Offline. That magical word. We’ve been promising it for years, and now, finally, you can use WorkFlowy in a plane, train or automobile. In the subway, under the ocean, in the desert. With a frog, in a bog, on a log. And so forth.
We’ve been using the desktop app internally for several months. I personally use it almost exclusively now, and am really happy with it. There’s one caveat, though. We built the desktop application on top of Google’s Chrome browser. You don’t need to use Chrome to use the app, but you do need to have Chrome installed. Hopefully that isn’t too much of an annoyance for you. If it is, we’re looking into launching a desktop app that doesn’t require Chrome, but we can’t say exactly when we’ll get to that.
Oh, and one more thing. Offline is free. We’ve been saying offline would require a WorkFlowy Pro account, but we decided it was too important a feature and that everybody needed it. So, you are welcome. And also, you should still pay us, because, otherwise how will we feed our families? How will we keep WorkFlowy going?
So, what are you waiting for?
This is pretty cool! I’ve played with it, but I have to say I’m not a big fan of Google’s implementation of their sort-of-apps-but-not-quite, on Mac at least. Cmd-tab between apps doesn’t seem to work between Chrome and Workflowy, because it seems like you’re always still *in* Chrome, so it flickers and does nothing.
I’m experimenting with using an app generated using http://fluidapp.com/, and it seems like it works better, in that it’s a real app. But perhaps the offline functionality doesn’t fully work? Is there something that the Chrome app has that improves the offline experience? e.g. caching your changes if you quit and re-launch or something?
Yeah, we’re a little bummed that Chrome is trying to invent a new category of app, rather than just letting us create real desktop apps on top of Chrome. I’ve talked to them about it, and they seem pretty set on the idea of creating a new category. It doesn’t seem like a user centered decision to me, sadly.
The new version does work with Command+Tab, at least for us.
Yeah, the Chrome app has full offline, while the fluid app won’t, for a variety of reasons.
Second with the “Cmd-Tab”-Issue – the behaviour is unpredictable as to whether switching to the Chrome icon will take you the Workflowy window or the actual Chrome window.
So far, the fluid app is better behaved with regard to this.
Thanks for creating a full offline app, though – it was one of the things holding me back from full adoption. I really like what you’ve achieved so far.
Instead of using command+tab (which switches apps), use command+` (which switches windows) – it’s right above tab.
I don’t understand how to install the Chrome app on my Mac. It shows up in the list of Chrome apps I have installed in Chrome itself, but not as a desktop app, and I have to actually run Chrome to use it, which is not what I understood you to be saying about how it would work. Am I missing something?
Hrm. It should be in the application folder, no? It isn’t added to the dock automatically.
Jesse,
I figured out what the problem was, or at least I think I did. I installed Workflowy in Chrome before it became a desktop app, so my only option was to launch it from the app page. I removed it from Chrome and then re-installed it, and lo-and-behold, the Chrome App Launcher was installed in my dock, and I can get to Workflowy directly from there! That works great! Thanks for this option.
Stan
[…] via Hacker News http://blog.workflowy.com/2013/12/18/an-offline-desktop-app-for-workflowy/ […]
WorkFlowy is one of two tabs I always keep open in my browser (Firefox, btw). I’ve been looking forward to the offline feature for a while now and I’m really glad you’re providing it. However, for privacy reasons I avoid Google wherever I can, so I guess I’ll have to wait a little while longer and keep using WorkFlowy online in the meantime.
Yeah, we hope to have a normal desktop app sometime :/
I am using Workflow as a desktop app since I started using it. It always stick as sidebar app (Windows AppBar) on my screen.
Here is the screenshot for you to consider similar feature for pure desktop application.
http://snag.gy/U8CpU.jpg
This is a wonderful development, which may be useful occasionally when using a laptop that’s out of wifi range. But the absence of offline android is still a big gap in the Workflowy suite. Most of the time spent offline is on a tablet. Not being able to access it when travelling makes it unusable as a planner. Most of the deep thinking happens offline. I wish one day…
Yeah, I hear you.
