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Image 1 — What am I doing wrong? I localized everything… and still can’t reach 50 users.
Image 2 — What am I doing wrong? I localized everything… and still can’t reach 50 users.
▲ 1 r/iosdev

What am I doing wrong? I localized everything… and still can’t reach 50 users.

I’ve been working on my first iOS app for months, and honestly I’m starting to question whether I’m missing something obvious.

How to market my app when i don't have revenue yet ?

I have tried ASO and posts in the SM

Here’s everything I’ve done so far:
- The app itself supports 87 languages.
- I localized the entire App Store page into every language Apple allows (40+ locales).

Localized:
- App name
- Subtitle
- Description
- Promotional text
- Keywords
- “What’s New” for every update
- In-app purchase names and descriptions
- Created App Preview videos.
- Designed custom screenshots.
- The app collects zero user data.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time researching ASO and optimizing keywords for every locale instead of simply translating them.
I’ve also promoted it multiple times on LinkedIn and X.

Despite all of that, these are my numbers:
1.9k App Store impressions
462 product page views
49 first-time downloads
~6% conversion rate
Less than 50 active users

At this point I’m starting to wonder if ASO alone just isn’t enough anymore for brand-new apps.

For those of you who’ve launched apps recently:
What would you improve first?
Is there anything obvious that I’m overlooking?
Is the problem simply the lack of initial momentum?
Or is the Photo & Video category just incredibly difficult to break into?

I’m genuinely looking for honest feedback because I’ve reached the point where I don’t know what else to optimize.
If seeing the App Store page would help you spot any issues, here’s the link:

https://apps.apple.com/app/echo-photo-memory-journal/id6775021634

u/Lazy-Throat-4537 — 3 hours ago
▲ 3 r/iosdev+1 crossposts

Enterprise dev of 10+ years, never built a mobile app before - here’s the one my wife inspired, now on the App Store

I’ve been a software developer for a little over ten years, all of it in enterprise. I’d never done any mobile development, so I wanted to try taking an idea from the very beginning all the way to a finished app, just to see the whole thing through.

The idea came from something my wife and I already do. Whenever we go out to eat, we turn the decision into a little game - one of us picks three places, and the other picks one of those three. I figured I’d try to codify that into an app with the help of Claude Code.

That’s Fork. You nominate three restaurants, send a link to whoever you’re eating with, and they pick one. The MVP is live on the App Store now.

Landing page: https://gabe-fernandez-052.github.io/fork-site/

I’d really like some honest feedback on it - the idea, the app itself, whatever stands out!

reddit.com
u/GabeFernandez — 11 hours ago
▲ 2 r/iosdev+1 crossposts

Don’t you find the new Siri AI harder to work with?

The old Siri was dumb but contractual. If you speak certain words, it activates the right Shortcuts. Every single time.

The new Siri AI try to be clever but keeps matching your phrase to different things, especially as you expose objects in your apps as schemas. That is necessary for some functions to work from Siri AI but it is trying to do unnecessary things it is not equipped for.

Do you find it unreliably triggering your Shortcuts phrases now? Should Apple place more emphasis when the phrases are spoken?

reddit.com
u/Lemon8or88 — 7 hours ago
▲ 12 r/iosdev+8 crossposts

App was available on the App Store for a few hours, then suddenly became unavailable in all regions

Edit: After several tests, it has become clear that the app is available in the USA and the page does not open in the EU. However, you can search for and download the app from the list in the EU, but you cannot click on it. Thanks to everyone.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone here has experienced this before.

I recently launched my very first iOS app. The app was approved by Apple and the status in App Store Connect is currently “Ready for Distribution”.
For the first few hours after release, everything worked perfectly:
The App Store page loaded normally.
Users could open the product page.
The app could be downloaded.
However, a few hours later, the App Store page suddenly stopped working on all iPhones.
When users tap the app in the App Store, they either get:

“This app is currently not available in your country or region”

or

“The page could not be loaded. Please try again.”

