Blog on Matt Braun – App Maker

Apple Reference Image: Trust But Verify

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Apple Reference Image: Trust But Verify

By Matt Braun | Sep 18, 2026

Earlier this week, Apple published a white paper about their newly released Apple Reference Image technology.

In it, the Apple Security Engineering and Architecture (SEAR) and Camera & Photos teams provide an overview of their reasoning on the importance of proof of authenticity of a photograph in the age of AI-powered editing. They also outline their solution to providing a verifiable chain of proof of the origin and provenance of an image as captured by Apple camera hardware. If that sounds as interesting to you as it does to me, you should read the whitepaper linked above.

What I Use for iPhone App Development in 2026

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400

What I Use for iPhone App Development in 2026

By Matt Braun | Sep 15, 2026

These are the apps I use every day as an iPhone app maker, which I’ve been doing since 2008. Some I’ve been using that whole time, through all their versions and feature explosions, others are more recent additions. These aren’t the only tools I use when making apps, but I always have these in my Dock. I also build web applications and marketing microsites, and use a whole host of other apps for that; that’ll be another roundup.

Buy My Apps, Help Me Buy a Duo: Introducing GoPhoneMe

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 17:00:00 -0400

Buy My Apps, Help Me Buy a Duo: Introducing GoPhoneMe

By Matt Braun | Sep 12, 2026

The meter on gophoneme.com, updated by hand every morning

I’m the maker of the Apple TV party game SketchParty TV, and I’ve been an indie iOS developer since 2008. I’ve also been buying an iPhone every year for just as long.

Introducing ProofRoll: Photo Reports and Before & Afters for Every Job

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Introducing ProofRoll: Photo Reports and Before & Afters for Every Job

By Matt Braun | Sep 7, 2026

While I spend my 9-to-5 time as a software consultant advising and writing code for large companies, my side hobby is making family-friendly games for Apple platforms. I started building my first iPhone game in July 2008, launched it in January 2009, and it ended up making more in six months than I’d made in the first two years of my career.

Making Stare Master, the Game I Sat on Since 2013

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Making Stare Master, the Game I Shelved in 2013

By Matt Braun | Jul 16, 2026

The Elder Man. Feel his stare.

Stare Master is a staring contest game for iPhone. You and a 3D character lock eyes, and your front-facing camera is the referee. Blink or look away and you lose. Good day, sir.

A Bittersweet Memory of Steve Jobs

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 22:56:36 -0400

A Bittersweet Memory of Steve Jobs

By Matt Braun | Oct 5, 2021

Steve Jobs celebrated on the homepage of Apple.com

My first WWDC was in 2011. I think people knew it was probably Steve’s last WWDC keynote. He may have known, too, but he seemed… brave. And he still commanded the room.

Some of the best memories are bittersweet.

Today it has been ten years since Steve Jobs passed, and Apple has a beautiful and poignant tribute to him. It’s currently — as of this writing — on the homepage of apple.com

Thoughts on MVPs

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 18:39:21 -0500

If an MVP fails, it missed on the V.

Family Diversions in a Time of Isolation

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 13:11:27 -0400

Family Diversions in a Time of Isolation

By Matt Braun | Mar 16, 2020

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

I’m writing this at the beginning of what is likely to be for many – but not all, naturally, which I fully understand – a long period of working from home, with kids’ schools closed, as we attempt to #FlattenTheCurve and avoid overwhelming our healthcare infrastructure while it battles COVID-19 / the novel coronavirus pandemic. This is just a fact of our lives at this moment, as governments attempt to demonstrate that they can learn lessons from history in our own countries and from other countries around the world. Without being alarmist, I think it’s important to heed the experts on this.

Part-Time Digital Nomad: Remote Work and Worldschooling

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 23:30:05 -0500

Part-Time Digital Nomad: Remote Work and Worldschooling

By Matt Braun | Mar 5, 2020

Two things I knew when I was a kid in the early-1990s: 1) the Internet is totally amazing, and 2) being able to work from anywhere sounded like science fiction and at least 20 years off.

As an adult I realize that the Internet is still totally amazing, and that being able to work from anywhere is now pretty normal. The percentage of people globally who are able to work remotely at least one day per week is 70%¹.

