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Countr 2.2 – Dark Mode is Back

by Josh Hrach August 27, 2019 Countr, Updates 0 Comments

I’m happy to announce the release of Countr 2.2. With it comes a couple of small improvements and one big return.

Dark Mode

Dark mode was originally part of Countr 1.0. Since launching 2.0, though, the feature was notably absent. The reason was two-fold:

Dark appearance, while a well-liked feature, needed a new look since 1.0. It was originally introduced when iPhone 5s was the latest iPhone. Now, iPhone screens have improved drastically. Plus, the addition of OLED to the iPhone line up has changed what dark truly means. So Dark Mode needed a total redesign.
Countr 2.0 was a fresh re-write of 1.0. As such, adding back Dark Mode needed to be done in a thoughtful way. Every featured added to Countr is done in a way that it is both robust and easily maintainable. Dark Mode was no different. Thankfully, the work that went into it not only brings the feature back for current users, but it also lays the groundwork for improvements in future iOS versions.

Now, you can find Dark Mode as a toggle in the Settings screen.

Other Improvements

There are two small improvements also with this release.

First, there is a new Quick Action from the Home screen. If you 3D Touch on the icon, you’ll find a new option that will let you quickly start a fresh count. This can help you save a few steps when you want to reset and start over.

Second, work was done in optimizing the count screen for voiceover support. I want Countr to be accessible for as many people as possible. While there is still work to be done on that front, voiceover users should now find the entire app a little easier to use. If not, PLEASE contact me and let me know how accessibility can be improved.

Overall, this is a welcome release for all Countr users. If you appreciate Countr, please leave a tip in the Tip Jar found under Settings. If you have questions or comments, you can reach out on Twitter or Instagram.

Count 2.1 – Enhancements and Improvements

by Josh Hrach June 19, 2019 Countr, Updates 0 Comments

I’m happy to announce Countr 2.1 is now available! This update brings a couple of new features as well as much needed bug fixes and refinements!

New Features

Watch Complications – Now, you can add Countr as a complication on many of your favorite faces on your Apple Watch! With just a tap, you’ll be taken right into Countr, where you can pick up a count right where you left off.

Watch Haptics – When using the Apple Watch app, you’ll now feel haptic feedback with each button press. Never second-guess whether or not you tapped the button. Now you’ll always know.

Dynamic Type Support – The iOS app now fully supports Dynamic Type. So if you like having your device text size a little smaller than normal, or you need to make things bigger to read text in your apps, Countr should now fully meet your expectations.

Improvements

The following issues were addressed with this update:

Fixes an issue when counting would pause background audio
Fixes a UI bug regarding the count buttons
Slightly increases size of the count buttons
Addresses an issue where counts from the Watch would not sync properly if the iOS app was closed
Improves app performance when tapping a count button after a fresh launch

Support

Countr is and will remain free. But development always requires time and energy. There is now a Tip Jar, which you’ll find under Settings, where you can choose to leave a tip to support Countr and other Random Project apps! Anything you tip is very much appreciated!

If you have any feedback regarding this release, we’re always happy to listen! Reach out to us on Twitter or via our site.

Say Hello to Countr 2.0!

by Josh Hrach March 28, 2019 Countr, Updates 0 Comments

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since Countr’s last update. Well, wait no more: Countr 2.0 is finally here! It’s been a long time coming, and while a lot might seem the same, there are changes and improvements.

Changes and Improvements

First and foremost, Countr’s look and feel will be familiar to existing Countr users. The existing design proved valuable to the original goal: a simple, intuitive counting app. That said, here’s what’s new:

Added support for the latest iPhones – Countr now looks great, whether you’re on an iPhone SE or an iPhone XS Max!
Cleaner Settings screen – It’s a bit easier and more straightforward to change various settings in the app. For instance, “Swipe to Count” now explains how it functions.
Redesigned Widget – The widget looks a little cleaner. It also should operate more quickly than before.
Updated Apple Watch app – Previously, the digital crown on the Apple Watch could be used to quickly change the count. However, this was too easy to do accidentally. Now, to quickly change the count, Force Press the main screen and choose “Set”.

