Yahoo Mobile Apps Quietly Making Some Noise

Yahoo! for quite some time was on the decline. Under new CEO Marissa Meyer you can sense that things are changing. Changing to what we’re not so sure, but there are some changes that are noticeable. One of those changes I’ve noticed recently is that some of the best looking mobile apps on iOS and Android are Yahoo! Mobile Apps. I can’t say that this carries over to the Windows 8.1 versions though.

I don’t use a lot of Yahoo! services. I use Flickr, Yahoo! Weather, Yahoo! Sports, and Yahoo! Finance. Each of these apps have a visual appeal and a simplicity on both iOS and Android that keep me coming back. There’s something to be said for simplicity and there’s also quite a bit to be said for a good looking interface. Of the services I use, Flickr is the one that still needs the most attention, but then it is the App that requires the most user interaction in order to manage photos.

Like many Apps that work cross platform, I enjoy the fact that these Apps employ a similar look and feel. Controls generally are easy to find when going back and forth between Android and iOS devices.

Here’s a look at some screen shots:

Yahoo! Weather gives me a quick look at the relevant facts I need to determine what the weather is or is going to be for the day and the days ahead. If I need more I can use a more sophisticated App. But typically I don’t. What I like about Yahoo! Weather is that on both iOS and Android it is a simple scroll up or down to get more information. It is also very nicely designed visually. I also like the fact that backgrounds are pulled from Flickr photos and and change constantly.

I prefer the iOS version of Yahoo! Finance more than I do the Android version. It is easier to get to more information quickly on the iOS version.

Yahoo! Sports is a simple way for me to follow the sports teams I’m interested in. The App allows a good configuration of notifications if I want to follow a game from afar. Contrasting this with the ESPN App that I used to employ, it is just far easier to manage and with less intrusive ads.

Flickr is what Flickr always has been. A great place to store and share photos from. Again, the simplicity of the interface works for me, but I think this is the one Yahoo! App that needs the most work going forward. I also notice Flickr is the one Yahoo! App that has not only a different icon but also a different look and feel from the others.

The visual aspect that draws my eye to these Apps on both platforms is that the developers and designers haven’t fallen prey to the “flat” design aesthetic  that is prevalent these days. That’s a preference on my part, certainly.

What Yahoo! mobile Apps do you use? Let us know in comments.