I’d be willing to pay more as a premium member if it meant we’d get a proper Android app that much faster. Something to consider!
Yeah, we’ve thought about doing some sort of crowdfunding type of thing.
I have to chime in, as it is my only problem with Workflowy. I love it on the computer, but I have to use Google Keep on the go because it’s more reliable then, and it’s just not the same. I really wished I could let go of it and go Workflowy all the way.
A big help with mobile (android) would be to add ‘move’ functionality. Currently the mobile version of the workflowy site doesn’t have this. You can indent left/right but you cannot move up/down. I sent the team a request for this feature showing what I meant:
http://imgur.com/q2zuFSy
Since workflowy.com already has keyboard shortcuts to move items up/down, no new code needs to be written other than the two interface buttons for the mobile website. I don’t know about you guys but this would help me tremendously on my phone.
If you use Chrome on Android you can move. Press and hold to initiate it.
I can’t seem to install it on my nexus android tablet ?
It is a desktop app. Sorry!
Reblogged this on Dr Andus's toolbox and commented:
My favourite task manager has just got better.
I love the idea, but…
This is my first experience with a Chrome Packaged App, and it’s pretty horrific. As other have noted, the Cmd-Tab functionality is a complete mess on OS X. I fear Google has a ways to go before the platform is ready for prime time. 🙂
Yarg. This is a bummer. Yeah, I think the platform needs some polish. Such a bummer. Well, at least it lays the groundwork for us to do something with another tool. We’re already looking into it, but it isn’t an active project, so might take a while.
This thing is great! I don’t have a huge need for offline mode, but it’s still mildly slicker on my Winders desktop than Chrome “application shortcuts”.
There’s one tiny nit to pick, which is that the hitbox on the close button doesn’t extend to the upper right corner of the window when it’s maximized. This is a standard in Windows apps so that closing a maximized application is the simplest possible mouse gesture. It’s important that the hitbox isn’t extended when the application isn’t maximized, because that would prevent you from grabbing the upper right corner for resizing.
I’d expect Chrome to manage that part of your app’s… uh… chrome, though, so perhaps this is a complaint I should issue to Goog & not you all.
Either way, this is great and I will use it happily every day.
Thank you,
Ben
Thanks Ben! Yeah, that part of the app is controlled by Chrome.
Why does the Chrome app care about the account I’m using with Chrome? I use two Gmail accounts and get this error when trying to install the app: You just signed into the Chrome Web Store with account1@gmail.com, but you signed into Chrome with account2@gmail.com. To install this app, you need to sign into the Chrome Web Store with account2@gmail.com.
I have absolutely no idea. That is odd.
Thanks a lot for this. I use 4 devices, an iMac & a Dell desktop at work, a Linux desktop at home and a Nexus 4. I’m really glad you went with the chrome packaged app, coz now I can use it in the 3 desktops I use. If you had went with a true native app I’m sure it would have been a lot of effort to support these 3 different platforms.
I’ve followed the link above and got to the workflowy page – but can find no download button. How do I download the desktop version to work offline?
How do I download a link to the offline app so it’s in my (Windows) taskbar or desktop so I can launch it as a stand-alone?
Figured out that if you open a new chrome tab, go to Apps, and right-click on the Chrome app, you can choose to save a shortcut.
Must be a windows thing, I don’t get a create short cut option on my mac
I know this is old, but THANK YOU for this. It makes using Workflowy as an app a much more seamless endeavor.
This is really nice. I’ve been looking for an interface that allows each item to contain more text before wrapping to another line. The Chrome App allows me to size the window as wide as I want and it automatically flows. Perfect. All that’s left on my wish-list is a keyboard shortcut to insert a timestamp for creating project diary entries.
I confess, I’m not quite understanding this. I’ve installed the app in Chrome (on a Linux machine). In the blog posting it says you don’t need to use Chrome to use the offline app, but you do need to have chrome installed. Does this mean that you some how treat the app as a standalone? Link to it on the desktop? Does it integrate with the browser in some way.