Upcoming Features

One of the other goals with Countr 2.0 was preparing for the future. While the original app was quite solid, 2.0 is in a much better position to take advantage of new Apple technologies, as well as provide an easier way to develop new features.

That said, there is one omission: Dark mode. A new dark mode wasn’t quite ready yet. But don’t worry, it’ll be coming back soon!

We’ll also be doing our best to release updates regularly alongside Apple’s software updates. So you shouldn’t have to wait long to take advantage of new capabilities made possible by iOS or watchOS.

As always, feedback is always valuable and appreciated! I hope you enjoy Countr 2.0!

Improved Watch syncing with Countr 1.4.1

by Josh Hrach June 01, 2016 Countr, Updates 0 Comments

One popular request with our recent Apple Watch app was the ability to sync the count between the Watch and accompanying iPhone. Originally, we thought it might be nice to have two separate counts. But after much thinking, we’ve changed our mind and now have made the two sync.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback! If you can, please rate and review this version on the App Store!

Hello, Apple Watch! Countr 1.4 is here

by Josh Hrach December 10, 2015 Countr, Updates 2 Comments

Countr 1.4 is now available on the App Store. This update brings a few small bug fixes with it along with two new features.

The biggest feature is a new Apple Watch app. The app is as simple as the iPhone app: easily count up, count down, or use the Digital Crown to change the current count. Future versions of this app will include support for count syncing and saving between your Watch and your iPhone.

The iPhone app also has a new feature: audio feedback. If you like hearing when you’re tapping buttons, you’ll like this option. Simply turn on sounds from the settings page. And just like that, you’ve got audio feedback!

If you like this update, please take the time to rate and review it on the App Store! If you’ve rated or reviewed the app before, please do so again. Older reviews and ratings typically get buried by the App Store.

Looking ahead, here are some items you can expect for future versions of Countr:

More Watch-to-iPhone functions
Taptic feedback in the iPhone app
More options for saved counts on the iPhone

As always, if you have any questions or feedback, contact us here or on Twitter. Thank you for using Countr!

Happy first anniversary, Countr!

by Josh Hrach August 29, 2015 Countr, Updates 1 Comment

One year ago, we released Countr to the world. Countr is a quick and easy way to count or tally anything! Our goal has been to keep the app simple, straight forward, and easy to use while still providing useful features. Since the initial release, we’ve updated the app several times to add various things such as automatic dark mode and a Notification Center widget. Today, we’ve got two things to announce related to Countr.

First, Countr 1.3 is out! Countr 1.3 adds support for a new Save feature. Perhaps you use Countr to take attendance at weekly events. Now, from a new action in the Share extension, you can easily Save your count. Countr will note your total and the time it was taken. To view your past saved counts, there’s a new button in the top right corner of the Settings screen. Now you can quickly see those past counts you may have taken!

Right now, Countr simply saves and deletes a stored count. But in the future, this feature will be expanded to include other functions related to your saved counts.

Secondly, as it is the first anniversary of Countr, we decided to bring it back to its initial price, free, for the next two weeks. Yes, you can grab Countr from the App Store for free. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, or you know friends that might find it useful but haven’t downloaded it, now is the time to do so! You’ll not only get Countr as it is now, but you’ll also have access to future improvements we have planned for Countr, as well as support for devices other than the iPhone.

Happy one anniversary, Countr!

Countr 1.2 released – Say hello to the today widget

by Josh Hrach June 28, 2015 Countr, Updates 5 Comments

Countr 1.2 was just made available on the App Store. What’s new?

Well, have you found yourself wanting a quicker way to count than the Countr app? Now you can modify your count from anywhere with the new widget! Add it to your Today View, and you can work with your count anywhere you can pull down your notification center.

This update also changes the icon to a new one provided by Dillon Klassen. It’s definitely a better icon that we originally had. Plus, it’ll look great on smaller Retina screens.

As always, we appreciate every rating and review left for Countr on the app store.

Download Countr on the App Store.

If you have any questions or comments, please email us or tweet us @RandomProjects.

Countr 1.1.1 Released

by Josh Hrach April 22, 2015 Countr, Updates 0 Comments

Countr 1.1.1 is available for download from the App Store. While marked as a minor update, it does more than tweak a few things.

