Indie apps, built in public

beforeSleep is home to independent apps by Rex — WidgetNote for visual notes on an infinite canvas and home screen widgets, GroceryGen for smart grocery lists, Eyecares for healthy screen-time, Keyjot for AI replies and saved templates in Chrome, and DoWeNeedAI for practical AI-readiness guidance.

Rex — indie iOS developer, portrait About Me
WidgetNote icon
WidgetNote
Eyecares icon
Eyecares
GroceryGen icon
GroceryGen
Soon DoWeNeedAI icon
DoWeNeedAI
Keyjot icon
Keyjot
Beside the Code — life beyond the screen
Beside the Code

Frequently asked questions

What is beforeSleep?

beforeSleep is the home for indie apps built in public by Rex, an independent software engineer. The portfolio includes iOS apps, a Chrome extension, and a practical AI-readiness tool — each designed to solve one real, everyday problem.

What apps can I download here?

WidgetNote (visual notes and iPhone widgets), GroceryGen (smart grocery lists), Eyecares (20-20-20 eye-rest reminders), Keyjot (AI replies and saved templates in Chrome), and DoWeNeedAI (a practical AI-readiness tool for small businesses).

Are these apps free?

WidgetNote and Eyecares are free to download with optional premium features, and GroceryGen is free to download with a subscription that unlocks the full feature set — all three are on the App Store. Keyjot is a one-time purchase on the Chrome Web Store that includes a starting balance of AI reply tokens.

Who builds these apps?

Rex (Kuan Hsiung Chen), an indie iOS developer who builds in public and shares the journey along the way.