iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I think that now it’s harder to publish an app and have success. What I can suggest is to follow your ideas, maintain your integrity, and build an app that you need and where you are the first user. Only in this way can you reach your niche. Also always have the user choose between a sub or lifetime

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Six apps updated for OS 27 this week, all following the same rules: you can always buy them once and keep them, there is no account, and nothing in them tries to pull you back in. Also the three years I shipped no AI features at all, and what changed this year. simonemontalto.com/blog/softwar...

simonemontalto.com

The cost of building software that does not want anything from you

Why my apps have no subscription and no account, why I waited three years before adding any AI, and what building software this way costs me.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

After months of betas, the iOS 27 and macOS 27 update for Book Tracker is out. Seven years of this app now. Writing something later this week about why it still works the way it does.

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Movie Tracker is a movie and TV show tracker for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Everything you watch, want to watch, and are halfway through, in one place. No account, no server, no tracking. Here is what it actually does.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Your watch history deserves a home that will still be standing in five years. Pick one that is already proven and that does not need your data to survive.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

A lot of apps appeared this week, right after the TV Time announcement. Movie Tracker has been here for four years and is still actively developed, because I use it every day myself. That is not going to change.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Movie Tracker has no external server. The import runs entirely on your device. Your ZIP file never leaves your phone, nothing is uploaded, and nothing is collected. Your library stays yours, on your device, synced through your own iCloud.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

So be careful who you feed it to. Uploading that file to a service you know nothing about means handing a stranger a detailed record of your account. A brand new app with a server behind it is exactly the wrong place to send it.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

That export is a GDPR data dump, not a tidy list of episodes. It can contain personal information well beyond what you watched, including things like the IP addresses recorded when you logged in. Open it and read it before you hand it to anyone.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Movie Tracker now imports the ZIP file you export from TV Time. Bring your full watch history over in a few taps, no account required. Before you do that, there is something you should know about that ZIP file, whichever app you end up choosing.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

@movietracker.bsky.social takes the opposite approach. It is privacy first. Your data belongs to you, stored on your device and synced through your own iCloud. No central server collecting your habits, and you are never locked in. Your library is yours to keep and export whenever you want.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

A wave of apps now calls itself the replacement. One bragged that its users have tracked over 10 million episodes. Ask yourself how they can know that. Every episode you mark is sent to their server and counted. The failed model is being rebuilt, and you are the product again.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

TV Time shuts down July 15 and everyone is scrambling for a replacement. Before you move your shows, understand why it is closing. A free service still costs real money to run, and that never lasts. Free is not free. You either pay with your data or when the app shuts down.

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

TV Time is shutting down on July 15th. If you’re on Apple devices, Movie Tracker is a native alternative with iCloud sync, no account needed, and full privacy. And yes, you can bring your library with you. Guide: movietrack.app/migrating-from-tv-time App Store: apps.apple.com/us/app/movie...

movietrack.app

Migrating from TV Time - Movie Tracker

If you currently track your movies and shows in TV Time and want to move them into Movie Tracker, you can do it in a few simple steps using a browser extension that exports your data. TV Time does not...

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Book Tracker @booktracker.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Also in this update: - Publication date in book list view - Positions in filters and Smart Lists - Bug fixes for ratings display and barcode scanner Download Book Tracker on the App Store: apps.apple.com/us/app/book-...

apps.apple.com

Book Tracker: Bookshelf & TBR App - App Store

Download Book Tracker: Bookshelf & TBR by Simone Montalto on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Book Tracker:…

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Book Tracker @booktracker.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

2. You can now export any book list as PDF or CSV. Tap the options menu (...) in the top right corner of your book list and select Export.

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Book Tracker @booktracker.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Book Tracker has a new update out. Here's what's new. 1. Searching online? You can now see the format, language, and publication date right in the search results, without opening the detail page.

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Book Tracker @booktracker.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

An honest ask from an indie dev. App Store rankings are a brutal game for small apps. If Book Tracker has been part of your reading life, two things make a real difference: leaving a review on the App Store, and telling a friend who reads.

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Your TV shows. Now on your wrist. The new Apple Watch app for Movie Tracker lets you see upcoming episodes and mark them as watched in seconds. Also includes performance improvements, bug fixes, and better image loading. Hope you enjoy this update. Feedback is welcome.

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Book Tracker @booktracker.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Book Tracker is now on Apple Watch! I’ve just released an update that introduces the official Apple Watch companion app. • See the books you’re currently reading • Start your reading timer directly from your wrist • Pause it anytime • Update your reading progress on the go

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

The update is available now on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Thanks for supporting Movie Tracker and independent, privacy focused app development. apps.apple.com/us/app/movie...

apps.apple.com

Movie Tracker: Watchlist App - App Store

Download Movie Tracker: Watchlist by Simone Montalto on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Movie Tracker:…

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

5. Improvements and stability This update also includes several under the hood improvements on Mac and across all platforms, including better window restoration and smoother scrolling, for a more stable and consistent experience.

