QuickSnap - Freeze-Proof Task Capture for Todoist Users
Todoist freezes mid-add and your task evaporates into the void. QuickSnap is a dead-simple iOS/Android capture app that talks directly to the Todoist API, skipping their buggy native UI entirely. Tap, type, done — no spinner of death.
Difficulty
beginner
Category
Productivity
Market Demand
High
Revenue Score
7/10
Platform
Mobile App
Vibe Code Friendly
⚡ YesHackathon Score
6/10
Validated by Real Pain
— seeded from real developer complaints
Todoist's native app freezes when users try to add tasks — the single most critical action — forcing them to force-quit, restart, and lose the thought they were trying to capture.
What is it?
Thousands of Todoist users report the app freezing on the core task-add flow, with no fix except force-closing and losing their thought. QuickSnap is a minimal React Native app with one screen: a text field that hits the Todoist REST API directly, with offline queue and retry logic so tasks never get lost. No onboarding, no settings maze, no bloat. The value prop is purely reliability — if Todoist's UI is their enemy, QuickSnap is their bodyguard. Buildable in a weekend using Expo and the stable Todoist REST v2 API, which has been publicly available and well-documented for years.
Why now?
Todoist's freeze bug has been reported consistently through early 2026 with no fix shipped, and the Todoist REST v2 API is stable and OAuth-ready — the bypass has never been easier to build.
- ▸One-tap task capture that posts directly to Todoist REST v2 API (bypasses native UI entirely)
- ▸Offline queue with AsyncStorage retry so tasks survive airplane mode and bad connections
- ▸Project selector pulled live from Todoist API so tasks land in the right place
- ▸Quick-add history so recently captured tasks are visible without opening Todoist
Target Audience
Todoist power users (est. 30M+ registered, vocal frustrated segment on Reddit r/todoist and Twitter/X)
Example Use Case
Maya is at a client meeting, thinks of a task, opens QuickSnap, types it in 3 seconds, it syncs to her Todoist inbox instantly — no freeze, no lost thought, no embarrassing loading spinner.
User Stories
- ▸As a Todoist power user, I want to capture tasks without the app freezing, so that I never lose a thought mid-meeting.
- ▸As a mobile user, I want tasks to queue offline and sync automatically, so that bad connectivity never causes data loss.
- ▸As a busy professional, I want to pick a project at capture time, so that my inbox stays clean without extra sorting later.
Done When
- ✓Task capture: done when user types a task, taps add, and it appears in Todoist inbox within 3 seconds on a live connection
- ✓Offline queue: done when user adds a task with airplane mode on and it syncs automatically when connection returns
- ✓Project picker: done when user sees their real Todoist projects in a list and can select one before submitting
- ✓Paywall: done when a new user hits 3 captures and sees the RevenueCat paywall with working purchase flow.
Is it worth building?
$4.99/month x 200 subscribers = $998 MRR at month 3. Conservative: 0.1% of vocal frustrated users converts.
Unit Economics
CAC: $0.50 via Reddit organic replies. LTV: $36 (12 months at $2.99/month). Payback: immediate. Gross margin: 92% after RevenueCat 1% fee.
Business Model
One-time purchase or $2.99/month subscription
Monetization Path
Free 7-day trial, then $2.99/month via RevenueCat. One-time $9.99 lifetime option to boost early conversions.
Revenue Timeline
First dollar: week 2 via TestFlight beta upgrade. $1k MRR: month 3. $3k MRR: month 8.
Estimated Monthly Cost
RevenueCat: $0 (free tier to 10k MAU), Expo EAS Build: $15, Vercel (none needed). Total: ~$15/month at launch.
Profit Potential
Side income at $1k–$3k MRR. Full-time if expanded to multi-platform capture.
Scalability
Medium — can expand to Linear, Asana, Notion capture once core is proven.
Success Metrics
50 downloads week 1, 20 paid conversions week 2, 80% week-4 retention.
Launch & Validation Plan
Post in r/todoist asking if anyone wants a freeze-free capture app, get 20 DMs before writing a line of code.
Customer Acquisition Strategy
First customer: reply directly to freeze-complaint threads on r/todoist with a TestFlight beta link — no pitch, just help. Ongoing: ASO targeting 'Todoist widget', 'Todoist capture', YouTube Shorts showing the freeze vs QuickSnap side-by-side.
What's the competition?
Competition Level
Low
Similar Products
Todoist native app (the broken thing itself), Captio (email-to-inbox, too slow), Due (reminders only) — none bypass Todoist UI freeze specifically.
Competitive Advantage
Zero UI friction, works when Todoist doesn't, priced under a coffee.
Regulatory Risks
Low regulatory risk. OAuth token stored locally; no server holds user credentials.
What's the roadmap?
