Ever since FBX was launched, we’ve required users (even free ones) to sign in before using the app. There were a few benefits to doing this.
While FBX was in beta and completely free for everyone to use, it gave us a way to keep track of who our early adopters were. When FBX came out of beta, all of these accounts were automatically upgraded to Early Adopter accounts, allowing our users who had been with us from the start to continue using FBX without the watermark being added to their recordings (as a thank you for their support).
And then regardless of whether you’re an early adopter or a free user, having an existing account meant that there were a few less hoops to jump through when upgrading to a Pro account – it’s just that little bit quicker and easier.
For users who want to jump onto the FBX forum and contribute there, having an existing account also gave them instant access there as well. Again, it’s just a little quicker to get involved. And for the brave souls that applied to be part of our Insiders team for previewing upcoming new features, we can easily push new preview versions to them so they automatically receive the stuff we think they’ll like to try out.
But for all the benefits, we get it… being confronted by a login screen when you start a brand new app that you have only just installed can be a bit annoying. So we’re changing things up a bit in the 3.7 update to let you get on with the fun stuff instead of filling in boring forms.
Free accounts are not being completely ditched but new users will no longer be required to create one to start using the app. Whereas before, you would fire up FBX and then be prompted to sign-in before going any further, from the 3.7 update new users will go straight into the app as a guest user and can start recording immediately.
Guest users will essentially be exactly the same as a Free account user. The only difference is that if a guest wants to upgrade to a Pro account, their account will be created as part of the upgrade process. Oh, and they won’t be able to post on the FBX forums as that still requires an account. But remember, we said that Free accounts were not going away so it’s still going to possible to create one of those (for free, of course) if you want to contribute to the forums – just hit that Log In button and choose how you want to sign in.
For existing Free account users, none of this makes any difference whatsoever. Your accounts and what you can do with them will not change in the slightest. So don’t worry, you can continue using FBX as usual when the 3.7 update arrives.