Things I’ve already verified:
App status is “Ready for Distribution”.
Distribution method is Public.
The app is available in 175 countries, including Belgium.
No pre-order is enabled.
No changes were made after release.
The App Store URL exists.
“View on App Store” from App Store Connect opens correctly.

Example App Store link:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/elsy-shared-collections/id6773616091

I’ve already contacted Apple Developer Support, but haven’t received a response yet.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Could this be an App Store propagation issue or some hidden regional/storefront problem?

Thanks a lot!

u/EggplantSalty2486 — 17 hours ago
▲ 8 r/iosdev+6 crossposts

I built a simple weekly todo app and I genuinely think it’s useful

Most to do apps become messy lists, and calendars feel too structured when you just want to plan your week.

I wanted something simpler, so I built Tally: a weekly todo app where tasks are organized by day, and the whole week stays visible in one clean view.

No time slots, no calendar clutter, no complicated planning system.

Just a clear weekly view, fast task input, Home Screen widgets, light/dark mode, and simple customization.

You can also reorder tasks by time or priorities.

I genuinely think this can help people stay organized very easily

Because I want to get it into the hands of as many people as possible, it’s free to try for 7 days, then just $2 one time. No subscription, no account.

Download here: tallytodo.com

I would really appreciate feedback if anyone tries it.

u/FewTheory2521 — 17 hours ago
▲ 8 r/iosdev+5 crossposts

CalTrainTrax

Hey commuters! I know there’s a plethora of Caltrain tracking apps, but I figured why not add one more to the mix! I just released it and looking for any feedback. Want to keep actively developing and improving this, so I’ll plan on implementing the most upvoted suggestion within the next week.

apps.apple.com
u/tomsoysauce — 11 hours ago
▲ 11 r/iosdev+1 crossposts

free tool for creating app icons

Hey

i made IconCombo a free tool that helps developers create app icons quickly using a catalog of symbols.

it's inspired by icon.kitchen but with a focus on combining icons to create a unique result.

please try it out: iconcombo.com

u/lookslikes — 13 hours ago
▲ 2 r/iosdev+5 crossposts

Platform for games

Hi all,
I was wondering where most of you release your first game and find your initial players.
I recently released my first mobile game on iOS, but it’s been tough getting anyone to discover it. The handful of people who have played it have given positive feedback, but finding those first players has been much harder than I expected.
Now I’m trying to publish it on Google Play, and I’ve hit the requirement of finding enough testers before release. It’s made me wonder whether I’m going about this the wrong way.
How did you all get your first players and feedback? Did you launch on mobile first, or did you build a community somewhere else before releasing?
For anyone who’s curious, the game is called Missed Flight. Feel free to check it out if you’d like, but I’m mainly interested in hearing how others tackled this early stage.

apps.apple.com
u/Legitimate_Skirt_642 — 15 hours ago
▲ 1 r/iosdev

Swift vs React Native

I’m new to iOS development. I’ve vibe coded one Swift-based iOS app with Claude Code. I have a few friends who say I should build iOS apps with React Native using Expo Go since the same code will go for Android. I personally like Xcode with Claude Code. I’m curious what everyone else does? Any suggestions

reddit.com
u/highon-dopamine — 17 hours ago
▲ 80 r/iosdev

Made my first sale!

I know it’s not the first time this type of thing gets posted, but was so happy to see this I wanted to share. Such a good / exciting feeling!

u/streetsofjames — 1 day ago
▲ 20 r/iosdev+3 crossposts

Swuvi: Bookmarks & Reminders

Hey everyone! We got tired of saving things in five different places (screenshots, Instagram saves, TikTok favorites, open tabs) and never finding any of them again. So my co-founder and I built Swuvi.

It's basically one searchable home for everything you save. Each save gets a next step category (Read, Watch, Listen, Make, Try, Buy, or Do), and you can set a custom reminder ("remind me in 2 weeks") for things like a product you're considering or an article someone sent you.