Just not really clear.
It is a little confusing. Basically, Chrome released a way to use it as the environment in which standalone apps run. Here’s their explanation: http://developer.chrome.com/apps/about_apps.html
When will you guys add favorites and make a more native feeling app (instead of just a shell of the webapp) for iOS? I love workflowy and even subscribed for the PRO version, but the lack of updates on IOS platforms is really frustrating 🙁
This comment should probably go on a post about mobile, btw. We have someone working on a native iPhone app right now. It is a big project, so who knows when it’ll get finished, or if it will. The person isn’t full time, and it is exporatory, but he’s very skilled and we have high hopes.
I’m really liking the new desktop app except for the cmd-tab issue that’s already been discussed. Have you guys looked at adobe air at all? I made a small app some time ago and it seems like it might behave a little more intuitively.
Thanks for the work to make this happen. One nitpick is that on the Home screen, now that the Workflowy logo is gone, I can’t double-click on it to expand/collapse all my lists. That was very useful to me. Is there an alternative method to do this and if not, can you make one happen?
Yeah, we’ll probably put a small icon there for that purpose. If zoomed in, you can double click the title of the document to expand all.
Will you work on password encrypted lines? That’s when I can switch from Evernote!. I hate Evernote!!!
Hrm. Probably not for a while, sorry :/ If it isn’t too private, do you mind sharing the kind of situations do you find yourself wanting this?
Ah wow, I can’t believe it 😀 Offline Workflowy. I’ve installed it immediately and will use it all the time. I think I’ll dust of my old netbook and use that for more offline happiness when travelling.
The desktop app is very clean and useful. However the inability to drag and drop outline items on IOS is a showstopper. Drag and drop is used in IOS to reorder items in numerous list programs. However you have to go into edit mode, which interposes a delay on most apps. That said, in Workflowy, its easier to retype an item in IOS vs. using its native very slow cut and paste. As such I see minimal utility for Workflowy, an otherwise excellent program, in IOS. re: Android, its great D&D works there w/arrows or whatever, but if you want to make money w/PRO user signup you are more likely to do so w/IOS users who are actually willing to pay for it. You need two things IMHO for IOS:
1. Drag and drop of outline items
2. ability to use either bullets or numbers
3 Bonus – ability to use text attributes
You can drag/drop on the iOS app. You just need to press and hold on an item, and it pops out for dragging. We need better help for mobile.
The text in the desktop app is too small for me. I can’t resize it with Ctrl+Plus the way I can in the browser.
Ah, good point. Thanks for pointing this out.
I have the same problem – any chance of a fix?
Happy New Year!
your software is just amazing!
One idea/suggestion, since I can see that you receive a lot of requests for new features… Why not create an API and let other people do the rest? API functionality (full or part) could be available only to premium members and that would make your conversions soar as well.
Another benefit would be that if someone wants to have a flashy, showy, colorful Workflowy – let them create/install 3-rd party plugins that do it is not created nor endorsed by you – you can stick to your minimalistic design.
keep up the good work
ndrw
Thanks! About the API, we really want to. To do a good one, especially one that lets the user modify the interface, seems like a large complicated project. We are only two engineers, so we need to choose the big projects carefully. Do you have any experience creating this kind of API? I’m very open to concrete examples/insights.
sorry – no experience with APIs on my side – except maybe only using them 🙂 But you could approach it like a business opprortunity. You could try estimating how many more people Workflowy would draw, if it was customizable through APIs, and especially how many of them would convert into premium customers. With this idea in hand you could look for financing in order to hire developers experienced in APIs.
Good luck!
Hi – Loving the Chrome App … mostly. Is there a way to open multiple instances of the desktop app in the same way one might open a couple of tabs in chrome to have multiple views of one’s Workflowy? I work on multiple projects in any given day and am spending too much time navigating to input updates and reminders etc.
