u/Extra-Act1809

LDR suffers~

Hey guys, long-time lurker here!

The time zone difference was making it hard to feel connected when one of us was asleep. We tried a few apps but they were full of ads or clunky. Since I dabble in coding, I spent the last few weekends making this simple widget for us.

It just lets you draw or write a quick note, and it instantly updates on their home screen. No opening apps, just there when you unlock your phone.

It honestly helped us feel so much closer. Figured I’d share it here in case any other LDR couples might find it useful!

Let me know what you think. ❤️

Hey Reddit, I recently launched an iOS app called Embers, and I’d love to get your feedback.

The idea came from a pretty simple feeling: texting is nice, but sometimes I wanted something smaller, softer, and more personal than another message thread.

So I started building Embers — an app for couples to send little doodles, notes, and photos that show up on each other’s iPhone home screen widgets.

The core loop is simple:

1. Draw something tiny or write a little note

2. Send it to your partner

3. It appears on their home screen widget

It’s meant for small moments, not big announcements. A random doodle during class. A tiny “miss you” note during work. A photo from your week.

Something your partner sees without opening a chat app.

What it does right now:

💌 Doodles: draw something and send it straight to your partner’s home screen

📝 Tiny notes: write little private notes when texting feels like too much

📸 Notes with photos: attach a photo so it feels more personal

🏠 iPhone widgets: your partner can see the latest thing you sent right on their home screen

Who it’s for:

• Couples who like small daily gestures
• Long-distance couples
• People who want something more personal than texting
• iPhone users who actually use home screen widgets

Just to be transparent:

• It’s iOS only for now
• Both people need the app to pair
• It’s still early, so I’m actively looking for feedback
• The public app name is Embers

I’d really appreciate any thoughts on the idea, the App Store page, or what you’d expect from an app like this.

If it sounds interesting, you can try it here:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/embers-love-on-widget/id6763339742?l=en-GB