New apps for bringlist.net

Cologne, June 2026 – bringlist.net, the free online potluck list organizer that has been running without requiring registration since 2010, has completely rebuilt its mobile apps from the ground up. Fully native versions for iPhone and Android are now available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Links can be found on the project page at bringlist.net/app.

Contents

1 From WebView to Truly Native
2 Better Performance, Fewer Bugs
3 Open Source – Transparency and Community
4 The Website Stays as It Is
5 About bringlist.net
6 Download & Links

From WebView to Truly Native

The previous mobile apps shared a codebase with the web application: content was rendered through a WebView – essentially an embedded browser – with a thin adapter layer on top. While this approach had the advantage of maintaining web and app from a single codebase, it came with noticeable downsides: limited performance, a look and feel that never quite matched the platform, and a higher risk of bugs at the seams between web code and native environment.

The new version leaves that compromise behind. The iOS app has been rewritten entirely in Swift and SwiftUI – Apple’s modern, type-safe programming language and declarative UI framework built for iPhone and iPad. The Android app was developed in parallel using Kotlin with Jetpack, the recommended modern stack for Android development. Both apps now feel exactly as a native app should: they follow each platform’s design guidelines, respond more smoothly, and integrate seamlessly with the operating system.

an apple iphone and an android smartphone with the new native apps on the same list

Better Performance, Fewer Bugs

Removing the WebView layer and accessing platform APIs directly has made the apps significantly faster and more stable. Bugs that previously crept in through the complex bridge between web code and native environment are now a thing of the past. Memory usage has dropped, and the UI feels noticeably more responsive.

Open Source – Transparency and Community

Both apps are fully open source and available under a free license on Codeberg:

iOS (Swift/SwiftUI): codeberg.org/Jan8/bringlist-app-swift
Android (Kotlin/Jetpack): codeberg.org/Jan8/bringlist-app-kotlin

Anyone who finds a bug, has a suggestion for improvement, or wants to contribute to development is warmly invited to get involved. Open source here means not just transparency, but a genuine opportunity for the community to help shape the app’s future.

The Website Stays as It Is

The existing website at bringlist.net will continue to run unchanged for the time being. It may not be on the cutting edge technically, but it works reliably – and many users are happy to keep accessing their lists through it. A modernization of the web interface is conceivable down the line, but is not a current priority. The focus for now was on giving the mobile apps a solid native foundation.

About bringlist.net

bringlist.net is a free, registration-free online platform for collaboratively organizing potluck lists, photo albums, and event scheduling for parties, barbecues, and other gatherings. The service has been running since 2010 and is privately operated. The app additionally offers push notifications, device-based recognition, and the native share function of your smartphone.