Apple and Color

Over the past year, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the color options available on Apple’s latest products. I’m not the only one, with this topic serving as endless inspiration for podcast discussions and blog posts. The company’s fall hardware announcements are on the horizon, so I thought now would be as good a time as any to offer my thoughts on the subject. Let’s talk about Apple and color.

When Apple Got Color Right

What frustrates me the most about the color offerings on Apple’s products is that at this time last year, it felt like the company was this close to a cohesive, intelligible, customer-friendly approach to color. We had been moving in that direction for a while.

• The iPhone XR in 2018 brought fun colors back to the iPhone line for the first time since 2013’s iPhone 5c. These colors looked great, especially the coral option. The variety of colors, combined with the fact that it was the first somewhat affordable iPhone with the iPhone X-style design, made the iPhone XR a hit and set the stage for a big move the following year.

• In 2019, the XR was replaced by the iPhone 11, which came in new fun color options. Between the XR and the 11, the iPhone was offered in every color of the rainbow, which meant customers could own an iPhone in their favorite color no matter what that color was.

• The 2020 iPad Air not only featured a complete redesign, but the option to purchase an iPad in blue, pink, or even green.

• At the same event as the iPad Air, the company introduced the Apple Watch Series 6, which came in colors for the first time. The product was available in blue and red in addition to the expected silver, black, and gold finishes.

• The iPhone 12 continued the trend of offering new color choices to those who upgraded, this time with a twist: A new option, purple, was introduced in the spring. This mid-cycle addition was repeated with the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro, adding another element of fun and surprise to Apple’s color story.

• At the end of 2020, the AirPods Max were released in the same colors as the iPad Air. Colorful headphones from Apple? It seemed impossible, but it was true!

• Of course, the epitome of this story came with the release of the M1 iMac in spring of 2021. This product came in every color of the rainbow (matching Apple’s classic six-color rainbow logo), and the aluminum finishes really popped. Each option came with a matching keyboard, mouse or trackpad, and even Lightning cable. The colors were bold and downright delightful.

Of course, during this time, the Pro product lines continued to come in fewer and more reserved finishes. Silver and black pervaded, with the occasional addition of a dark, muted color option in the iPhone Pro lines. And lower-end products were only offered in limited finishes to keep prices down. But, for the products that most people bought most of the time, there were at least a few true color options beyond the typical neutral tones. And the color options looked like they were growing.

Based on Apple’s product offerings over these years, there seemed to be a cohesive strategy emerging when it came to which products came in which colors. One’s color choices would depend on whether the product in question was a budget, consumer, or professional device.

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There’s a bit of generalizing here, but this is the pattern that emerged beginning with the introduction of the iPhone XR and continuing into the early days of Apple Silicon Macs. Rumors for impending updates to the MacBook Air and Mac Mini lines suggested that this pattern would continue.

Clearly, those rumors were mistaken.

Off the Rails

At last year’s September event, something happened with Apple’s color options that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. The company boasted about two new beautiful finishes: starlight and midnight. Starlight is a champagne sort of color, like a mix between silver and gold but without any glimmer. Midnight is a very dark blue color that looks almost matte black under certain light, but never quite black.

Apple seemed very proud of these colors—so much so that the company rebuilt their color offerings around them. Starlight replaced the silver finish on the iPhone 13, aluminum Apple Watch Series 7, and iPad mini. And midnight replaced black (also known as space grey in Apple land) on the iPhone and aluminum Apple Watch as well. To make matter worse, the iPhone 13 and aluminum Apple Watch Series 7 came in fewer color options than before.

This put customers looking to buy Apple’s consumer-grade products in a tough position: Their color choices were limited, and the neutral options they’d grown used to were nowhere to be found. They’d been replaced by these new colors that looked kind of like the old colors, but not enough to blend in the way silver and space grey could. Those who didn’t like the limited color options available were forced to choose between these two new, foreign finishes that looked like they were from a slightly altered version of our world.

Silver and black suddenly were limited to professional, high-end products like the iPhone 13 Pro and the stainless steel Apple Watch—except for the odd exceptions like the space grey iPad mini and the base model iPad, which still comes in silver and space grey. This one event turned Apple’s mostly cohesive color story into a mess.

