I’m excited to unveil Simpletext 5, a complete rebuild of the app, now available as a free update for iOS users. Stay tuned for the macOS version, coming later this year.

Update (December 18, 2024): Simpletext 5 for macOS is now planned for release in Q1 2025. Thank you for your patience!

With this release, I rebuilt Simpletext from the ground up using the latest Apple frameworks. Here’s a quick look at what’s new and improved.

Powered by TextKit 2

TextKit is the engine that handles all things related to text in iOS and macOS. When Apple introduced TextKit 2 in 2021, I knew it would be the future of Simpletext. After carefully reviewing the WWDC sessions, I decided to wait until the framework was fully stable before adopting it. For me, it’s not about rushing to use the latest technology but about doing it right. It has taken a while, but Simpletext is now built on a solid foundation, ensuring it is future-proof and ready to support the latest Apple updates.

Ready for iOS 18

Simpletext 5 is fully compatible with iOS 18 and supports many of its exciting new features. You can tint the app icon with any colour in the sleek new Dark look. Additionally, you have the option to lock and hide the app so your writings remain private, giving you greater control over sensitive content. Simpletext 5 also works seamlessly with Apple’s Writing Tools, so you can write with the help of Apple Intelligence, all in plain text. These are all done with minimal custom code, ensuring there won’t be any added complexity in the codebase.

An All-New-Serif Typeface

In Simpletext 5, I introduced Tiempos Text, a modern serif typeface designed for editorial typography. There’s nothing wrong with the previous Serif font — this change is all about making the app more delightful to writing with. Tiempos Text just felt like a better fit for the modern simplicity that Simpletext embodies. Personally, I recommend setting a text size of 17 with a line spacing of 1.2 — it’s what I use. Try it out, and I hope you enjoy writing with it as much as I do!

Other smaller enhancements include support for editing LaTeX files, a popular plain text format, as well as additional settings to customize your writing space.

At the heart of this update is a complete modernization of the codebase, ensuring Simpletext continues to work seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem and performs reliably for many years to come.

Happy writing!