One thing we decided early: no AI. Most of the bookmarking apps we looked at were adding AI to auto-sort and summarize your saves, and honestly, we just don't think AI needs to be in everything. 

If anyone wants to try it, we'd really appreciate honest feedback!

App Store link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/swuvi-bookmarks-reminders/id6768479131

u/swuvi_official — 18 hours ago
▲ 4 r/iosdev+1 crossposts

Simple Stepper 1.0.0 is here. Including new feature "vertical distance measurement"

Hey everyone

After intense developing Simple Stepper Version 1.0.0 is finally here!

... introduced the new feature "vertical distance measurement" to you.

The story behind this feature goes like this: Some of you and from other subreddits asked, if it was possible to include a way, of measuring the vertical distance or something like "elevation steps". My first thought was "Why would somebody even consider using it" ... well after some research and more feedback of runners, walkers and bikers, it turned out, that quite a lot people are interested in such data.

Long story short, I added the feature to the "workout mode" of Simple Stepper, meaning, the user can start a specific workout including GPS and or barometer measurement, if his device offers those. Firstly I integrated the feature in the Android version and now it is finally fully working the iOS version as well.

The screenshots show the overall look and feel of Simple Stepper: MainScreen with active history ring, live-workout with GPS- and barometer tracking, HistoryScreen with workout protocols view, detailed workout view with map, height-profile and splits, HistoryScreen with daily protocols view, ShareScreen and ProfileScreen.

Some might notice in the Screenshot with the height-profile a slight drift in the barometer. This seems to be normal, as the air pressure changes over time. But the results are still closer to actual height changes than measured by GPS. However I could improve the drift a little due to calibration measures.

The main goal behind Simple Stepper:

Track your daily activity

Simple Stepper automatically keeps track of:

  • Steps
  • Distance
  • Calories
  • Active Time

Everything is presented in a clean interface with visual progress rings, customizable goals and an optional 24-day history ring to quickly see how consistent you've been.

GPS / Barometer Workout Tracking

Whether you're walking, hiking or running, you can record workouts with detailed GPS and or barometer tracking.

Features include:

  • Live route tracking
  • Background tracking
  • Full workout history
  • Detailed maps
  • Automatic performance statistics

If you don't need GPS (for example on a treadmill), you can simply disable it and still record your workout.

You now get:

  • Detailed workout statistics
  • Elevation profile using GPS + barometer data
  • Split analysis for every kilometer
  • Pace, speed and elevation changes for each split
  • Improved performance overview
  • Cleaner workout detail screens with smoother navigation

The goal was to provide useful insights without overwhelming the interface.

Long-term progress

Besides individual workouts, Simple Stepper helps you monitor your overall activity over time.

You can view your:

  • Daily history
  • Workout history
  • Personal statistics
  • Goal completion
  • Activity consistency

Built for everyday use

  • Apple Health integration
  • Background tracking
  • Backup & Restore
  • Light & Dark Mode
  • Available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian and Chinese

Free to use

Simple Stepper is completely free to use.

An optional subscription removes advertisements if you'd like to support further development.

I'd love your feedback!

I'm continuously improving the app and this subreddit is where I share updates and collect ideas.

I'd especially like to hear your thoughts about:

  • the new workout analysis
  • GPS accuracy
  • the overall UI/UX
  • features you'd like to see next

Thanks to everyone who has been testing the app and providing feedback so far!

Simple Stepper on Apple App Store

u/Creepy_Virus231 — 20 hours ago
▲ 10 r/iosdev+4 crossposts

CoolTopia: A clean, Algorithm-FREE social network with built-in Link-in-Bio tools

I got completely tired of modern social media being ruined by aggressive algorithms, data-tracking, and cluttered feeds. So, I decided to build CoolTopia—a clean, respectful, and completely algorithm-free social platform.