Personally, I was deflated. I was planning to upgrade my Apple Watch Series 4 to a Series 7, but I hated every aluminum finish available, and I didn’t want to pay more for stainless steel just to get a neutral color option. (Full honesty: I did eventually cave and buy a stainless steel Apple Watch in black, which Apple calls graphite.) Why were the colors I liked suddenly unavailable to me?

It’s not that I have a particular problem with starlight or midnight. They aren’t for me, but I’m sure a lot of people think they’re great. I just don’t understand why they abruptly became the standard finishes at the exact moment the color options became more limited. That one-two punch didn’t feel great to me.

As time went on, the color story didn’t get much better. Last year’s Apple Silicon MacBook Pro came in the expected finishes: silver and space grey. But the recently-released M2 MacBook Air, which was anticipated to come in a variety of colors, instead offered four non-colorful finishes: silver, space grey, starlight, and midnight.

It’s odd to see all four of these neutral/neutral-ish choices in one product line; I would have expected either starlight/midnight or silver/space grey plus at least one colorful option. Alas, that was not the case. If Apple’s color strategy has any sort of rhyme or reason at this point, I can’t see it. And it makes me sad.

What Happened?

All of this leads me to wonder why Apple chose to go in this new color direction. Of course, we’re never going to get a direct answer to that sort of question from the company itself. That’s not how they roll. But a few different explanations have been floated in the community over the past year.

First of all, it’s possible that Apple is changing up the color story just to do something different. Repetition and predictability aren’t good for business. And with something as ever-changing as color preferences on a global scale, the company can’t afford to sit still.

It also could be that supply chain issues caused by the pandemic have forced Apple to scale back on their color options. It’s easier and cheaper to only produce a few different finishes, so when things get tricky and something has to be sacrificed, color options get thrown out.

Or Apple are so proud of these new finishes they’ve crafted that they’re sure everyone else will love them, and thus they’ve become the new default. Silver and black have been Apple’s go-to colors for so long; the decision to replace them with starlight and midnight could not have been made lightly. But if the company believed in those colors enough, they may have decided it was worth it.

I’m not sure that any of these explanations tells the whole story, and none of them make me feel better about the current choices on offer. But I also know that these decisions are taken seriously, so they can’t have come out of the blue.

Looking Ahead

That’s where we’ve been. Where do we go from here?

I think that starlight and midnight are here to stay. Apple clearly loves them, and I’m sure many customers do, too. I can accept that. I’d just like to see a truly neutral option added back into the consumer products. Can we at least have silver back, if not also space grey? The fact that the new MacBook Air is offered in all four finishes might mean that silver and space grey are coming back to more products.

All of those neutral/neutral-ish tones aside, people love fun colors, and I’d like to see Apple take the iMac approach with more products. Is it a lot of work to keep all of those options in stock and sorted out? I’m sure it is. But people love them, and it honestly could lead to some earlier upgrades. If a consumer isn’t totally thrilled about the finish they chose out of the limited iPhone 13 lineup, they might be tempted to get an iPhone 14 in their favorite color. (Personally, I’m rooting for a purple iPhone 14 Pro.)

Consistency in Apple’s color offerings may be too much to ask in the long-term. Fashion is a fickle thing, and people’s feelings about colors shift over time. So while I’d like to see my fancy chart become the reality, I understand that it’s not a likely scenario. But if we can at least get back to a point where we’re given a true neutral option in addition to at least a few fun, delightful color options, I think we’ll be okay.

Apple’s color story went off-script last year, but I hope it’s coming back around to an approach that makes a little more sense. Will the company’s color strategy in 2022 be more well-received than last year? We’ll find out soon at their September 7 event. I’ve got my fingers crossed for some good news and a bright, colorful future ahead.

Lifeslide

For years, I’ve lived in a vicious cycle when it comes to video games. It goes something like this:

• I hear about a game that interests me.

• I read up on it to see if I’ll actually like it, then decide I will.

• I buy the game.

• I get very excited to play the game while I wait for it to arrive/release.

• The games arrives.

