TL;DR: iCampanadas was an iOS app I created in 2011 that modernized the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes with the 12 bell strikes at midnight on New Year’s Eve. It became a phenomenon, reaching #1 on the Spanish App Store every December 31st until 2016. Now, using AI agents, I’ve revived it with a completely new codebase and a dedicated website.
The Spanish Tradition
If you’re not familiar with Spanish New Year’s Eve traditions, let me explain: at midnight on December 31st, Spaniards eat 12 grapes—one with each of the 12 bell strikes (campanadas) from the Puerta del Sol clock in Madrid. It’s chaotic, fun, and often results in cheeks stuffed with grapes as people try to keep up with the rhythm.
Back in 2011, I thought: what if instead of grapes, you could display 12 photos from your year, synchronized with the traditional bell sounds? That’s how iCampanadas was born.
2011-2016: The Glory Years
The original iCampanadas launched in December 2011. The concept was simple but powerful:
- A real-time countdown to midnight
- 12 photos from your camera roll
- Authentic campanadas audio synced with each photo
- A celebration screen when the new year arrived
What happened next surprised me. Every single New Year’s Eve from 2011 to 2016, iCampanadas climbed to the #1 position on the Spanish App Store. It was featured in Spanish tech media like Think Big and ADSLZone. People were using it at parties, family gatherings, and even broadcasting it on local TV stations.
The app was priced at €0.89—a small investment for a unique way to celebrate the transition to a new year with personalized memories.
2016: The End of an Era
After five successful years, life got busy. The app needed to be rewritten for new iOS versions, and I simply didn’t have the time. In 2016, iCampanadas went dormant. The original version eventually stopped working as iOS evolved, and the app faded into memory.
But the idea never left my mind.
2025: The AI-Powered Revival
Fast forward to 2025. With the emergence of powerful AI coding assistants, I saw an opportunity. Could AI agents help me rebuild iCampanadas from scratch?
The answer was a resounding yes.
Using Claude and other AI tools, I rebuilt the entire app from the ground up:
- SwiftUI instead of UIKit
- Modern iOS 17+ APIs for photos, music, and camera
- Tuist for project management
- Fastlane for automated deployments
The new iCampanadas 2 isn’t just a port—it’s a complete reimagining:
New Features for 2025
- Video Recording: Record your celebration and save it to your photo library
- Live Capture Mode: Take photos during the countdown with the front camera
- Custom Music: Choose songs for both the countdown and the finale celebration
- Photo Collages: Automatically generate beautiful collages from your 12 photos
- Multiple Transition Styles: Customize how photos transition during the countdown
- Simulation Mode: Test the experience without waiting until December 31st
The New Website
Along with the app, I created a dedicated website at icampanadas.es to tell the story and showcase the app. The site includes:
- Interactive screenshots of the new app
- Historical images from the 2011-2016 era
- The full story of the app’s journey
- Privacy policy (spoiler: we don’t collect any data)
- Support and FAQ section
The website was built with Next.js 14 and features the same golden-and-green color scheme that evokes the festive spirit of New Year’s Eve.
What This Means for Legacy Projects
The revival of iCampanadas taught me something important: AI agents are perfect for breathing new life into dormant projects. The original codebase was obsolete, but the concept was timeless. AI helped me:
- Translate the original idea into modern Swift/SwiftUI
- Add features I had always wanted but never had time to implement
- Handle the tedious parts (App Store metadata, screenshots, localization)
- Move fast without getting stuck on implementation details
If you have old projects gathering digital dust, consider giving them another look. The barrier to revival has never been lower.
Try It This New Year’s Eve
iCampanadas 2 is available on the App Store now. It’s free to download and use.
This December 31st, instead of stuffing your face with grapes (you can still do that too!), try displaying your 12 favorite photos from 2025 synchronized with the traditional Spanish campanadas. It’s a unique way to reflect on the year that’s ending while welcoming the one that’s beginning.
¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 🎉