so I didn't feel like reading the body again)
    – Braiam
    Jan 1, 2017 at 11:28
  • I deleted the app due to this. I needed to use the full version of the site while on Android. Is the app open source? I wouldn't mind taking a stab at adding the functionality.
    – Matt
    Jul 14, 2017 at 14:58
  • @mkaatman no, the app isn't open source. Apr 23, 2018 at 8:51
  • Related: Mobile app infrastructure has been decommissioned (2022-10-19). Nov 7, 2023 at 18:21

2 Answers 2

54

This is important - but, more importantly, the app should really let users delete their own posts.

This is particularly relevant because self-deletion is usually something that's assumed that other users can do, and it can be a very frustrating experience for a new user (i.e. just registered, and only using the app) to be told to delete their post but apparently no way no way at all to comply.

One such recent incident led to the poster repeatedly vandalizing their posts (i.e. gutting the content and editing in a 'how can i delete this' message) until moderators edit-locked the posts, leading to a significant amount of bad blood over a completely avoidable misunderstanding.

When moderators tell a user "don't gut your content, delete the post instead", there is a built-in assumption that users can delete their content (where applicable), and that is a reasonable assumption to make - it's an assumption we need and want to keep being able to make. Similarly, if a prospective user goes to the Android App download page, it's pretty reasonable for them to assume that they're getting a full-featured deal. That's a collision waiting to happen.

It's perfectly OK for the app to be missing advanced features like 10k tools, badge tracking, or even looking at one's top questions, but this is part of the core Q&A functionality; both the android and iOS apps should be upgraded to include this sort of thing - abilities that are required to follow the site rules - or they should have a pop-up early on warning posters (particularly fresh users with primarily/only app logins) that this is only a feature-limited product and that the full thing is the desktop site. And that'd be bad, right? Well, the current status quo is equally bad, if not worse.

4
  • A user getting into a edit war could have been avoided by a single comment from the author or a moderator deleting it after the first edit. Doesn't ha he the fact it still isn't possible to view deleted post in the application on android
    – Ramhound
    Jul 11, 2016 at 0:37
  • 2
    Yes, that also needs to be fixed. If the moderators had deleted the question themselves (which was not at all warranted under the circumstances), then as far as the user would be able to see the post would have vanished into the ether with no way to access it (and, as a new user, no knowledge that going to the web version would show it), leading to even more alienation for no good reason. The moderators were generally reasonable and cool-headed, but they had no way of knowing that their advice did not correspond at all to the capabilities of the user's system.
    – E.P.
    Jul 11, 2016 at 0:46
  • 1
    Actually, you can delete your own question from the iOS app.
    – Glorfindel Mod
    Jul 13, 2016 at 14:16
  • 7
    @Glorfindel ...which only makes it more important to let android app users delete their own posts, since it helps underpin the assumption that all users can delete their own posts.
    – E.P.
    Jul 13, 2016 at 14:28
19

As Kasra Rahjerdi (mobile app team leader) said in a comment:

I'm saying I don't want there to be a "delete" button in app unless we have all the logic of what to happens alongside it mapped out since not being able to view deleted questions at all via the API makes it tricky. FWIW I'm one of the upvotes on the feature request you linked. – Kasra Rahjerdi♦

So as long as viewing deleted question is not possible in android app, there will be no feature to delete questions or answers from the android app.

1
  • 3
    However deleting comments is an allowed option for mobile users? What form does this different pathing need to take? I don't necessarily need to be able to see deleted content but being able to delete my own incorrect content makes for a cleaner and more visually appealing site Apr 9, 2017 at 19:22

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .