Join 6,727+ iOS/macOS developers using Codex and Claude to build and ship apps. Expect practical tutorials, repeatable workflows, and hard-earned lessons from 7 shipped apps and time at Apple, Microsoft, and GoPro.
My timer app finally works on iPhone
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I had my agents use the Mac app as a reference and extracted a shared library of code using the Swift Package Manager (SPM). This is the brains of my timer app, and it's shared across iOS and macOS. The MVP worked last week, but it wasn't reliable until I added AlarmKit. That allows timers to persist even if the app is force-quit or the iPhone is locked (just like Apple's system alarms). That was my biggest blocker, and now that it's in, you can try it today. Download Super Easy Timer on iPhone (TestFlight) It's not perfect yet, and it doesn't need to be perfect to ship. It needs to deliver on the core promise. People use my timer because it helps them focus and avoid missing meetings. If that weren't reliable, my app wouldn't have 233 ratings and 4.8 stars. It wasn't perfect at first, but it's getting better now. That's why you need to publish your app. When you sit on an idea too long and you don't ship, you lose out on valuable insights from potential customers. When you publish, you attract people who might be interested in the same problem. These people, your first customers, help you shape the app idea into something better. Last night I already got bug reports. Great idea: Time Input Style and Alarm Sound Play settings do not work for me It looks like there's still an audio issue (or they didn't allow AlarmKit permission). Here's my new strategy for every app:
The inbound questions, comments, and ideas I get from people outweigh any negative ones. Going through these steps will help you improve your app. You start a conversation when you publish an app, a website, a blog post, or a video. That opens the door for discussion and allows you to learn with others. If you haven't already installed it on Mac, you can download the Mac version here. Free for life if you install it now ($50/year when I add subscriptions later in August). Talk soon, P.S. If you're only surrounded by people who think your app is neat (your partner, co-workers, or friends), maybe you need someone to push back and make you think. Book a 1:1 App Strategy Session and let's ship that app. |
Super Easy Apps Weekly - Paul Solt
Join 6,727+ iOS/macOS developers using Codex and Claude to build and ship apps. Expect practical tutorials, repeatable workflows, and hard-earned lessons from 7 shipped apps and time at Apple, Microsoft, and GoPro.
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