Hate jump scares? This app alerts you before they strike

A new movie-and-TV tracking application called Binge, developed by indie creator Shihab Mehboob — known for projects like the social platform Mammoth and the AI-powered news reader Bulletin — introduces a unique feature for viewers who dislike sudden scares: it alerts users just before jump-scare moments.

The feature relies on Apple Live Activities, which provides real-time updates directly on a device’s Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Apps commonly use this same functionality to track deliveries, ride arrivals, sports scores, and other live updates. Binge uses it differently, notifying viewers in advance when a frightening scene is about to happen.

To activate the feature, users can tap the clock icon on the jump-scare details page when starting a movie or show. The app will then start the live activity and send alerts at the appropriate times. Users can also filter alerts to receive notifications only for major jump scares, if they prefer.

Binge enters a competitive category that includes established platforms such as Letterboxd, TV Time, JustWatch, and Trakt. Despite this, the app aims to stand out by leveraging Apple-specific capabilities such as Live Activities and iCloud synchronisation, and by offering additional features not universally available in competing apps.

According to Mehboob, the goal is to position Binge as a comprehensive solution for tracking entertainment content, including movies, TV shows, collections, actors, streaming platforms, networks, and production companies.

Like other apps in this space, Binge provides detailed information about films and series, including release dates, summaries, trailers, cast and crew listings, reviews, runtimes, and genres. Users can add titles to a watchlist, mark them as watched, and easily check where content is currently available to stream — a useful feature, as titles frequently move between platforms. The app also allows users to track movies still in theatres so they can revisit them later when they become available for home viewing.

Binge integrates data from external sources, including ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd, IMDb, and Metacritic. It also includes a parental guidance feature using IMDb data, outlining details such as levels of violence, sexual content, frightening scenes, substance use, profanity, and other relevant factors.

Additional capabilities include rating movies and shows, syncing with Trakt, browsing recommendations, viewing breakdowns of Academy Awards winners, creating custom collections, tagging owned content, adding widgets to the Home and Lock Screen, integrating with calendars, and customising various aspects of the app experience.

The app is available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. While it can be downloaded for free, access to premium features — including the jump-scare alerts — requires a subscription or a one-time purchase. Subscription pricing is $1.99 per month or $17.99 annually, and a lifetime unlock option is available for a one-time payment of $49.99.