Feature Roadmap
V1 (launch): task capture, project picker, offline queue, OAuth. V2 (month 2-3): due date picker, priority flag, iOS widget. V3 (month 4+): multi-app support (Linear, Notion), Siri shortcut.
Milestone Plan
Phase 1 (Week 1): Expo app with OAuth, capture, and offline queue — done when task syncs end-to-end. Phase 2 (Week 2): RevenueCat paywall, project picker, TestFlight beta with 20 users. Phase 3 (Month 2): App Store approval, Reddit launch, 50 paid users.
How do you build it?
Tech Stack
React Native (Expo), Todoist REST API v2, AsyncStorage for offline queue, Stripe for IAP via RevenueCat — build with Cursor for logic, Lovable for UI mockups
Suggested Frameworks
Expo, RevenueCat, React Query
Time to Ship
1 week
Required Skills
React Native basics, REST API calls, RevenueCat integration.
Resources
Todoist REST API v2 docs, Expo docs, RevenueCat quickstart.
MVP Scope
App.tsx (single capture screen UI), hooks/useTodoist.ts (API wrapper), lib/queue.ts (offline retry queue), lib/auth.ts (OAuth token storage), components/ProjectPicker.tsx (dropdown), app.json (Expo config), .env.example (TODOIST_CLIENT_ID)
Core User Journey
Install -> OAuth login -> type task -> tap add -> task appears in Todoist inbox in under 2 seconds.
Architecture Pattern
User types task -> AsyncStorage queue -> Todoist REST v2 POST -> success clears queue, failure retries on next open.
Data Model
LocalTask has id, text, projectId, status (queued/synced/failed). AuthToken stored in SecureStore. ProjectList cached in AsyncStorage.
Integration Points
Todoist REST API v2 for task creation, RevenueCat for subscription billing, Expo EAS for builds and OTA updates.
V1 Scope Boundaries
V1 excludes: due dates, subtasks, comments, team sharing, widgets, Apple Watch, Siri shortcuts.
Success Definition
A stranger downloads the app from the App Store, adds a task in under 5 seconds, it appears in their Todoist inbox, and they pay without any founder contact.
Challenges
Distribution is the killer — the App Store discoverability is near zero without ASO or a viral Reddit post. The hardest problem is finding the frustrated Todoist users before they switch to Notion.
Avoid These Pitfalls
Do not build settings, themes, or widgets before validating the core capture loop works flawlessly. Do not ignore the offline queue — that is literally the entire value prop.
Security Requirements
Todoist OAuth token stored in Expo SecureStore, never in AsyncStorage. No server-side storage of user data. GDPR: all data is local-only, no analytics without consent.
Infrastructure Plan
No backend required for V1. Expo EAS for builds ($15/month). Error tracking via Sentry React Native free tier. No database — fully local with direct API calls.
Performance Targets
Target: task add completes in under 500ms on 4G. App cold start under 1.5s. Offline queue flush under 3s on reconnect. No caching layer needed at V1 scale.
Go-Live Checklist
- ☐Security audit complete.
- ☐Payment flow tested end-to-end.
- ☐Sentry error tracking live.
- ☐App Store screenshots ready.
- ☐Custom app icon finalized.
- ☐Privacy policy published.
- ☐5 beta users signed off.
- ☐Rollback plan: revert via EAS channel.
- ☐Launch post drafted for r/todoist.
First Run Experience
On first run: app shows a single input field and a Connect Todoist button. User can immediately: authenticate via OAuth and add their first task in under 30 seconds. No manual config required: offline queue works out of the box, no account creation needed beyond Todoist OAuth.
How to build it, step by step
1. Define API contract: map Todoist REST v2 POST /tasks endpoint and OAuth flow fields. 2. Run npx create-expo-app quicksnap --template blank-typescript. 3. Install dependencies: expo-secure-store, @react-native-async-storage/async-storage, react-query, revenuecat-purchases-react-native. 4. Build lib/auth.ts to handle Todoist OAuth and store token in SecureStore. 5. Build lib/queue.ts with enqueue, flush, and retry-on-failure logic using AsyncStorage. 6. Build hooks/useTodoist.ts wrapping POST /tasks and GET /projects. 7. Build components/ProjectPicker.tsx as a bottom sheet. 8. Build App.tsx single-screen UI: text input, project picker, submit button, sync status indicator. 9. Wire RevenueCat paywall triggered after 3 free captures. 10. Verify: install on physical device, add a task offline, go online, confirm it appears in Todoist inbox within 10 seconds.
Generated
April 22, 2026
Model
claude-sonnet-4-6
Disclaimer: Ideas on this site are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies. Revenue estimates, market demand figures, and financial projections are illustrative assumptions only — not financial advice. Do your own research before making any business or investment decisions. Technology availability, pricing, and market conditions change rapidly; always verify details independently.