• I load up the game and expectantly hit the Start button.

• I play the game for a few hours and declare that I love it.

• I turn the game off and go to bed.

• I forget about the game.

• I never play the game again.

It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even trust myself to buy new games anymore. I can’t stick with them, even ones that I really like. Even ones that I love, like the re-release of Super Mario 64 that came out last year. I was so excited to play back through that game and relive my childhood. But you know what? I got halfway through and forgot about it. What a waste!

I’m not sure why this is the case. Maybe it’s a part of growing up and finding new interests, or it’s that I’m too busy in general, or it’s that gaming doesn’t have the same social aspect for me that it used to. Regardless, it is very, very rare for a game to stick with me anymore, and it’s not from a lack of trying.

That’s why I was intrigued by the introduction of Apple Arcade. For $5/month, I could have access to a wide variety of games on my phone, tablet, and TV. The cost was low enough that I could justify it if I got any amount of entertainment from the service, and I wouldn’t have to feel bad if I moved from game to game. It seemed ideal for someone like me.

What I didn’t expect was to find my new favorite video game, but that’s what happened.

Not long into my Arcade subscription, after trying a few games and bouncing off of them almost immediately, I came across this quirky-looking flight simulator and thought, “That might be worth a try.” So I downloaded Lifeslide by Dreamteck and started it up.

I was immediately captured. In the game, you control a paper airplane as it flies through a series of gorgeous levels representing the various stages of a person’s life. You start at birth and work your way through an entire lifespan, collecting power-ups and new planes as you go. Each stage has different environments and challenges that reflect where you are in the lifecycle.

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One of the many gorgeous levels in Lifeslide.

The game is elegant in its simplicity. To control your plane, all you have to do is tilt your device. Of course, you can use a controller if you prefer to play that way, or if you’re on the big screen. But the tilt controls are my favorite because they’re very intuitive. They make you feel connected to this place as you try to keep it airborne through all the ups and down of life.

I don’t know how long it took me to play through Lifeslide the first time, but it wasn’t long. The game isn’t particularly drawn out or difficult, attributes that work in its favor in my view. I enjoyed the game so much that as soon as I beat it, I decided to start over. I ended up playing it through multiple times over many hours.

Eventually, the developers added a zen mode that I played even more than the main story. In that mode, you don’t even have to worry about the challenges or keeping your plane afloat. You just steer and enjoy the scenery. I logged so many hours playing zen mode on Lifeslide—more than on any video game in the past few years for sure.

Something about it just clicks with my brain in a way no other game has. It’s effect is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It doesn’t induce a particularly strong reaction, negative or positive. I don’t get excited or frustrated when playing through. I just feel present. Engaged. Maybe even peaceful. And when I finish a gaming session, I don’t feel like I’ve spent any energy. In fact, I feel more calm and centered than I did when I started. It leaves me feeling relaxed, and that’s nothing something I can say about any other game I’ve played.

I’m not a particularly adept multitasker. When I’m playing a game, I usually have to focus very intently. (That’s partially because of my one-track mind and particularly because I’m bad at video games.) But when I’m playing Lifeslide, I don’t feel that way. I can carry on a conversation or listen to a podcast while simultaneously flying my little plane. I’ve never had an experience like that, and it’s really nice.

Most people think that the purpose of a video game is to have fun or be entertained, but that’s not what Lifeslide does for me. It does something more than that. It appeals to a part of my brain that isn’t usually engaged, and I honestly think it’s good for my mental health.

Which is why I was so sad to see Lifeslide on a list of games leaving Apple Arcade recently. It must not be accomplishing what Apple are going for with their service, and so they’ve decided not to renew their contract with the developers. In fact, it’s already been delisted from the App Store. My favorite game will soon be gone.

That’s the flip side of these subscription services, I suppose. We get access to all of these great things, but they aren’t ever really ours. That’s usually a tradeoff I’m willing to make, but in this case, I really wish there was a way I could own Lifeslide.

It’s available on a couple of other platforms that I don’t have access to, and the developers are apparently working on a version for the Nintendo Switch, which I would buy in a heartbeat. But what I really hope is that Lifeslide makes its way back into the App Store as an independent purchase. I would love to be able to support the developers directly, and I would be overjoyed to have Lifeslide live permanently on my devices.

