Blog · Build Updates

Kalix release notes.

This page is focused on app development only. It's here to share build progress, feature work, fixes, and testing milestones as Kalix continues to move forward.

Version 1.9

iPhone Duo, Android Foldables & a Smarter Vault

Kalix now opens up on iPhone Duo and Android foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold, with your list and details side by side. Every phone gets a smarter Vault card and filters you choose. Read the full story in Field Notes.

New

  • iPhone Duo and Android foldables: the list on one side and details on the other, split at the fold. Half-open like a laptop, the list sits on top.
  • A side menu when the screen is wide, and every button kept off the crease.
  • Vault card: lifetime-rounds odometer plus collection value, ammo on hand, next firearm to clean, days since the range and your most-shot firearm.
  • Screen filters: choose the quick filters the Vault, Ammo and Range screens show in More → Preferences.

Improved

  • Long-press reminder cards removed. Ammo Inventory has its own button, and Sold / FFL lives in Vault search.
  • Alerts sit on the same line as Active and Personal, and list photos show in full.
  • Range Insights is shorter with even pages, and the readiness ring glows gold in Carbon.
  • Swipe left or right through firearm, ammo and range details (from 1.8.1).
Version 1.8

Carbon Theme, Vault Readiness & Collectible Cards

The biggest visual update since launch: a second theme, a rebuilt More tab that scores how protected your vault is, trading cards you can collect, and motion polish everywhere.

New

  • Carbon theme: carbon-fiber cards on a chalk-white hex page. Choose Kalix Dark, Carbon or Match Phone in More → Preferences.
  • Vault Readiness: a 12-check score at the top of More with one-tap fixes, and every setting in compact rows below it.
  • Nine trading-card styles, photo framing for your target and firearm, and Your Cards to collect every card you share.
  • Range-Day Checklist: pick your firearms and Kalix builds the packing list from your own ammo, mags and gear.
  • Backup Center with backup status, auto-backup and encrypted backups in one place.

Improved

  • Snap-Lock filters, cards that cascade in, buttons that press in, round counts that roll, and spring-loaded pop-ups.
  • The barcode scanner sweeps and locks on like a scope; DUE tags pulse softly.
  • Chalk Keys PIN screen in Carbon, and a range day can now be deleted entirely.
  • Smaller photos, faster lists, friendlier error messages and better support for large system text.
Release

Range and Ammo Polish

This phase focused on tightening the ammo and range experience so the app feels cleaner, more visual, and more reliable in active use.

Changes

  • Reworked ammo cards into a tighter, more visual format with sharper structure.
  • Updated range cards to use a stacked firearm-and-ammo visual layout.
  • Improved range session ammo selection and inventory update behavior.
  • Fixed duplication so cloned range records retain ammo correctly.
  • Added swipeable inline Range Insights graphs inside the main Insights card: Time + Caliber, Firearm Usage Trend, and Rounds Trend.
  • Continued smoothing transitions, card radius consistency, chip styling, and bottom-tab polish across the app.
Polish

Major polish pass across the app

This phase focused on making Kalix feel sharper, more reliable, and more professional across core flows.

Security / PIN / Locking

  • Reworked return-from-background behavior so the app no longer flashes old screens before locking.
  • Fixed blank-screen and close-after-background cases.
  • Strengthened immediate re-lock behavior while preserving gallery and document-picker exceptions.
  • Adjusted splash and PIN behavior so short reopens feel smoother.
  • Investigated restore-related PIN reliability issues.

Vault and Firearm Details

  • Added stronger vault search and cleaner search placement under the top hint area.
  • Refined ownership chips into the cleaner PERSONAL / DUTY style.
  • Sharpened firearm image shape, card corners, and overall vault presentation.
  • Rebuilt firearm detail hero areas, info tiles, and transitions from Vault to Details.
  • Made tags and custom details collapsible by default.
  • Added full activity timeline, readiness status, and time-based status drill-in flows from firearm details.

Ammo, Range, and Sessions

  • Rebuilt ammo cards to feel more visual while fitting more useful information on screen.
  • Added ammo detail entry flow by tapping ammo cards.
  • Added wheel-style ammo pickers, barcode scan improvements, and cleaner ammo header actions.
  • Expanded range session types, duty/work flows, and session duration support.
  • Improved multi-select, clone, delete, and batch actions in range-related lists.
  • Cleaned up history overflow and list behavior in range-related screens.

Alerts, Reports, and Backup

  • Added time-based status concepts like last cleaned, last inspected, and next due.
  • Improved service and inactive firearm alert handling.
  • Expanded reports, exports, restore testing, and mock backup datasets.

UI / Performance

  • Sharpened the design language across cards, chips, and tabs.
  • Reduced dead space and improved tab behavior.
  • Performed multiple smoothness passes on heavy screens to make the app feel more butter smooth.
  • Fixed image rendering issues that made some firearm photos look skewed or awkward.
Release

Play Console, billing, and release-readiness work

This stage focused on getting Kalix ready for real distribution, free/pro structure, and ongoing test releases.

Changes

  • Added Google Play Billing foundation with purchase, restore, entitlement persistence, and startup listening.
  • Built and shipped multiple internal and closed test bundles through Play Console.
  • Raised target SDK to satisfy Play requirements.
  • Added release tooling for version bumps, signing prep, release scripts, and related compile fixes.
  • Reviewed free vs Pro boundaries and continued shaping which higher-value features belong in Pro.
  • Updated Unlock Kalix Pro and Restore Purchase behavior under the app's Pro section.
Foundation

Early feature foundations and original iterations

Before the current polish phase, Kalix went through repeated early iterations that established the app's core behavior.

Highlights

  • Build 15G through 15G4 established and refined the original PIN grace-period and lock behavior.
  • Build 15H through 15K3 iterated heavily on vault summary alignment, vault card layout, colors, spacing, and active-state design.
  • Early 16A and 16B work added free-tier rules, duplicate-limit protection, range calendar picker support, and broader app structure for later polish.
  • Early vault work also shaped the preferred ACTIVE toggle behavior and the final 15K3 card direction that later screens were built around.

* Some imagery and sample values shown on this site may include mock visuals or placeholder data for security reasons.