Published on March 27, 2025
When I first started Just Timers in 2019, it was a simple idea born out of a need for a straightforward, reliable timer app. Fast forward to today, and the journey has been anything but simple. Between becoming a parent and maintaining this app as a side project along side of my day job, development has been a delicate balancing act.
If there's one feature that's been the bane of my existence, it's sync. What sounds like a simple concept – keeping timers consistent across iPhone and Apple Watch – has become a labyrinth of technical challenges.
In version 3, I implemented two primary sync methods:
What started as a straightforward feature quickly revealed layers of complexity I hadn't anticipated. The fundamental question became: How do you ensure a timer's state remains consistent across multiple devices with potentially different connectivity and usage patterns?
Apple's continuous platform evolution presents both opportunities and obstacles. Take App Intents, for example – a significant change in how apps integrate with the Shortcuts ecosystem.
The migration to App Intents wasn't just a simple code swap. It required a fundamental rethink of how the app handles background tasks and user interactions. This led to some particularly tricky bugs:
These aren't just minor hiccups. They represent deep systemic challenges that arise when working with a rapidly evolving mobile platform.
v4 isn't just an update – it's a reimagining. I've taken the lessons learned from previous versions and built something more robust, leveraging new iOS capabilities introduced in versions 16 and 17.
v4 is currently in its earliest stages of development. Right now, the app is focused on building a solid foundation with some very specific goals:
Current Focus
What's Not Ready (Yet)
This is very much an alpha-stage development. I'm prioritizing getting the core countdown timer experience right before expanding into more complex features. The goal right now is to create a rock-solid foundation that can support more advanced functionality in future updates.
Let's be real – this is a passion project squeezed between diaper changes, work commitments, and stolen moments of coding. Progress is slow, but it's progress nonetheless. Each bug fixed, each feature refined is a small victory.
I'm soon opening up an early alpha to users who are willing to dive into an imperfect but promising app. Expect:
What I'm looking for is your feedback. What works? What doesn't? What would you love to see?
To everyone who's stuck with Just Timers through its iterations – thank you. This app exists because of passionate users who see potential in a simple idea.
Stay tuned, stay patient, and most importantly – stay timed.
Interested in being part of the Just Timers v4 journey? Reach out, and let's build something awesome together.
Developer: Aaron Dippner
Bluesky: @dippnerd.com or @JustTimers.app
Mastodon: @[email protected] or @[email protected]
X/Twitter: @dippnerd or @JustTimers
Email: [email protected]