iOS Today 791: Our Favorite Indie Apps

Hosts: Micah Sargent & Dan Morin
Date: February 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the hosts' favorite indie apps for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Micah Sargent and Dan Morin (East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors) take turns highlighting independent software made by small developers and share how these apps solve everyday problems, from social media to dice rolling and TV tracking. They also discuss an upcoming Apple event and respond to listener feedback.

Main Discussion: Favorite Indie Apps

[02:00] What Counts as Indie?

• Apps made by independent developers or small teams—not large companies.
• Micah Sargent: "By my definition of indie, I just mean one or a few developers that are not part of a large company making apps... these are some of our favorite."

[02:40] Ivory by Tapbots (Dan’s Pick)

• Type: Mastodon social media client.
• Background: Created by the team behind Tweetbot.
• Key Features:
  • Available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS.
  • Customizable interface (color gradients, toolbars).
  • Elephant mascot.
  • Stats, notification filters, content mutes, and more.
  • Subscription pricing: $25/year for all platforms; other tiers available.
• Quote:
  "Ivory is their attempt to adapt the Tweetbot ethos and aesthetic to Mastodon, and I think it is incredibly successful."
  — Dan Morin [03:18]
• Micah's Note: Known accessibility issues are improving; appreciates local customization.

[05:00] NeatPass (Micah’s Pick)

• Type: DIY Apple Wallet pass creator from PDFs.
• Use Case: Turn tickets and PDF passes from non-Apple-supported sources into Wallet passes.
• How it Works:
  • Imports PDFs, parses data locally using Apple’s on-device AI.
  • Allows editing pass type, names, dates, logos, seat info, and barcodes.
  • Strong on-device privacy—no server upload needed.
• Pricing: First pass free; $4.99 one-time to unlock.
• Quote:
  "With NeatPass, you're doing this all on device... knowing the AI processing that's happening is happening locally can be a relief for some."
  — Micah Sargent [08:48]

[09:52] Screens by Edovia (Dan’s Pick)

• Type: VNC/remote desktop client.
• Use Case: Access your Mac/PC remotely from iOS, iPadOS, or macOS.
• Key Features:
  • Tailscale integration for secure networking.
  • Screens Connect utility for easy firewall/port setup.
  • Cross-platform, intuitive UI.
  • Subscription pricing ($25/year, $140 lifetime).
• Quote:
  "Screens works really well. It's very user friendly... What I really like about Screens is that it tends to be extremely reliable for me."
  — Dan Morin [11:31]
• Micah's Take: Highlights convenience—handles “behind the scenes garbage” for seamless connections.

[14:10] Dice by PCalc (Micah’s Pick)

• Type: Virtual dice roller app by James Thomson.
• Audience: TTRPG fans, board gamers, anyone needing random numbers.
• Features:
  • Customizable dice (coin flips, 4/6/12/20-sided, etc.).
  • Custom coins (e.g., dog faces instead of heads/tails).
  • Roll histories, totals, visual styles.
  • "Critical hit" or "fail" audio Easter egg voiced by Dan Morin.
  • Easter eggs in the "About" screen.
• Quote:
  "If you're using it for D&D and you roll a 20 or you roll a one, you will get an audio message telling you that you got a critical hit or a critical fail. And let's just say it's by a particularly well-known person. It's me."
  — Dan Morin [16:52]

[18:17] Television Time by Maximilian Litteral (Dan’s Pick)

• Type: TV show tracking app.
• Ideal For: TV fans who watch many shows and want to track episodes and premieres.
• Features:
  • Track progress, manage watchlists.
  • Notifications for new episode/season releases.
  • Hide synopses for unwatched episodes to avoid spoilers.
  • Optionally integrates with Trakt.
  • Widgets, where-to-watch, cast & crew info.
• Quote:
  "I use it for all of my TV watching tracking ... it's a great way to keep in track of that. So you can, you know, put all the shows you want to watch in it... Looks great. Really easy to use."
  — Dan Morin [18:55]

[28:40] App Cap Segment (Quick Accessory Picks)

Belkin AirPods Cleaning Kit (Micah)

• Micellar water-based cleaner for AirPods.
• Helps break down fats/oils, includes brush and microfiber.

Zephie (Dan)

• Identify planes flying overhead with a simple radar interface.
• Fun for curious kids/aviation fans; free, minimal gimmicks.
• Quote:
  "It does one thing, but it does it really well."
  — Dan Morin [32:22]

[20:53] Apple’s March 4th Event: What’s Coming?

• Unconventional: “Special Apple experience" in NY, London, Shanghai.
• Speculation includes:
  • iPhone 17e, iPads, MacBook Pro (M5 chips)
  • Colorful low-cost MacBooks (A-series chip) reminiscent of early iBooks
  • Smarter Siri features (may be delayed)
• Quote:
  "Unclear exactly what this is going to involve. Sounds a little bit different than what they tend to do at Apple Park with a big live streamed event. It could be anything from press being briefed and press releases being issued to... some sort of video."
  — Dan Morin [21:42]

[25:18] Listener Feedback: Creator Studio Subscription

• Doug from Minneapolis: Excited for Creator Studio model (includes Final Cut & Logic for iPad+Mac at good value).
• Micah: Highlights the benefits and urges users to cancel individual app subscriptions if moving to Creator Studio.
• Dan: Hasn’t tried it yet as he lacks a project, but will sign up for a trial in the future.

[34:40] Where to Find the Hosts

• Dan Morin: Clockwise podcast, 6colors.com, science fiction books at dmorin.com
• Micah Sargent: @MicahSargent everywhere; Chihuahua.Coffee for more links

Notable Quotes & Fun Moments

• "I'm thinking of all of the marshmallows I keep stored in my Mac studio." — Micah Sargent [01:37]
• "Only now after this many years, I'm learning. I thought it was like cereal or like spaghetti O's." — Dan Morin [01:29]
• "If you're using it for D&D and you roll a 20 or you roll a one... you will get an audio message telling you that you got a critical hit or a critical fail. It's me, I did it." — Dan Morin [16:52]
• "I collect the rain from the hole in my cellar. No. Yes. My cellar water with my cells." — Micah Sargent [30:36]

Links to Apps Discussed

• Ivory by Tapbots: Mastodon client
• NeatPass: Apple Wallet pass creator from PDFs
• Screens by Edovia: Remote desktop/VNC for Apple devices
• Dice by PCalc: Dice roller app for gamers
• Television Time: TV show tracker
• Zephie: Flight identification app

[End] Club TWiT Reminder & Farewell

• Ad-free feeds, bonus shows, and Discord access available via Club TWiT subscription.

"Thank you so much for being here. I'll be back next week. Perhaps Rosemary will be back with us. But until then, I will say goodbye to all of you. Thank you." — Micah Sargent [35:30]