Why I build apps for Sailfish OS

I came to Sailfish OS with the new Jolla Phone. I ordered it in the third batch back in December, and I have followed the forum closely ever since. I am convinced that an independent European smartphone matters a lot. And the OS itself is simply wonderful.

Why Sailfish OS

Before that, I used Android. iOS and Android are both great operating systems, but on both you are noticeably more restricted. With the Jolla Phone, the phone really is mine.

For me it comes down to Linux, Europe and independence from big tech. It is the same reason I self-host a few services at home.

Why SailVault

There are already good password managers. Before the switch, I ran my own Vaultwarden server and used the Bitwarden app on Android. But I wanted an app built the way I want it, and one that is available in the Jolla Store.

The community repositories are a great thing, and that freedom of choice is exactly what Linux is about. Still, I firmly believe there should be very good native apps in the Jolla Store. If Sailfish OS ever reaches a wider audience, most people will look for apps in Jolla's store first. That is just my opinion, but it is why SailVault goes there.

Building it

Building SailVault was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot along the way. Seeing my own idea of the app come to life in small iterations was great. The app motivated me even more, and it was also my motivation to finally put this website online.

What's next

SailVault is waiting for the QA result in the Jolla Store (Harbour). Until it is available there, you can build it yourself as described on the project page.

I will not stop at one app. I am planning more, because building them is simply too much fun.