Have you ever had a simple idea during a casual moment that turned into something bigger? That’s exactly what happened with MovieMatcher, my Android app designed to help friends, couples, or groups pick a movie together effortlessly. It all started with a frustrating movie night and ended with a full-fledged Android app.
The Problem: Movie Night Indecision
Like many, I love watching movies with friends and family. But every time we planned a movie night, we spent way too much time debating which movie to watch. Some liked action, others preferred drama, and we always ended up scrolling endlessly through streaming platforms without making a decision.
At one point, I thought: What if there was an app that helped us decide? Something simple, fun, and interactive.
The Idea: A Movie Matching App
The goal was clear: Create an app that helps two users agree on a movie quickly. The concept was simple:
- Each user swipes through a set of movie options.
- If both users like the same movie, it’s a match!
- If not, they keep swiping until they find a common choice.
The Tech Behind the App
As an Android developer, I saw this as a great opportunity to build something practical while experimenting with modern Android tools. Here’s what I used:
- Jetpack Compose: For a smooth and declarative UI experience.
- Firebase: To handle real-time synchronization between users.
- TMDB API: To fetch movie details dynamically.
- Ktor Client: For efficient network requests.
- DataStore Preferences: To store user preferences and settings.
Challenges and Solutions
- Real-Time Syncing: Since two users needed to interact with the same session, I used Firebase’s real-time database to instantly update movie lists and matches.
- Randomized Movie Lists: Instead of showing the same popular titles repeatedly, I implemented a system that fetches random movies in batches from TMDB.
- Keeping It Lightweight: I focused on a simple, intuitive UI to ensure users could quickly navigate and make decisions without distractions.
Creating a Landing Page with AI
To help promote MovieMatcher, I decided to build a landing page. Instead of designing everything manually, I leveraged AI-powered tools to streamline the process:
Already talked about it in this article: Web developers you are cheating
You can check directly what it looks like:
moviematch.app
Lessons Learned
Building MovieMatcher reinforced some key principles for me:
- Solve real problems – even a small frustration like movie indecision can inspire a useful app.
- Keep it simple – the best apps focus on doing one thing well.
- Use modern tools – leveraging Jetpack Compose, Firebase, and Ktor made development more efficient and scalable.
What’s Next?
I’m currently working on new features like filters for genres, watchlist integration, and personalized recommendations. The journey from a simple movie night struggle to a working Android app has been exciting, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
Top comments (2)
That was a super lesson to learn, thanks for sharing Adham
You welcome Yassine, hope this article inspire you