Every Company is a Technology Company

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 06:00:00 -0500

Every Company is a Technology Company

By Matt Braun | Feb 24, 2020

“In short, software is eating the world.” – Marc Andreesen

Every company is a technology company, they just may not know it yet. Even yours. I’ve been saying this for about a decade now.

I live in the Midwest, an area historically known as a manufacturing hub in the United States. We have a lot of businesses that have lived and died and some have been reborn to serve the automotive industry.

Relearning to Write

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 13:43:05 -0500

Re-learning to Write

Do you remember when you were in high school, and for the yearbook your classmates would vote for what everyone might be doing later in life? Most likely to be a lawyer, a teacher, a politician. I was voted most likely to be an author.

I loved writing.

When I was a kid I had made up these incredible worlds (naturally inspired by the types of books and movies I watched) filled with adventure, interesting characters, and science-fiction grade technology to rival even current imaginations. They were even pretty funny, by the assessment of my peers.

Coming Soon: “3Up Video“

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 14:24:30 -0500

Coming Soon: “3Up Video”

Super-simple new video app from the maker of SketchParty TV and TTL.

There’s a terrific business book by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson called “Rework”, which, through a series of short stories, relates a number of thoughtful concepts on counterintuitive practices like “underdo the competition” and controversial ones like “emulate drug dealers”. Rework has helped me focus various aspects of my apps business since the book went on sale in 2010.

Introducing “Truth Truth Lie” for iMessage

Sun, 11 Sep 2016 14:24:30 -0500

Introducing “Truth Truth Lie” for iMessage

Available now! Get it on the iMessage App Store.

WWDC 2016

I’m like most app developers.

Every year at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple shows us what they’ve been working on since the year previous and what they’d like us to work on until the next.

My app, SketchParty TV, was shown during the WWDC 2016 keynote

Giving Thanks: How SketchParty TV Did This Year at Thanksgiving

Fri, 27 Nov 2015 14:24:30 -0500

Giving Thanks: How SketchParty TV Did This Year at Thanksgiving

This year’s Thanksgiving was the best SketchParty TV has had since its debut in 2012. Thank you!

I make a family-friendly party game for Apple TV and iPhone/iPad (if you’re not familiar, you can read about the history of SketchParty TV here), and the time that it gets the most activity is naturally centered around holidays. As this is the first major family-focused holiday since the debut of the 4th generation Apple TV, I now have some insight into what I might expect for this season of the year.

SketchParty TV for the new Apple TV: The Story so Far

Fri, 06 Nov 2015 14:24:30 -0500

SketchParty TV for the new Apple TV: The Story so Far

In June of 2011 I had the privilege of attending Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). It was an incredible conference; I met some great people, and there was plenty of “free” Odwalla, and the sessions were jam-packed with information. My favorite sessions, the ones that had the most impact on me, were about a then-new technology called AirPlay Mirroring.

Blog on Matt Braun – App Maker

Apple Reference Image: Trust But Verify

Apple Reference Image: Trust But Verify

What I Use for iPhone App Development in 2026

What I Use for iPhone App Development in 2026

Buy My Apps, Help Me Buy a Duo: Introducing GoPhoneMe

Buy My Apps, Help Me Buy a Duo: Introducing GoPhoneMe

Introducing ProofRoll: Photo Reports and Before & Afters for Every Job

Introducing ProofRoll: Photo Reports and Before & Afters for Every Job

Making Stare Master, the Game I Sat on Since 2013

Making Stare Master, the Game I Shelved in 2013

A Bittersweet Memory of Steve Jobs

A Bittersweet Memory of Steve Jobs

Thoughts on MVPs

Family Diversions in a Time of Isolation

Family Diversions in a Time of Isolation

Things to do while social distancing

Part-Time Digital Nomad: Remote Work and Worldschooling

Part-Time Digital Nomad: Remote Work and Worldschooling

Every Company is a Technology Company

Every Company is a Technology Company

Relearning to Write

Re-learning to Write

Coming Soon: “3Up Video“

Coming Soon: “3Up Video”

Introducing “Truth Truth Lie” for iMessage

Introducing “Truth Truth Lie” for iMessage

WWDC 2016

Giving Thanks: How SketchParty TV Did This Year at Thanksgiving

Giving Thanks: How SketchParty TV Did This Year at Thanksgiving

SketchParty TV for the new Apple TV: The Story so Far

SketchParty TV for the new Apple TV: The Story so Far