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

4. Interactive charts Tap on any chart to instantly see the list of movies and TV shows watched in the selected period. Statistics are now more detailed and more actionable.

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

3. Enhanced statistics Explore a new calendar view showing the covers of movies and TV shows watched each day. New daily and monthly charts make it easier to understand your viewing habits over time.

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

2. New Upcoming section Keep track of upcoming movies and TV shows and see how many days are left until their release. A simple way to plan what’s next and never lose track of what’s coming.

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

1. Custom Home and Sidebar You can now personalize the Home on iPhone and the Sidebar on iPad and Mac. Add cards at the top and choose from tags, smart lists, spaces, actors, and more. Just tap Edit and build the layout that works for you.

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Movie Tracker @movietracker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Movie Tracker just got a major update. This release focuses on personalization, planning, and better insights into what you watch. Here’s what’s new.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

If you want to explore this idea more, I highly recommend reading the full essay here: www.terrygodier.com/phantom-obli...

terrygodier.com

Phantom Obligation

Why RSS readers look like email clients, and what that's doing to us.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

So in my apps, I chose not to use notifications or badges for new content. Not because I don’t want you to enjoy it. But because I don’t want the interface to make you feel like you owe it something. The content is there when you’re ready. No pressure. No anxiety.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

That’s what phantom obligation means to me. Feeling responsible for something that never asked for your attention in the first place. Over time, this can turn leisure into debt. Books to catch up on. Episodes piling up. Movies you “should” have already watched.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

A badge saying “new content available” looks exactly like a badge saying “someone is waiting for you”. But no one actually is. Still, the interface creates urgency. A quiet pressure. A sense that you’re late, behind, or neglecting something.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

When that same visual language was applied to feeds, libraries, books, movies, series, games, something subtle changed. The obligation stayed. The human on the other side disappeared.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

They come from an old metaphor: the email inbox. In email, an unread message meant something very specific. A real person was waiting for your reply.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

There’s a great essay called Phantom Obligation that helped me put this into words. It explains that things like unread counts and badges weren’t created because they’re genuinely helpful.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

I often get asked why my apps don’t send notifications or show badges to remind you to read a book, watch a movie, or start a new episode. The answer isn’t technical. It’s about how software makes us feel.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Really happy to share the first Book Tracker update of the year. Every new feature and improvement in this release comes directly from conversations with users, emails, messages, and feedback I receive every day. This is how Book Tracker keeps growing. ❤️

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

This quote is a good reminder to be cautious. When a product is built mainly to attract investment or an acquisition, user happiness is rarely the final goal. Often the real product is the team, the growth metrics, or the exit. As users, trusting blindly is rarely a good idea.

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Craig Grannell @craiggrannell.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

+1 for this app. It’s great. I use it for all my graphic novels tracking, and will this year be adding prose books to it as well.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Your library stays on your devices. Your reading data isn’t used to train models. Book Tracker grows slowly, funded only by the people who use it. It’s designed to be calm, predictable, and long lasting. AI has its place. But reading doesn’t need to be optimized.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

A reading app is trending right now. It’s VC backed and heavily built around AI. That’s one approach. Book Tracker was built the other way around. No investors. No growth hacks. No AI deciding what you read or how you should read it.

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Creativerly @creativerly.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Another year reflecting on the apps that became my favourite ones throughout the past year. Thank you Tot @iconfactory.com, Book Track @simonemontalto.bsky.social, Reeder @Silvio Rizzi, Croissant @benricem.bsky.social + @vegh.ca, Ripples by #MykolaHarmash 😊✌️ creativerly.com/creativerlys-...

creativerly.com

Creativerly's Favourite Apps of 2025

It is time again to sit down and reflect on the apps that became my favourite ones over the course of the past twelve months.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Reviews help me improve clarity and stability. They do not define the roadmap. That boundary took time to learn, but it made the product better.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

They are individual experiences, filtered through personal expectations. Good products are not built by averaging opinions. They are built by listening carefully, deciding slowly, and staying consistent over time.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Now I read reviews with a different question in mind. Is this pointing to a misunderstanding? Is it exposing a real usability issue? Or is it asking the app to change its identity? The mistake is treating all reviews as votes. They are not.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Every request felt urgent. That approach almost pushed the product in directions I did not believe in. Over time, I learned to separate feedback from direction. Feedback tells you where friction exists. Direction tells you whether that friction should be solved inside this product.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Other reviews are about expectations the app was never meant to satisfy. Requests to make it free. Requests to turn it into something else. Requests that solve one workflow by breaking ten others. Early on, I tried to please everyone. Every negative review felt like a failure.

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Simone Montalto @simonemontalto.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

App Store reviews are valuable, but they are also dangerous if you read them the wrong way. I learned this the hard way. Some reviews point out real problems. Confusing UI, missing features, unclear behaviour. Those are signals you should never ignore.

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