Nope, sorry :/
Hey, just want to add my request for this. It’s great being able to use Workflowy offline on desktop, but only having one instance (window) open at a time severely limits its usefulness. Those with big Workflowys like me have to spend a whole lot of time navigating around. Perhaps a shortcuts sidebar could help, or is that too far from the minimalist aesthetic?
Whoa. Just realised that this is already possible, using the starring function! Seems I’m still learning how to use Workflowy. Thanks!
I’ll reiterate what others have said. Chrome’s ‘packaged apps’ are pretty much useless right now (on OS X at least—the #1 reason I to want a separate app, rather than a persistent tab, is to be able to Cmd+Tab to Workflowy). What is it about the Chrome architecture that drew you to it? What APIs are you using that were necessary?
An interesting, Javascript-only solution to standalone apps is https://github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit (I haven’t played with it yet, but it looks very promising). Full access to webkit & node should be enough to do offline well.
Huh, command+tab works on my Mac, and we actually waited months after completing and releasing the app to announce it, just so this feature worked.
Regarding why we went with Google Packaged app, they were looking for partners for the launch, and we were motivated by the promise of promotion in their app store. Which we got, and it drove a lot of new users our way. However, node-webkit does seem to be the way to go, and we’re planning on looking into it.
I can confirm that command+tab works correctly on my mac. However, you only get sone instance of chrome, so if you command+tab to it, you may get another windows rather than Workflowy. It seems to go back to the last Chrome window used. This means, as someone else pointed out, that you may have to command+tab and then command+` to get the window you need. Since I don’t use Chrome for anything else, it’s not a problem for me.
Hey Jesse,
thanks a lot for the great work!
I figured out a small bug and did not know where else to post, so I figured I’d just hijack the top blog-entry.
if I put a word in BOLD letters (let’s assume that this word is one bullet point among many) everything is fine – until I decide to collapse the hierarchy including the bold printed word.
Now if I expand that same hierarchy again, the word will NOT be bold anymore.
I am sure this is not intentional, so I decided to leave you a short message about that bug.
Greetings from Germany,
Massimo
Hi Massimo. For questions like this, you can email help@workflowy.com. Regarding your issue, we don’t support formatting yet, so it is getting removed. Soon we’ll support it, though.
Any ideas to get the spell-checker working in the app? I miss that!
Ah, good point. We’ll look into it.
Now you just need to add Dates & reminders – then its perfect!
Sharing my thoughts o WF in the WF way 🙂 (read-only):
https://workflowy.com/shared/ad6a46b7-acbc-1921-a2fd-72e77d1b89f3/
I can’t give up the wood-paneled background for daily use. I love it too much. But thank you for Offline! It’s been great when needed.
Is it possible to use the offline workflowy without ever sending data to a remote server? I would love to use this elegant app at work, but sending my todo list anywhere but my own local machine could land me in a lot of trouble. Thanks!
Unfortunately it isn’t possible yet. It isn’t super requested, but we might consider it in the future, as it comes up once in a while.
Yes please do this, I used workflowy long enough to get addicted, but can’t use it at work due to concerns about storing sensitive information on the cloud. A fully local/offline workflowy would be awesome.
Thanks! … but I’m peeping over a cliff edge now and wondering whether to jump or not. Google is asking me to sign-in to *Chrome* to get the Workflowy app, not just the Chrome Web store … meaning Google will then have access to my bookmarks, tabs, etc. that it wants to sync to “other devices” which I don’t own.
There is a “Choose what to sync” check box, but I don’t trust Google to not get the data when I choose stuff to not sync.
Sorry my previous post was intended to be a stand alone comment and not a reply to this which I intended to write separately.
Here’s my reply –
Yes I’ve written many times that I’d pay a nice premium price for a standalone, no data to anywhere, desktop version of Workflowy.
Count me as another who would definitely go premium for a stand-alone version that keeps all data on my desktop only. I’d love to use Workflowy, but I’m a practicing lawyer and can’t possibly launch client info into the wild.