For now, I’ll enjoy the last bit of access I have to the game on Apple Arcade. I know that one day soon, I’ll open it up and receive a message that it’s no longer accessible. I’ve accepted that fact. But it still makes me sad, and I hate to see it go.

I’m not sure if I’ll ever connect with another game the way I have with Lifeslide. The enjoyment I’ve gotten out of it is so unique. I guess it’s time to pick up the search again. But I’ll always cherish the time I spent playing Lifeslide, and if I ever somehow get the opportunity, I’ll definitely be diving back in.

Who knew a digital paper airplane flying through artistic landscapes would mean so much to a serial game abandoner? Not me, but I’m grateful for it.

So here’s to Lifeslide, a game that gave me many hours of enjoyment and always left with a sense of calm when I needed it. Wherever it lands after flying away from Apple Arcade, I hope we cross paths again. Either way, it’s been quite a ride.

HidrateSpark Pro Smart Water Bottle

I don’t think that I’ve ever done a proper hardware review before. I’ve never really considered myself qualified for that sort of thing. But recently, I started using a product that I just feel like I have to talk about: the HidrateSpark Pro smart water bottle.

Those of you who keep up with Apple news may have heard of this recently. The company started carrying a version of it in the Apple Store last month, leading to a string of stories and blog posts. It turns out that Apple’s been selling HidrateSpark water bottles for a while now, but I wasn’t aware of the company until this last batch of press. The concept immediately caught my eye.

One thing about me: I drink a lot of water. Since I was a teenager, I’ve always carried a water bottle with me everywhere I go, constantly refilling it every chance I get. Some would call me well-hydrated; others might say I have an issue. Either way, I’m a heavy water bottle user and am constantly on the lookout for my next one.

I’m also a huge nerd, a fact that sort of goes without saying. So a smart water bottle backed by Apple’s stamp of approval is just the sort of thing that appeals to me.

And so it was with only a hint of surprise and a good deal of excitement that I received a generous, unprompted offer from my dad to gift me a HidrateSpark water bottle for my birthday. Mind you, I had never mentioned such a thing to him or anyone else in my family. But I guess when two of my interests align this perfectly, it makes me easy to shop for. Thanks for sponsoring this review, Dad!

Now, I’m the proud owner of my very own HidrateSpark Pro smart water bottle. After spending a few weeks with it, I have thoughts.

First of all, the basics: The HidrateSpark Pro smart water bottle comes in a range of sizes and two different materials, plastic and stainless steel. They cost between $60 and $80 depending on which model you choose. Being the midsize steel version, mine was $70. Here’s everything that came in the box:

• the HidrateSpark Pro smart water bottle (21 oz., black)
• sensor puck
• chug lid
• straw lid and straw
• charging cable
• manual with instructions for setup

Note: This particular version of the water bottle is a special edition only available through the Apple Store that comes with both the chug lid and the straw lid. If you purchase directly from HidrateSpark or from another source, you’ll have to choose one lid type or the other.

You wouldn’t normally expect to need a setup guide for a water bottle, but since this one is smart, it came with a few instructions. I first hand washed the water bottle (since the stainless steel versions aren't dishwasher-safe) then thoroughly dried it as instructed because the smart sensor puck cannot get wet. While the bottle was drying, I plugged in the puck with the included magnetic charging cable and my own USB-A wall adapter to ensure the battery had some charge.

From there, setup was easy. I gently twisted the sensor puck into the bottom of the cup and then pressed the puck’s Bluetooth button to enter pairing mode. Then I opened the HidrateSpark app on my phone, created an account with Sign In with Apple, and paired the water bottle instantly. This setup process is the kind of thing that can leave a bad first impression on users if done poorly, but the HidrateSpark was straightforward and quick to get going.

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Before we even get to the smart stuff, the quality of the bottle itself is really important. When I held mine for the first time, I was struck by how tall it is. I went with the 21-ounce version rather than the new 32-ounce model because I didn’t want to carry around something that was going to stick out or make a statement. I’d say this size is right on the border of statement-making.

