Development

Introducing ConTexture 1.0

20 June 2026  ·  Timothy Frey

After months of evenings and weekends, ConTexture is on TestFlight. This is the first public build of an app I started building because I couldn't find the writing tool I needed, so I decided to make it.

What it is

ConTexture is a long-form writing app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It's aimed at fiction writers, worldbuilders, and anyone who needs more organisation than a note-taking app offers but doesn't want the friction of a desktop-only tool like Scrivener.

The core idea: your writing and everything that gives it context should live in the same place, connected. A chapter should be able to link to the character sheet for the person in it. An @mention should pull in the map of the place being described. Your daily writing notes should sit next to your calendar.

Why I built it

I write long-form fiction. It involves constructed languages, dozens of characters, hand-drawn maps, and chapters that reference all of it. I was managing this across Scrivener (manuscript), Obsidian (worldbuilding notes), Bear (daily writing), and Apple Notes (everything I couldn't place). Every time I switched tools I lost the thread.

I wanted one app where all of it lived. I looked for a year and couldn't find it. So I built it.

What's in 1.0

The first release includes the full writing environment — Markdown editor with live preview, distraction-free mode, customisable typography — plus three workspaces (Creative Writing, Journal, References), project organisation with nested folders, character sheets, wiki links, @mentions, image support, the margin panel with formatting, comments, footnotes, and stats, iCloud sync, and a Mac Catalyst app with a full native menu bar.

It's more than I expected to ship in version 1. There's a lot more coming.

What's next

The immediate roadmap includes better collaboration features, a timeline view for plotting, deeper Scrivener import, and an external beta programme once the internal testing period is done. If you're on TestFlight and have thoughts, please get in touch — I read everything.

More soon.

— Timothy Frey
The Hague, Netherlands

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