Since I was nine years old, I've wanted to release an app on the Apple App Store. I spent years working on game clones, studying open-source projects, and following online courses. Depsite this, I never released an app. Or even came close, for that matter. That changed in 2024 with the release of my first app, Bit Buddy, an external storage manager for creative professionals. And today, Bit Buddy receives its final update.
The Road to Bit Buddy
Initially named Byte Buddy, the app was formed and created due to a growing need in my personal workflow. While working on various projects, mostly video, I found myself scattered between external SSDs, hard drives, and cloud solutions. I didn't have a way to centralize my storage collection. And, after weeks of brainstorming ideas, the idea for Byte Buddy started to take shape. An annoying name snafu meant adjusting the name to Bit Buddy, a decision that I think worked out in the long run.
Version 1
Bit Buddy's initial release was...rough. Several features didn't work, either because of an error in the app's code or because of an iOS bug. Regardless, the app struggled to attract and maintain users. Most of version 1.x was spent refining what was already present in the app, but a lot of time was also spent laying the groundwork for the next batch of updates, Version 2.
Version 2
Bit Buddy 2 was a ground-up rebuild of the entire app, from design to storage logic. The app now had colors, device icons, and a bit of personality that none of the 1.x versions had. This update also coincided with Bit Buddy's launch on ProductHunt, which saw Bit Buddy surge in downloads: the most it ever received over a three day stretch.
All of the Version 2.x updates brought useful quality-of-life improvements, as well as advanced functionality, like SD Card Pool, Stats Widgets, and List Styles, to name a few.
Version 3
Bit Buddy 3 marked the largest update since, well, Version 2. A lot of the work that went into making Bit Buddy feel quirky and fun was removed in favor of a more maintainable, readable, and digestable design. Bit Buddy 3 also introduced Bit Buddy AI for Bit Buddy Pro users, which provided additional insights and recommendations into storage totals.
Unfortunately, Version 3 was also where most of the users from before had dropped off. While it may seem like these updates were rapid firing, in reality they weren't. Many months went between updates, either due to work, other projects, or laziness. And, like with most of my projects, all interest dried up; both personally and commercially.
Bit Buddy 4
That brings us to Bit Buddy 4, which is the final major update Bit Buddy will receive. This updates works to address several bugs and inconsistencies that were introduced over the years, as well as remove all AI features. The goal is to keep Bit Buddy alive and supported for the forseeable future, but all new feature work will stop.
Why now?
It's a fair question. Bit Buddy isn't the most expensive application in the world to run. It's more for my mental clarity than anything else. I've been tinkering with a number of other projects and apps lately, specifically Slug and Flyby, and those apps feel more rewarding and easier to work on...at least for now. Bit Buddy has always felt harder to keep working on, largely because it already solves so many of the issues I was having. Rather than adding features for the sake of adding features, the time feels right to cap off Bit Buddy's development journey.
What next?
Like I said, Bit Buddy will continue to be supported and available for the forseeable future. Bit Buddy will not receive fancy new updates anymore, but it will receive security and bug fixes, platform updates, and other changes as needed.
Thank you for using Bit Buddy!
A lot can be said about Bit Buddy and it's utility, but I'll always be grateful for the experience of building and shipping it. Since Version 1.0 was released to the world, Bit Buddy has been downloaded 1,956 times in over 90 territories. That's mind-blowing! Thank you, truly. It's crazy to think that a small app like Bit Buddy could be useful to so many people.
Here's to the next crazy idea...
Until next time, Nick out.