The 21-ounce HidrateSpark Pro is quite slender. It’s actually narrower than the 16-ounce tumbler I was using before, which makes it perfect for cupholders. But because of its elaborate lid and the sensor puck on the bottom, the bottle is significantly taller than anything I’m used to. The size has grown on me, but I definitely wasn’t prepared for it at first.

The bottle feels very much like something Apple would sell. It’s sleek, slender, and unassuming. I’d describe the quality of the stainless steel as slightly above standard—certainly better than what you’d get from a stainless steel cup at the grocery store, but maybe not quite premium. The black version has a textured finish that I find grippy and appealing. And the HidrateSpark logo on the front is small enough that I don’t mind it, though opinions may differ on that.

The bottom of the water bottle is made of a grey, semi-opaque ring of hard plastic that the sensor puck screws into. On the bottom of the sensor puck is a layer of rubber that grips the surface the cup is resting on and deadens the sound the bottle makes when you set it down.

As far as build quality, I’m not sure it gets much better than this in a water bottle meant for the mass market. The HidrateSpark is very well-made without going over the top, and it keeps water cold for a very long time (up to 24 hours, according to the marketing material). Because a water bottle is something I carry around everywhere, I expect it to be nice without drawing a ton of attention to itself. I’d say this one accomplishes that well. Like I said, it makes sense that Apple would be willing to associate its stores with this product.

But the HidrateSpark isn’t just a water bottle; it’s a smart water bottle. And the more time I spend using the smart aspects of this product, the more I’m impressed by it.

All of the HidrateSpark Pro’s smarts are built on the sensor puck and its communication with the Hidrate app on your phone via Bluetooth. When you take a drink, the sensor puck measures the change in the weight of your bottle’s contents, uses that to calculate the amount of water you just drank, and sends the information to your phone. The puck also emits a pleasing glow to confirm that it’s logging your data.

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The Hidrate app isn’t perfect, but I think it does its job well. The home page looks like the company’s take on the Apple Fitness app, with a ring that fills throughout the day as you make progress towards your hydration goal. (You can set your own goal or allow the app to calculate one for you based on your height and weight, activity level, and the weather around you.) At the top of the screen, you can scroll through your history week-by-week to see how much of your goal you’ve met over time.

You can also change some of your water bottle’s settings in the app, including the color that it glows. There are several pre-defined options to choose from, or you can purchase a $5 in-app add-on to design your own color scheme. I appreciate the customization options, but I’ve set my bottle to a simple white glow.

The app is also where you set up reminders to make sure you’re getting enough water throughout the day. Reminders come in two forms: notifications on your phone and glowing reminders from the bottle itself. You can customize when and how often you receive reminders so that they don’t become a nuisance, but I do recommend taking advantage of them. The motivation to keep up with your hydration goal is one of the best benefits of using the HidrateSpark Pro over a regular water bottle.

My favorite feature of the Hidrate app, though, is its integration with Apple Health. Once I granted the app permission to access my health data, syncing my water intake was completely seamless. I take a drink, the bottle sends that information to Hidrate app, and the Hidrate app syncs that information to the Health app without me having to even unlock my phone. I’ve even set up a goal in Awesome Habits to keep track of my water intake using the data from Apple Health, and it all works without any manual input on my part.

The fact that this process is completely automatic has impressed me to no end. My biggest barrier when it comes to health tracking is simply remembering to do it. The HidrateSpark Pro removes that barrier completely by handling all the work for me; it couldn’t be more convenient.

Another pain point that this water bottle solves for me: finding it when I accidentally leave it behind somewhere. The app includes a Find My Bottle feature that automatically records the water bottle’s location whenever it gets out of Bluetooth range. This feature is handy and has already helped me track it down a couple of times.

The Hidrate app additionally includes some social features. If you have friends who use the company’s smart water bottles, you can check each other’s progress and keep each other motivated. There are global challenges that allow you to work towards goals alongside the rest of the community. And you can earn trophies for meeting your daily goal, keeping a streak of completions, and saving plastic bottles. It’s completely optional, but I’ve found these features to be a good bit of fun.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Hidrate app is also available on the Apple Watch. It’s a quick way to check your progress and log any water you drink that doesn’t get registered automatically, like when you go to a restaurant.

