When I released CouchTimes on May 5th, 2023, I was thrilled to finally have my own app in the App Store. The positive response completely overwhelmed me and made it clear that there was a real niche for a simple, elegant way to keep track of your favorite shows.
Since then, CouchTimes has grown a strong core user base. Every week I hear from people using the app — sharing feedback, suggesting ideas, or simply saying thank you.
For me, CouchTimes has always been more than just an app. It’s a playground, a creative space where I can experiment and build for fun. And over the past months, especially while working on Friendzone (another app I released this year), that feeling has only grown stronger.
Today, that journey leads to the biggest step yet: CouchTimes 2.0.
A natural (r)evolution
For more than a year I had been sketching out plans for a big CouchTimes 2.0 release. The idea was to bring in new features and possibly even a change in monetization, since CouchTimes has always been completely free.
When Apple introduced the iOS 26 redesign featuring Liquid Glass at WWDC 2025, it felt like the perfect moment to act on the shelved plans for CouchTimes 2.0. A redesign for iOS 26 together with many of the most requested features sounded like the perfect direction for 2.0.
Looking through all the messages and feature requests I have received since launch, a clear pattern emerged of what people wanted most:
- Movie support
- Trakt.tv integration and sync
- Release notifications
- Episode details
- ...
Not all of these made it into CouchTimes 2.0 and some might never arrive, but this update is still the biggest leap forward for CouchTimes yet.
Design, details, movies, notifications and more
CouchTimes 2.0 is packed with new features. Here are the key highlights of what you can look forward to:
Design
CouchTimes 2.0 embraces the new Liquid Glass design introduced with iOS 26. The entire app has been refreshed to feel right at home on the latest version of iOS while still keeping the simplicity that makes CouchTimes easy to use. The redesign is not about changing everything, but about refining the details so the app feels lighter, clearer, and more elegant than before.
Episode and cast details
Episodes now have their own dedicated view with more information at a glance. You can also dive into cast pages to explore actors and their filmographies.
Movies
CouchTimes is no longer just about shows. You can now add movies to your watchlist and track what you have already seen, and discover upcoming releases.
Upcoming
The new “Upcoming” view brings all your shows and movies together. See upcoming episodes and movie premieres in one place so you never lose track of what is next.
Notifications
One of the most requested features is finally here. CouchTimes can now send you notifications for new episodes so you never miss a release.
JustWatch & trailer integration
With JustWatch integration you can instantly see where to watch, rent, or buy a show or movie. Trailers are now also available directly on show detail pages.
Ratings and reviews
CouchTimes 2.0 lets you keep your own ratings and reviews. These stay completely private, giving you a simple way to keep notes and reflect on what you watch.
Trakt.tv integration
I know this will be a dealbreaker for some people, but I have decided that CouchTimes will not become a Trakt client. It will not sync data with Trakt back and forth.
I might explore a one-time import in the future to make onboarding and switching easier, but I do not plan to build a deep dependency on Trakt. I simply do not want to tie such a big part of CouchTimes to a service I have no control over.
I am fully aware that this is one of the top feature requests and that many of you would like to see CouchTimes move in that direction. For me, though, it does not feel like the right path.
Free forever™
When I first started planning CouchTimes 2.0, I considered putting some of the new features behind a one-time purchase. Never a subscription. I never wanted CouchTimes to become that.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I do not want CouchTimes to turn into a “serious business”. I love the app the way it is, and I get so much joy out of working on it. Even a small shift toward monetization would change the relationship between me and CouchTimes, and between CouchTimes and its users. That is not a change I am willing to make.
CouchTimes holds a lot of sentimental value for me. It still feels like my personal playground, my safe space to build and experiment. In a way, that is the biggest realization behind CouchTimes 2.0.
So here is the promise: CouchTimes will be free. Forever™
If you want to support the app, the best way is simple. Leave a 5 star rating and review in the App Store. It really helps more than you might think.
I hope you enjoy this update as much as I do. And as always, let me know what you think.