Here is what makes CoolTopia different right now:

  • 🔮 Aura Profiles: Ditch the boring, official look. You can choose different vibrant aura effects to frame your avatar, showcase your actual energy, and make your profile stand out instantly.
  • 🔗 Built-in "LinkMe" Feature: No need for a separate Linktree. CoolTopia has a built-in link aggregator that lets you keep all of your social accounts, portfolios, and projects in one beautiful place, ready to share in any of your social bios.
  • 🔒 100% Free & Privacy-First: The app and services are entirely free. Most importantly, we will never sell your user data to other companies.

I'm just getting started and will continue to drop new features and improve the user experience based on real community feedback.

You can download the app for free right here:

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cooltopia/id6767429117

Thanks for your support and I'd love to hear your feedback!

u/Cool-Topia — 19 hours ago
▲ 7 r/iosdev

First money on a game, do I frame the screenshot?

Minuscule compared to the cost of the development, but the idea validation with paying customers is a feeling like no other. Any stories on where your first money came from?

u/wrblx — 20 hours ago
▲ 3 r/iosdev

Are cool animations necessary?

I finally added a better animation for capturing objects with my app. It got some more attention now on TikTok with it.
Someone on twitter said it’s important to have 1-2 Animations that are basically just there to market your app better (TikTok/insta)

Do you do the same with our apps ?

u/Selvitius — 1 day ago
▲ 2 r/iosdev+2 crossposts

Started coding 8 months ago and finally it's out!

Coded Swippet 5 months straight and then waited 3 months to get it in review, contacted the Apple Developer support 5 different times and finally after waiting for 83 days got it in review and approved, kinda sad i waited such a long time just waiting and doing small improvements but at least now we are up and live : )

Try it: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/swippet/id6755205907

u/Pleasant-Security335 — 1 day ago
▲ 70 r/iosdev+1 crossposts

Almost two years of full-time solo work: Loomi my iOS photo/video editor

Hey community!

About a year ago I posted here about Loomi, my photo/video editor I've been building solo for about two years. The feedback you gave me was really helpful and encouraging. Here's the link to the original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/iosapps/comments/1m5e69j/after_1_year_of_fulltime_solo_work_loomi_my/

I know there are lots of photo editors out there, and it's difficult to impress anyone in 2026, but I really invested my time in polishing every detail in the app - UI/UX, filters, effects, overlays, adjustments and so on. Most of my time since that initial post went into polish & adding new content. I added lots of new filters, effects, adjustments, and overlays. There are over 600 filters, and each one took many hours to create & test on a wide range of photos. Coming up next, I'm planning to add the ability to create personal presets, plus iPad support. Right now though, my focus is marketing. I'm still figuring out how to promote Loomi, and it's proving very difficult.

As a thank-you to this community specifically, I'm offering:

  • 1 month free - try everything with no commitment
  • 75% off lifetime access - $20 instead of $80

You can claim the free month first, and if you like the app, come back later for the lifetime discount.

App link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/loomi-photo-video-editor/id6748413115

To claim offers, use these links:

1 month free: https://apps.apple.com/redeem?ctx=offercodes&id=6748413115&code=REDDITMONTH

75% off lifetime: https://apps.apple.com/redeem?ctx=offercodes&id=6748413115&code=REDDIT75

You can also redeem manually in the app: Settings → Redeem Code → enter REDDITMONTH or REDDIT75.

Any feedback is welcome, and if you like the app, an App Store review would mean a lot!

Thanks again for the support!

u/arthur_darbin — 2 days ago
▲ 3 r/iosdev+1 crossposts

4.3b Spam. Any advice?

I just finished my first app and got rejection. Something along the line of

“The app primarily features astrology, horoscopes, palm reading, fortune telling or zodiac reports that duplicate the content and functionality of similar apps that are already widely available.

These app features may be useful, informative or entertaining, and the app may include features or characteristics that distinguish it. However, there are already enough of these apps on the App Store.”

The current apps on the app store are very generic personality description app. I do have Bazi and Doushu (Chinese Calendar Reading) training from my family. In Asia we actually use this to plan major events in life (marriage, build houses, etc) and also daily navigation.

