A new movie and TV tracking app, Binge, created by the indie developer behind other apps like the social app Mammoth and AI news reader Bulletin, includes a unique feature: it alerts you when jump scares are approaching.
The app utilizes Apple’s Live Activities to deliver real-time notifications to your device’s Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, similar to how other apps track events like food deliveries and sports scores. Binge, however, uses this feature to warn you of upcoming scary scenes.
To activate this feature, tap the clock icon on the jump scares detail page to start the live activity when you start watching the movie. You can also choose to filter for only the “major” scares.
Binge enters a competitive market with apps like Letterboxd, TV Time, and JustWatch. However, it distinguishes itself with Apple-specific features such as Live Activities, iCloud sync, and exclusive features like private notes, post-credit scene details, awards breakdown timelines, episode ratings graphs, integrations with other tracking apps, and more.
Developer Shihab Mehboob aims for Binge to be an all-in-one app for tracking movies, TV shows, collections, people, streamers, networks, and production companies.
You’ll find the standard details about shows or movies, such as release date, description, trailers, cast, reviews, runtime, genre, and more. Besides adding items to a watchlist or marking them as seen, you can easily see where to watch each title, and track movies still in theaters for future streaming.
Binge also integrates data from external sites like Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd, IMDb, and Metacritic, and provides a guide for parents using IMDb information about the movie’s or show’s content.
Additional features include rating movies and shows, syncing with Trakt’s service, browsing recommendations, and using an “add to calendar” feature. It offers extensive in-app customization options and allows users to create custom collections, add tags, add widgets to the Home and Lock Screen, and view Academy Awards winners breakdowns.
The app is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It’s free to download, but offers premium features via subscription or a one-time payment. Subscriptions are priced at $1.99 per month or $17.99 per year, with a one-time fee of $49.99 to unlock premium features permanently.