Coming next
Continue listening
Making it easier to return to unfinished or recently played articles without losing the thread.
What's next
What's next for umbra
umbra is still early, and I’m building it in public. This page is a look at the features, improvements, and ideas I’m focusing on next — all with the same goal: making listening feel calmer, smoother, and more useful.
These are the highest-leverage improvements I’m focusing on next — not a dramatic rebuild, but the kind of changes that can make umbra feel noticeably better night after night.
Current focus
Completed
These are the changes already shipped and live in the app.
Completed
Softer article endings
The end of an article now feels more intentional, less abrupt, and better suited for winding down.
Completed
Sleep timer — end of article
The sleep timer option lets the current article finish naturally, then stops playback.
Completed
Better on-device voices
Piper is now the local voice option, making playback feel more natural and calmer.
Completed
Smarter transitions
The handoff between articles was tightened so “up next” feels smoother, calmer, and more coherent.
Exploring
A few ideas I’m thinking about beyond the immediate next steps.
Exploring
Bedtime mode
A more intentional way to start listening in the evening, with calmer defaults and less friction.
Exploring
Playback tuning
Gentler pacing, better pauses, and more natural listening modes for different situations.
Exploring
Listening queue
A lightweight way to line up articles you want to hear next without turning favorites into a playlist.
Exploring
More guided discovery
Better ways to start listening through themes, moods, and more intentional prompts.
How I decide what comes next
More polish, less friction
The best changes are often the ones that make the app feel simpler, smoother, and more natural to use.
Better listening, not more noise
New features should improve the experience of listening — not overload it.
Calm is part of the product
umbra should feel thoughtful and low-pressure, especially in the evening.
Built from real use
The roadmap is shaped by how the app is actually used, where it feels rough, and what early testers keep asking for.
Try the beta
Help shape what comes next
The roadmap is shaped by early feedback. Try umbra on iPhone through the public beta and let me know what feels useful, calming, or still rough around the edges.
No newsletter, no waitlist — just early access through TestFlight.