Apollo
A farewell to Apollo.
I feel privileged to have been invited to create a wallpaper for Christian Selig's Apollo Reddit client as the looming June 30th shutdown approaches. Another incredible third-party app has been hobbled, and this shutdown represents not just a loss for Christian and the Apollo community but also for developers and users alike, who might now feel a lot more apprehension about creating and using beautiful third-party apps in the future. For anyone still wondering what's been happening with Apollo, I'll point you towards Christian's decision to shut down Apollo here, or to listen to Mr. Selig's conversation with John Gruber on The Talk Show.
A half dozen of the wallpapers available by donation.
In one of the final updates to Apollo before the shutdown, Christian is allowing users to decline a prorated refund for any remaining subscription time. The $5-10 loss you incur saves Christian from requiring to pay back potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding subscription fees. And the option to donate unlocks a collection of beautiful wallpapers that are a loving tribute to Apollo. These include wallpapers by Matthew Skiles, David Lanham, Gavin Nelson, Lux, and myself. To access them, update/redownload Apollo onto your iPhone and follow the prompts, or go to settings and tap "Wallpapers" in the upper left-hand corner.
Tell me that an app is loved without telling me an app is loved? This is just a snapshot of some of the dozens of incredible icons created for Apollo over the years.
Apollo has been my one and only Reddit since 2017. I love how fast and responsive the app has always been, the whimsical features added over the years, the lack of ads, the beautiful custom icons, and the disproportionate kinship I feel towards it because "a Canadian developed it." Apollo is Reddit to me, and I'm not convinced I will keep much of a presence on the service beyond this, not just because of the actions taken against the app but because the official Reddit app is an unappealing slow, bloated, tortuously ad-filled experience. I can appreciate the issue third-party clients can pose to services. Still, I'm convinced reasonable negotiations from both sides can ensure the developers and platforms mutually profit and flourish.
ApollOS 6: My icon for Apollo inspired by the original iPod icon on early iPhones.
For years, it was a dream of mine to design an icon for Apollo. I saw artists like Louie Mantia, David Lanham, Matthew Skiles, Michael Flarup, and Adam Whitcroft (should I keep going?) featured in the app. These were all designers I long admired, and their art inspired me. I made it a private goal of mine to someday design an icon that could sit alongside the pantheon of these talented individuals, and I finally got my shot in V. 1.15.6, just a few days before the shutdown was announced.
Argyle, a wallpaper collection for iPad, Mac, and iPhone, available exclusively by donation in Apollo.
I appreciate everything Christian did for the developer and Reddit community; his work is incredibly loved. And I owe him my thanks for unknowingly spurring me toward the creative work I do each day. Go toss a couple of bucks his way, score some stunning wallpapers, and keep an eye on the horizon for whatever comes next from this talented Canuck.
