The maker of Overcast introduced Fineliner, a notes app with a delightful twist.
EXPERT OPINION BY JASON ATEN, TECH COLUMNIST @JASONATEN
I didn’t think it was possible to be delighted by a completely new experience in an app in 2026. It turns out, I was wrong.
(Spoilers ahead. Go download the app now if you want to experience it for yourself)
The first thing Fineliner asks you to do when you open it is draw your own face. It doesn’t ask you to upload a photo or choose an avatar; it asks you to actually draw a little picture of yourself with your finger or an Apple Pencil.
It asks you to draw a pen
Then it asks you to draw a pen. And an eraser. And a trash can. That’s followed by the arrows for undo and redo, along with a few other things. After a few moments, something truly delightful happens: All those little drawings become the actual buttons in the app’s interface.
Weekly roundup of the latest in tech news
I downloaded the app while I was sitting in a small waiting room, waiting for an oil change on my daughter’s car. As I opened it the first time, I’m not kidding you, I just started smiling. It was absolutely the most enjoyable app experience I’ve had in such a long time.
Look, I get it. There’s nothing about a notes app that requires you to create an interface. It’s literally the most unessential thing. But the process makes Fineliner something that most apps don’t even bother to try to be: whimsical.
Fineliner is a new handwriting and drawing app from developer Marco Arment, who is best known for creating Instapaper and Overcast, the popular podcast app. It launched this week, and on the surface, it’s a pretty straightforward idea. Like dozens of other apps, it’s a digital notebook where you can write, sketch, and organize your thoughts.
Source: www.inc.com
