App updates are not always about a new feature that catches your eye right away. Often the most important improvements are the ones you never notice later: a sign-in no longer gets stuck, changes don’t get lost, and a link simply opens the way it should.
That is exactly what this week was about for FamilyManager and GymBo. The biggest visible leap came from Track4Kids: the app now has a clearer structure, and all 250 foods are fully illustrated. Roadlight also got a small change with a noticeable effect.
FamilyManager: more reliable in everyday family life
In FamilyManager, the focus was on situations where families could previously get stuck at the worst possible moment. Password changes can now be resumed or cancelled more reliably. If something wasn’t clearly completed, the app explains more clearly what happened and what to do next.
There were also several concrete improvements for everyday use:
- Recurring tasks in the cleaning schedule rotate more reliably between the people responsible.
- Lost child accounts are easier to recover.
- Face ID is now requested only once when you open the app.
- Contacts and birthdays are displayed more clearly.
Recovering child accounts is especially important: families whose children had lost access can now find their way back together more easily.
More improvements are already in progress. Events from external calendars should become more visible in the weekly planner. Calendar filters should behave the same in the app and the widget, and links inside the app should open more reliably.
Version 2.2.5 has been in the hands of internal and external testers since 11 September. That is an important step forward, but it hasn’t been released as a regular update in the App Store yet.
Before the next public update, account deletion will also get another thorough check.
GymBo: workout plans that fit you better
With GymBo, the goal was that a workout you create stays exactly as you planned it. Imported backups and shared routines now keep their sections and circuits. Entries no longer disappear when a screen is swiped away by accident. Supersets and circuits can also be put together more consistently.
The workout generator takes your personal circumstances into account better:
- If you choose “Cardio”, you get a sensible workout again instead of an empty plan.
- If you only have dumbbells available, you get matching exercises suggested.
- Exercises you created yourself are factored into the planning better.
Behind the scenes, the way muscle groups are categorised was also migrated more safely. If something is missing on first launch, GymBo tries the migration again later instead of staying stuck with an incomplete categorisation.
Exercise selection has been unified as well. Exercises are therefore sorted more consistently, and matching suggestions should be easier to find. Not all changes are in the current test version yet; that needs a new beta build.
Before this version is distributed more widely, further tests on real hardware are coming up. They include the interplay with the Apple Watch, HealthKit, use without a stable internet connection, and syncing between multiple devices.
Track4Kids: the idea finally becomes fully visible
Track4Kids now shows its new name in the app. The main areas are called “Discover”, “Play” and “Album”. That makes it quicker to see what children can do in the app: get to know foods, play with what they know, and collect the cards they discover.
The introduction has been reworked too. Onboarding explains the app more clearly, and the parental permissions are set up more transparently. At the same time, the app responds more smoothly and works better with accessibility features.
The biggest visible progress is in the cards: all 250 foods now have their own, reviewed illustrations. That makes the collection complete for the first time, and the product idea can be experienced all the way through instead of only through a few sample cards.
A page for voluntary beta sign-ups has also been prepared for interested families. Before the new version is actually distributed, syncing still has to be prepared and checked for real-world use.
After that comes the most important part: tests with children. Can they recognise the cards right away? Do children understand the game without a long explanation? And does image recognition also work with real photos from family life? No simulator can give me those answers.
Roadlight: links lead to the right place again
Roadlight received a smaller but important improvement. Links opened inside an app no longer end up in a dead end. This affects, for example, feedback links from FamilyManager and other apps with a built-in browser.
The change has been deployed successfully. For users it simply means: tap, open, arrive.
What’s next
Next week, Track4Kids is meant to take the step to real beta testers. With FamilyManager, work continues on child accounts and account management. GymBo is due to get a new test version in which this week’s improvements can be tried out together.
It wasn’t a week with a big App Store announcement. But it was a week in which the apps became more reliable, easier to understand and closer to the next release in everyday use. This is exactly the kind of work that decides in the end whether something only looks good in a demo or works every single day.
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