Alexandre ColucciSep 18, 2025
David Smith

Five years ago, today, a TikTok video changed my life.

While Widgetsmith launched on Sep 16, 2020, it wasn't until the 18th when it had its viral moment on TikTok and meteoric rise to the top of the App Store.

I wanted to observe the occasion with a little retrospective of my memories from that day and the journey to it.

Little did I know then that my professional life would become helping millions of people make their home screens “Aesthetic AF”.

(131M so far[!])

https://david-smith.org/blog/2025/09/18/widgetsmith-at-five/

Sep 18, 2025 at 2:02pmIvory for Mac
Show threadPaul StocktonSep 18, 2025
@_Davidsmith Great story and thank you for sharing!
Show threadFlorian HeidenreichSep 18, 2025
@_Davidsmith This is incredible, very happy for you! And so cool that you still have all the original footage 🙌
Show threadTim SchmitzSep 18, 2025
@_Davidsmith I remember seeing some of your posts around that time and it was wild to watch the ride you were on. Have you ever been in touch with the person who made that first TikTok? I've always wondered if she was aware how that video changed your trajectory so much. (And cheers to the continued success!)
Show threadDavid SmithSep 18, 2025
@Timschmitz I met her once at a WWDC, but otherwise our paths haven’t crossed much since that initial intersection.
Show threadJesús FernándezSep 18, 2025
Great story! This is what every indie works for, and a good reminder you should avoid owning servers to prevent dying of success 😅
Show threadTwoowls Elt 🦉 🦉Sep 18, 2025
@_Davidsmith always great to hear someone doing something niche and getting a decent reward from it! Keep up the good work. I’m just popping to the App Store …
Show threadHighlanderSep 18, 2025
@_Davidsmith cool, and well deserved. Congratulations!
Show threadDerek MartinSep 18, 2025
@_Davidsmith Unbelievable. A hearty congratulations, and I hope it continues to perform well for you ❤️
Show threadMichael SwansonSep 19, 2025
@_Davidsmith Deserved. Thank you for sharing your story!
Show threadDaniel GomesSep 19, 2025
@_Davidsmith Congratulations! Such a great story 😀