Of course, being a smart device, the HidrateSpark does have to be charged from time to time. The app will send you a notification when the battery gets low and needs to be plugged in. I’ve found that charging the puck for a few hours every week or so seems to do the trick, and the good news is that you can still use the water bottle while the puck is charging. You’ll just have to remember to log that water manually since the smart features won’t be active.

Overall, I’m really happy with my HidrateSpark Pro, but there are couple of changes I’d like to see in a future version. The bottle struggles to get an accurate measurement of my water intake when I’m driving, which I assume is due to either the motion of the car or the inability to sit perfectly flat in my cupholder. Because I commute almost every day, this has led to some bad data that I had to clean up later, so any improvement on that front would be welcome.

I’d also like to have a little more control over scheduling in the app. I appreciate the ability to set my waking hours to avoid reminders while I sleep and the ability to snooze my bottle’s glowing feature for a couple of hours when I have a meeting, but I’d like more fine-grained control over that schedule. For example, I sleep in later on Saturdays than the rest of the week, so I wake up every Saturday to a notification that says I’m way behind on my hydration goal. And though the waking hours setting does prohibit reminders, my bottle still glows in the middle of the night when I get a drink. I’d like the ability to set a schedule for that feature as well, or possibly even to tie it in to my sleeping schedule in the Health app if that’s something third-party developers can access.

Finally, I’d like to see Find My Bottle expanded to include true Apple Find My support. Rather than being limited to the Hidrate app, I’d like to see my water bottle in the Find My app alongside my devices and other items that feature location tracking.

Those minor suggestions aside, I’ve had a phenomenal experience with my HidrateSpark Pro water bottle so far. When I first got it, I thought it would be a silly, fun thing to try. But the more I’ve used it and the more I’ve learned about the company’s history and mission to help people stay healthy through hydration, the more I’ve come to see this as an important technology that a lot of people could benefit from. Staying hydrated is such a key aspect of overall health, and the HidrateSpark Pro does a stellar job of encouraging me to drink enough water while integrating seamlessly into my everyday life.

In fact, I liked mine so much that my wife purchased one for herself. (She bought the 17-ounce version, which is a great size.) And while I don’t rely on the reminders as much because I naturally drink a lot, she’s seen a lot of benefit from them. Since she started using her smart water bottle, she’s met her hydration goal every day!

That’s the power of smart tech. It can motivate us to meet our goals and take better care of ourselves—but only if it’s done right. In the case of the HidrateSpark Pro, I’d say it definitely is. It’s a simple, smart way to track your water intake and ensure that you’re giving your body the hydration that it needs. So if that’s something you care about or would like to improve on, I highly recommend giving this smart water bottle a try. It’s certainly been a positive experience me, and now that I’ve used it, I can’t imagine going without it.

On Turning 30

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. I wasn’t sure how I’d react to waking up and no longer being in my 20s; honestly, I feel about the same. It’s certainly a milestone, but in my eyes, it’s a positive one.

It’s also a great opportunity to reflect on where I’m at 30 years into my time on earth. The past decade has been full of ups, downs, and big changes. I graduated college, moved to Texas for a couple of years, moved back home to work at the church, finished seminary, met the love of my life, married her, built a house, adopted a dog, and crafted a fulfilling existence with my little family.

All of this is to say I’m incredibly thankful for my life and the people in it. I am so blessed to be where I am today. It’s been a great 30 years so far; God willing, here’s to many more.

The Many Benefits of Indie Apps

Over the past few months, I’ve been writing about new apps that have become a part of my daily life. I’m not one to change up my routine offhandedly. It takes a lot to get me to try something different, and even more for me to stick with it. Which is why I’m so impressed with these apps that have embedded themselves into my life and become so important to me.

There’s one characteristic all of these tools have in common that you might have noticed: They’re all indie apps. That means they are created by independent app developers, not big companies. Every app I’ve featured on my site this year has come from developers working on their own to support themselves through the applications they create.