Yes, like Kumar I’d also be happy to pay for the standalone – or request my employer pay for it. They are generally happy to pay for productivity tools.
This might be worth considering – the standalone feature would enable more people to use workflowy for their jobs, and these users might be happier than your average user to pay for the privilege.
Yes, please!!!
Not having my data on my machine but on servers located around the world is the only thing keeping me from using WorkFlowy!!!
A dedicated Mac app might be another reason, tho.
Is WorkFlowy using any special APIs only Chrome can handle?
What’s wrong with Apple Xcode’s Webkit/Webview?
It takes just a few clicks to build a lightweight Webbrowser (–> to load and display content from websites/services) using Xcode.
I don’t have Xcode on my current system, but I remember I made a tiny app for Google+ which displays the mobile version of Google+ in a small HUD-like window using just Webview in Xcode – It took only a couple minutes. (and I’m just a web developer, no Cocoa ninja)
However, as mentioned before, private data/own server and a real Mac app would enable more people to use workflowy for their jobs.
I’d like to add a request for this! I would LOVE to be able to use workflowy for legal practice.
Been using this for a few weeks now, and the major drawback with the app approach appears to be the lack of a URL. This means:
– It doesn’t remember your previous location when you reopen the app
– No forward / back
– No way to open lists in new window
– No way to paste URLs
Not sure if anything can be done about this?
Also… Can we have the move handles on the left please!? In both the desktop and the online version. Even on a 4:3 screen having to go to the right to move items is very unwieldy.
Many thanks,
Dave
Yeah, these are all real issues. Regarding move handles on the left. Kill me. I’ve wanted to do that for so long. Yeah, I’ll mess with it.
Thanks Jesse! Looking forward to it 🙂
Love it!!!
Next: Android app?? I hope.. Very much…!
Could this help to create an Android apps?
http://blog.chromium.org/2014/01/run-chrome-apps-on-mobile-using-apache.html
Note that the actual web site on my Nexus 7 works perfectly, but an Android app, just to have an icon would be nice.
For everyone that are annoyed by the cmd-tab bug, please go and star this chromium bug – this will increase the likelyhood that google fixes it. https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=339239
Hey does this mean that we can immediately have an android offline version…Chrome is offering all its apps on mobible now
I was very excited about the app, but if you are running it on a Windows 7 system it shows up with the look of a Windows 8 app, meaning with no borders. This is a problem, since most software and webpages now have white backgrounds, the app is lost on them and I cannot see where its edges are. I am the only one with this problem?
Well… I have Chrome installed. But it won’t let me install Workflowy without installing Chrome and reinstalling Chrome doesn’t seem to help the situation at all. So yeah, please accelerate your “stand-alone” desktop app. I realize I may be in a small minority having the problem, but yeah, please.
There’s certainly a lot to know about this subject.
I love all the points you made.
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Ummm… who the funk is monitoring this blog actually?!?
This is so annoying – I can’t believe you don’t care about all those spam comments on your blog!
I agree! Especially since it could be useful for, for example, reporting issues with the standalone version, which has been crashing on me regularly for about two weeks.
I gave up actually!
I was hoping to get some answers or real information about a native app (or about a local sync feature, like mentioned/requested in many “real” comments), but all I see in my inbox are spam comments I have to delete every day!
This is so frustrating I have to give up and look for some alternatives!
Can anyone suggest a good alternative without any third party cloud/service/social media involved? WorkFlowy seems nice but I need my Data on MY local computer, not in the cloud, not on servers located around the world.
Thanks!
P.S.: It doesn’t matter how good your product/service or whatever is – a spam blog like this can cost you not only credibility but potential customers.
woah, thanks for pointing that out. we’ll turn back on comment moderation!!!
Just had some babies and turned of monitoring, because i knew i wouldn’t be able to moderate. Turning moderation back on.
The desktop app has made this my go-to app for keeping track of everything. I had used the strictly online version, on and off, for quite awhile, but being able to use if offline made all the difference in the world. I’m running it on Windows 7 and have no complaints at all. Thanks for making my life a whole lot easier.
