I wrote a post a few months ago about FileKicker, my first published Android app. I’ve since published another, ContactKicker. In the few months since then, I’ve launched several updates to each app, making the experience much better.
FileKicker, as I originally built it, was a bridge. The purpose of the app is to allow filesharing via Kik for any kinds of files, not just pictures. All I really did at first was connect the OpenIntents File Manager PICK_FILE intent with the Kik Messenger API, and on the other end I would simply launch the browser to open the file. While it was conceptually cool to build an app that didn’t actually have a visual interface, I realized that it wasn’t the best solution. For the first version of FileKicker, I implemented my own file-picker interface so that users do not have to also download OI File Manager. This also made things visually simpler, and improve user experience.
However, user experience was still weak on the receiving end; all FileKicker would do is launch the browser. This was fine for images and text, but it made it really hard to send some other kinds of files. APKs (Android application package files) for example, can normally be downloaded onto an Android phone and then installed, but the installer won’t launch if the file extension isn’t APK. This means users would need another app to browse to the file and rename it, which was altogether a poor experience.
FileKicker 2.0 receiving interface
To fix it for FileKicker 2.0, I implemented a download feature as well, using Android’s ASyncTask class. Now, the file is downloaded from within FileKicker, saved with its original name, and then opened with the appropriate app by checking the file extension. Since I did this, usage of the app has grown much faster, and I’m proud to say I have over 500 users and that each day about 50 files are sent using my app.
So, if you’ve got an Android phone, check it out and let me know what you think! If you have any complaints, compliments, feature suggestions, or other comments, Kik me at malcolmm ».
I wrote a post a few months ago about FileKicker, my first published Android app. I've since published another, ContactKicker. In the few months since then, I've launched several updates to each app, making the experience much better.
FileKicker, as I originally built it, was a bridge. The purpose of the app is to allow filesharing via Kik for any kinds of files, not just pictures. All I really did at first was connect the OpenIntents File Manager PICK_FILE intent with the Kik Messenger API, and on the other end I would simply launch the browser to open the file. While it was conceptually cool to build an app that didn't actually have a visual interface, I realized that it wasn't the best solution. For the first version of FileKicker, I implemented my own file-picker interface so that users do not have to also download OI File Manager. This also made things visually simpler, and improve user experience.
However, user experience was still weak on the receiving end; all FileKicker would do is launch the browser. This was fine for images and text, but it made it really hard to send some other kinds of files. APKs (Android application package files) for example, can normally be downloaded onto an Android phone and then installed, but the installer won't launch if the file extension isn't APK. This means users would need another app to browse to the file and rename it, which was altogether a poor experience.
[caption id="attachment_230" align="alignright" width="221" caption="FileKicker 2.0 receiving interface"][/caption]
To fix it for FileKicker 2.0, I implemented a download feature as well, using Android's ASyncTask class. Now, the file is downloaded from within FileKicker, saved with its original name, and then opened with the appropriate app by checking the file extension. Since I did this, usage of the app has grown much faster, and I'm proud to say I have over 500 users and that each day about 50 files are sent using my app.
So, if you've got an Android phone, check it out and let me know what you think! If you have any complaints, compliments, feature suggestions, or other comments, Kik me at malcolmm ».
Damian
/ February 21, 2012To,
Malcolm as a filekicker user and love the app I have alot of people on my contact list who also use iphone and ask me if they can get filekicker. We would like to know if the idea of file kicker for iphone is there or is being made already as we speak. If so could you tell me if it is in alpha or beta and when might we see it out if so. I think a mutil platform would be so could and i think you would get alot of people willing to test and give feedback as the app on android is one of the bedt out there for sending files. i say this because it quick fast and i have yet to have it crash on me. keep up the good work hope to hear from you soon
Most Hopeful,
Damian
Malcolm
/ February 23, 2012Hey Damian!
Thanks for the support. I’d ultimately like to develop filekicker for iOS but I’m super-busy at the moment and I’ve also never done any iOS development so there’d be a fairly steep learning curve to creating it.
I’m also thinking that mediakicker would be boss, for both iOS and Android, but again that’s a big time investment. Do you think you and your contacts would be willing to pay $1 or $2 for mediakicker, especially if it’s cross-platform? I’d like if I could just charge 1¢/message, but there’s no good payment platform for that.