That’s been a purposeful decision on my part. I made a conscious choice a while ago to follow people and websites that feature independent app developers. Sources like MacStories, Indie Dev Monday, and Indie Apps Catalogue are great for discovering new tools by creators I’ve never heard of. And by following indie developers and those who support them on Twitter, I’ve found even more ways to keep up with what’s happening in this space. It’s been so much fun and exposed me to a treasure trove of useful apps.

There are a lot of reasons why I’ve chosen to focus on indie apps when looking for something new, and I’d like to share a few of them.

First of all, indie apps tend to be well and uniquely designed. They aren’t generically built for a bunch of different platforms, and they aren’t designed by committee. Rather, they are crafted by individuals who put a lot of time and intentionality into making them. Not only do they look great; they work really well, too.

There are thousands of apps out there, and you can probably find dozens that accomplish any given task. To find an app that not only does what you want it to do but also connects with you and makes you want to use it, though—that’s something special. And it’s something I’ve found indie apps are especially good at.

Indie developers tend to tackle problems that are personal to them. They create apps that they are passionate about, and their passion translates into a good user experience. I choose to use the apps I do because they feel like they were made for me. They mesh with the way my brain works, and that comes from the way they’re designed.

Indie apps also tend to be good platform citizens, which is very important me. It’s a tad ironic, but I’ve found that the smallest developers with the least resources actually invest the most in making their apps as useful and versatile as possible for their users.

That means they include basic features like share sheet extensions, drag-and-drop, and split screen support on iPads. It also means they offer Shortcuts actions and Home screen widgets so that users can interact with them in the way they prefer. Some even go so far as to create Apple Watch versions (no small feat!), which I find really fun and useful. I take advantage of these platform features more because my favorite apps support them.

Apple offers all kinds of great system options that developers can use to make their apps better and make users love their devices more. I’ve found that indie devs tend to lean into these features, and their apps are better for it.

I’ve also found customization to be a great benefit of using indie apps. Whether it’s changing the screen tint color or adjusting how the app actually works to fit you, these apps give you options and settings—not too many, but just enough—that allow you to make them your own. The same can’t be said of every app.

The pace of updates on indie apps is also just incredible. I’ve started checking my App Store updates tab daily because the apps I love are being constantly refreshed with new features and refinements. If you’re the type of person who likes to use all of the latest OS features as soon as they’re released, your best bet is to invest in indie apps, because their developers are always the first to incorporate those updates. It’s fun to always have something new to try in the apps you love.

Finally, the relationships you can build with the developers of indie apps are just so fulfilling. They’re always so welcome to feedback, and they actually respond to you! Sometimes, your ideas even become inspiration for new features down the line. It’s so much more enjoyable to use software from independent app developers rather than faceless corporations.

It feels good knowing that the money you spend on apps is going to independent developers, too. I’ve found the app subscription model that many indie devs use to be the perfect setup: I pay a reasonable amount every year to support the developer’s work, which allows them to provide for themselves and keep making the app better. Everyone wins, and it feels like I’m directly connected to the people making my favorite tools.

That alone is enough of a reason to support indie developers in my mind. All the other stuff is just a bonus. But taken together, these reasons make indie apps so much more compelling to me than any of the other options out there.

All of my favorite apps are indies, and they make my life so much better. If you haven’t looked into the world of independent developers and their apps lately, I suggest you give them a try. You won’t regret it.

Here are a few of my favorite indie apps to start off your search:

• OpenBudget, a personal finance app from Khan Winter
• Sofa, a downtime organizer by Shawn Hickman
• Structured, a day planner from Leo Mehlig
• Good Sudoku, my favorite puzzle game from Zach Gage
• Awesome Habits, a habit tracker from Michal Tuma
• Slipity, a powerful presentation app from Josiah Oslund
• Everlog, a journaling app from Wessley Roche
• Mela, a recipe manager from Silvio Rizzi
• Play, a YouTube watch later app from Marcos Tanaka

There are so many great indie apps out there. These are just a few to get you started, so be sure to go out and find some for yourself! And if you find something amazing, please don’t hesitate to send it my way. You never know when you might find your next favorite app.