The app provides detailed planning advice down to month, day, and hour level. It functions more like calendar planning rather astrology.

My first submission got rejected. I have resubmitted with video walkthrough and detailed explanation. Waited for 4 days now.

Any advice on what I should do and roughly how long they would take to review again? Should I appeal? Do they just ghost you? Anybody succeeded and what did you do? :(

u/Exact-Situation9255 — 1 day ago
▲ 11 r/iosdev+1 crossposts

Thanks, Apple.

Thanks, Apple.

Apparently sharing the same first and last name as someone on a sanctions list is enough to freeze your developer account.

I submitted my passport multiple times.
I submitted additional documents.
I waited for weeks.
Support kept saying my case was "under review."

Then my account was deactivated because the requested documentation was "not received."

I guess my date of birth, nationality, passport, address, and every other identifying detail were no match for... my first and last name.

Compliance is important. I completely understand that.

But after weeks of waiting, it really feels like my identity was reduced to two words: my name.

u/eteshnik — 1 day ago
▲ 22 r/iosdev+1 crossposts

I’m so sick of SwiftUI LiquidGlass bugs. Just wasted an entire night discovering that @FocusState breaks completely... unless you put a button before the TextField.

I just spent an entire night tearing my hair out over this. I hit a really strange focus bug on iOS 26 and want to share it, both as a warning and in case someone knows what's actually going on under the hood.

Setup: a bottom "add item" bar living in .safeAreaBar(edge: .bottom), inside a NavigationStack that sits in a TabView. The bar shows a suggestions row above the text field, but only while the field has focus:

struct AddItemBar: View {
     var text: String
     private var isFocused: Bool

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            if isFocused {
                SuggestionsView(...)   // horizontal ScrollView, .glassEffect()
            }

            HStack(spacing: 0) {
                TextField("1 kg tomatoes", text: $text)
                    .focused($isFocused)
                    .padding(.vertical, 12)
                    .padding(.horizontal)
                    .glassEffect()

                Button("Add", systemImage: "plus") { ... }
                    .buttonStyle(.glassProminent)
                    .buttonBorderShape(.circle)
            }
        }
        .animation(.default, value: isFocused)
    }
}

The bug: tap the field → keyboard comes up, typing works fine, but isFocused never becomes true. I put a debug Text(isFocused ? "FOCUS" : "NO FOCUS") in the bar: it says NO FOCUS the whole time the keyboard is up. So anything gated on the focus state (my suggestions row) simply never appears. No warnings, no console output, nothing.

What did NOT fix it:

  • GlassEffectContainer + glassEffectID on every glass element (this is supposed to be the blessed way to handle dynamic glass shape sets). Bonus weirdness: with the container active, the text you type became invisible inside the field.
  • Moving the glass off the field onto a background shape: .background { Capsule().glassEffect() }. Binding still never fires.
  • Making the conditionally-inserted suggestions view non-glass (material background instead). Irrelevant, because the binding never fires in the first place; the conditional view isn't even inserted yet.

What DOES fix it (all verified on device):

  • Putting any glass button before the TextField in the HStack. Moving my Add button to the left of the field: focus binding works instantly.
  • Applying .glassEffect() to the whole HStack instead of the field itself (single capsule, compose-bar style): works.
  • Funny enough, I only discovered the bug because I removed a glass Menu that used to sit left of the field. It had been masking the bug the entire time.

So the failing configuration is specifically: TextField as the first/leftmost glass element in a .safeAreaBar (under TabView), followed by a glass button. Reorder the elements and \@FocusState`` works; keep the field first and the binding is just dead, even though the keyboard and typing work normally.

I ended up shipping the "button on the left" layout. Has anyone else run into this? I'd love to understand the actual mechanism. My best guess is something about how Liquid Glass captures/hosts the field's content, but the container + glassEffectID route failing makes me think it's just a plain UIKit-bridging bug. Filing a Feedback either way.

Xcode 26.3, iOS 26.5, device

reddit.com
u/oneness33 — 2 days ago