MOON
I started MOON as a personal project to learn how to develop an app for iOS.
The goal was to create a lunar calendar to see the current phase of the moon. After I had finished the initial version of the app I published it to the App Store.
It quickly gained a lot of attention since it was one of the only simple lunar calendars that focused on the experience of the moon.
I got excited by this and with every release of iOS, added new features along the way. The app eventually gained support for iOS, tvOS, macOS, watchOS, iMessage and Android.
The app sends a custom notification with every new and full moon. Something I find particularly amusing is the reviews that ask for ‘more notifications’ which seems fairly atypical for contemporary apps.
The app gained a lot of popularity through a viral moment when people realized they could see the moon on their day of birth.
There are hidden features such as the ‘moon harp’, which allows you to play songs in the stars (just shake your device to activate).
The app was named an honoree for Best User Experience from the Webby Awards in 2017 was also featured by the App Store.
I grew the app to over nine million users as a solo developer. In 2023, MOON was acquired by Alba Studio ↗. Learn more at moonapp.me ↗