{
  "id": 19216282,
  "title": "My first app was honestly bad, so I rebuilt it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/my-first-app-was-honestly-bad-so-i-rebuilt-it",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-09T20:51:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/erenclick/my-first-app-was-honestly-bad-so-i-rebuilt-it-711"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "I initially created Halo, an Android habit tracking application. However, I soon realized that my initial release was far from ideal. It lacked the necessary features and didn't align with real-world routines. Consequently, I decided to rebuild the app from scratch.\n\nThe new version of Halo no longer functions as a mere streak counter. Instead, it offers a more realistic approach to habit tracking by accommodating days with varying levels of activity. Users can input a daily schedule, desired time of day, trigger for motivation, and the minimum required commitment on challenging days.\n\nThe Daily Rhythm screen now displays only today's habits, allowing users to either complete the full version or the minimum required steps. A 28-day Rhythm Score evaluates the user's adherence to the plan, highlighting consistent days and times. Halo Premium enhances this feature with a weekly Rhythm Coach report, providing insights into the user's patterns, areas of struggle, a key priority, and a 7-day trial step. Users can opt-in for this personalized coaching feature.\n\nTo gather data for the weekly Rhythm Coach report, Halo collects survey answers, habit titles, and anonymous 28-day summary metrics. However, sensitive information such as the user's name, email, and precise completion dates remain on the user's device. Users have the option to delete this data from the app at any time. Basic habit tracking remains functional without requiring an account, ensuring privacy and ease of use. Halo is also free from ads and offers the convenience of Android widgets for quick access. The application is available on Google Play and is due to be released on the App Store.",
  "summary": "I shipped Halo, a habit tracker for Android, as my first app. The first release was honestly bad. I rebuilt it from top to bottom; today it looks almost nothing like that first version. I didn't want another streak counter. I wanted something that fits a real week: some days are full, some days are not, and the app should say that honestly instead of shaming you for breaking a chain. Here's what…",
  "key_points": [
    "Halo app initially released with inadequate features",
    "Rebuilt Halo to include realistic habit tracking features",
    "Halo Premium offers weekly Rhythm Coach report"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}