Flamingo, one of the best Twitter clients on Android, is dead
As many improvements as the official Twitter app has seen over the years, it's still far from perfect. The user experience can easily be hampered by unrelenting ads and an algorithm that can be absolutely maddening at times, and as such, many users like myself have found solace in third-party clients.
Some of the big names for these apps include Talon, Falcon Pro, and Fenix. Flamingo used to be among the ranks as one of the best Twitter clients around, but that's no longer the case as it's been removed from the Google Play Store.
Flamingo's developer Sam Ruston broke the news on Twitter when answering a user's question as to why the app wasn't showing up in the Play Store, saying –
Very close to the token limit so it has been unpublished. You can still download it if you have purchased it previously by looking in the My Apps section of Google PlayVery close to the token limit so it has been unpublished. You can still download it if you have purchased it previously by looking in the My Apps section of Google Play— Sam Ruston (@Sam_Ruston) April 4, 2018April 4, 2018
That "token limit" that Ruston mentions has been the bane of existence for a number of Twitter clients over the years. Twitter essentially creates x amount of tokens for third-party developers, with each new download of the app resulting in one token. Once a certain limit is reached, the app won't work for new users. It's a terrible system, and it's now caused one of the most customizable and polished clients to be put to rest.
People that have already purchased Flamingo can still download and use it by going to your "My Apps" page in Google Play, and Ruston's noted that "there are no immediate plans for a sequel."
RIP, Flamingo 💔
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Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.