So I built BookPace — an iOS app that tracks your reading time and helps you build a consistent reading habit.
You can start and stop a reading session manually, or if you read physical books, you can attach an NFC tag to your book and just tap it with your iPhone to toggle the timer automatically. If it’s a library book, there’s often already an embedded NFC tag inside the cover — BookPace can use that too, so you don’t even need to add your own tag.
Features: – Reading timer with streaks, ranks, and badges – NFC tag pairing for physical or library books - Reading stats and heatmaps by day, week, month, year, or lifetime – Focus mode: temporarily block selected apps while the reading timer is running – Cloud sync across devices
I built it entirely in SwiftUI, integrating Apple’s NFC, CloudKit, and Screen Time APIs. It’s been fun bridging the gap between physical reading and digital tracking.
Website: https://bookpace.app
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/bookpace/id6753701690
I’d love your feedback — on both the app idea and the implementation. How would you improve it, or what would make it more useful for serious readers?
alabhyajindal•3mo ago
I'm hearing this for the first time. Having a video demonstrating this would be nice.
I currently get a very productivity/measure all things vibe from the marketing site. Given how many readers read for pleasure, I would alter the site to position this as something that helps users become aware of their reading habits, not necessarily something to measure, and optimise their reading habits.
Congrats, looks great!
wjhypo•3mo ago
> I'm hearing this for the first time. Having a video demonstrating this would be nice.
You're absolutely right! I actually made one showing how you can attach an NFC tag to a physical book and have it trigger BookPace to toggle the reading timer associated with the book or navigate to the book detail page. It's also on the website (the light green "Watch Demo" link). Here’s the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aALOsXeD-AA
> I currently get a very productivity/measure all things vibe from the marketing site. Given how many readers read for pleasure, I would alter the site to position this as something that helps users become aware of their reading habits, not necessarily something to measure, and optimise their reading habits.
You’ve raised a good point! It’s subtle, but it actually aligns closely with my original intention behind BookPace. The app is meant to help build your own pace — to be in a quiet game with yourself. It’s about being mindful of how small bits of progress can compound into something meaningful over time, like compound interest, which works well for readers reading for pleasure. Slowly but surely, reading becomes more natural. The tracking, stats, etc. the app offers should be just tools not the end goal. I'll think about how to convey this better to users!