How on earth you can call this a desktop app is beyond me. It is still a web browser and this is what stops me using workflowy. I really like the app, but the stunted use via web browser makes it untenable. You cannot even reference a file from your file system. Very few URL schemes work. Until you produce a proper native OS application WF’s full potential will never be realised.
As a stand alone app it’s great, but as a tool to manage workflows and collaborate with other applications it becomes impossible to use. In fact as a tool to complement my OS eco system it has been most frustrating. I love the idea, but not the web browser implementation. I sincerely hope you move to proper native OS applications.
Hi guys,
it’s been a few days now that the Workflowy Offline App has stopped working properly for me (Windows 7, 64 bit, run via Chrome App Launcher). I can start it via the Chrome App Launcher, the Workflowy icon appears in the sidebar, an dwhen I hover over it displays a thumbnail of the Workflowy window. But I just can’t get the actual Workflowy window to show up, no matter what I try. Am I the only one or do others have this problem too?
Thanks and all the best,
Stephan
It’s working well for me in Windows 7, both 32- and 64-bit, and Windows 8.1. Good luck with solving your problem.
Hum, strange… I rebooted a few times, reinstalled the App in the Chrome App Launcher, nothing helps…
Hello! Could not find any support page for the extension – so will try here.
My chrome extension has also stopped working. The window does not show. When I open a new chrome tab, open applications and click the Workflowy icon, the tab simply disappears, ie. crashes.
De- and reinstalling did not help, so I guess, I have to remove some old settings. But where to find these? I tried to move several folders under chrome, but this did not help either.
Any Ideas? I am under Linux Mint 13 btw.
Hrm, not really sure. We have started getting some reports of this. It is almost certainly a Google issue, as we haven’t made any real changes and it continues to work on most platforms.
I uninstalled Google Chrome, then deleted my AppData\Local\Google\Chrome directory. Rebooted, reinstalled Chrome, reinstalled the Workflowy App. Now it works again. This might not be a sensible solution for all users of Chrome, but I have Chrome on my Win7 laptop for the sole purpose of using the “offline” Workflowy App. (talk about Bloatware 🙂 ).
So I guess something in Chrome’s App settings might get screwed up over time, would be nice to know what it is so one doesn’t have to go through this reinstallation orgy…
Stephan
I have had similar issues with this on the Workflowy app and well as other chrome apps (wunderlist). Once I minimized the workflowy app and closed the app, it will no longer open when the icon is clicked. The program is open, but the screen won’t maximize. Wunderlist says it is a google issues also.
is there any way to use workflowy fully offline, without account, on my desktop. by without account, i mean without sync with workflowy account. i don’t want to occupy workflowy servers for keeping my data. i want to back up my data on my own disks.
i think there can be a solution with workflowy chrome app.
No, it’s not possible.
Thanks for this desktop app! I’m not bothered by it running within Chrome. However, it doesn’t respect Hi DPI settings in Windows. 🙁 I’m on a 1920×1080 15″ laptop and the text is getting pretty darn small!
Windows is set to 125% scaling and looks good, and I countered it within Chrome by using the global page zoom setting to 125%. However, Chrome apps don’t seem to be affected by that? And the Ctrl+Plus/Minus shortcuts don’t change the app’s zoom level either. So I’d really like to see a zoom setting within the app settings. 🙂 Or some other resolution. I can’t imagine what 150% DPI users are going through!
It’s good! BUT, it seems that it doesn’t save account or password, and requires me to input them every time I start the app. Could you at least provide a check box or sth like that to allow users to save user/password? I’m using Chrome on Windows 7
Chrome and other browsers have settings to enable “cookies” to be saved upon exiting pages. IF you enable that, it will save the password.
It would be great if you guys could create an updated desktop app for Windows 10, using the new Edge Engine. Then we would not have to install Chrome anymore. Here is a code sample: https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2015/08/27/creating-your-own-browser-with-html-and-javascript/
Thanks for the feedback and suggestion!