For starters, we made sure to provide proper support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. We realize quite a few of our users are on the newer iPhone models, so this update should make the main interface scale properly.

Second, we added a share option. Why would you need to share a tally? That all depends on what you’re taking a count of. But if you’re doing something that you want to input elsewhere, such as into an automated setup you’ve created in an app like Workflow, now it’s very easy to do so.

Lastly, we cleaned up the settings screen a bit. For starters, users were confused by one of our options. In reality, the choice to swipe vertically was no an on or off decision but whether or not to swipe horizontally or vertically. We changed that to a new switch that should make a lot more sense. We’ve also cleaned up the dark mode options so you know if you have auto dark mode engaged or not.

If you are a user of Countr, we really would appreciate you leaving a review on the App Store.

Download Countr on the App Store.

If you have any questions or comments, please email us or tweet us @RandomProjects.

Countr 1.1 Released

by Josh Hrach December 22, 2014 Countr, Updates 2 Comments

We’re happy to announce the release of Countr 1.1, a relatively minor app update. This release has added a new feature, modified the UI slightly, and taken care of a few bugs that were hidden behind the scenes.

First, our new feature: Auto Dark Mode. Dark Mode has been useful for users wanting to use Countr in a low light setting. For instance, if you’re taking a tally in a dark room, your iPhone will automatically decrease its screen brightness level. But you would want to switch to Dark Mode so that your screen isn’t a distraction to others in the room and to make it easier on your eyes. Now, Countr can detect your current screen brightness setting and automatically switch to Dark Mode when it has dropped below a certain threshold.

We’ve also changed the menu options on the main count screen. The text labels from the initial release have been replaced with icons. This cleans up the count screen and removes the need for translatable text on the main count screen. This, in turn, will make it easier to add language support in future releases.

Download Countr on the App Store.

If you are a Countr user, please rate our app and leave a review on the App Store. Thank you!

If you have any questions or comments, please email us or tweet us @RandomProjects.

Introducing Countr, a quick way to count

by Josh Hrach September 23, 2014 Apps, Countr 6 Comments

When beginning as Random Projects, the name wasn’t meant as just a whimsical one. Rather, it revealed a little secret: Just one type of project, app, or website wasn’t enough to define the work we’re interested in. Some ideas are small utilities and apps. Others are larger services or games. But while the diverse ideas are there, it doesn’t mean rushing through each one of them. No, being thorough is important. So as we release different things, we’ll do our best to pay attention to the smaller parts of the overall service, game, website, or app.

Our first official release can be qualified as a small utility. It began as an idea for a simple app that I wanted. Having the ability to take a quick count of people in a meeting was a simple need that I felt could be filled easily. Yet, I didn’t want a barebones app. Rather, I wanted to create something that not only had some unique features but also a solid base from which to add some small features to ultimately create a useful yet simple app.

Meet Countr.

Countr is a simple app to help you take a count or tally. Whether you’re counting the number of people in a room waiting to listen to your next big speech or items passing on a conveyor belt, Countr is the simple app for you. But there are times where you may want to quickly count up to a particular value. With the swipe of your finger, you can quickly jump to a particular number and continue counting from there. It’s just that easy.

Countr’s Simple Interface

Why is this app so simple? It’s because the platform it is on has, in some ways, become simpler. With the move to iOS 7, Apple created a clean canvas, as it were. Instead of focusing on interfaces that match real world items, the focus became one of clarity and focus. So when creating Countr, it was almost natural to create something that is simple and clean to match iOS 7.

Built into Countr, besides the basic count functionality, is the ability to slide your finger around the screen to change the total value. There’s also a dark mode option, perhaps for those times where you don’t want a bright interface to draw attention. And you can quickly see your last count from the home screen by means of the numeric badge icon.

Just because there is a simpler design doesn’t mean Countr won’t be getting new features. iOS 8 has introduced new possibilities with Extensibility that can make Countr much more useful and even easier to use. As those features get developed, you’ll see more about what they are. I just hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!

If you’re looking for an app that can do what Countr can do, please take the time to check it out. It’s available for all devices running iOS 7.

Download Countr – Quick Count