LiveMarquee
Privacy-first scrolling text for iOS.
Remember 2013? That was the year everyone installed those bright "Flashlight" apps. You just wanted to find your keys in the dark, but if you looked closely at the permissions, that little app was asking to read your Contact List, track your GPS Location, and access your Microphone.
Why does a flashlight need to know who your mother is?
It doesn't. But the data broker paying the developer $0.05 per user does.
We've been conditioned to believe that "Free" comes with a silent asterisk: *In exchange for your soul (or at least your metadata).
The "Permission Request" Industrial Complex
As a Product Manager, I've sat in meetings where we discussed how to "reduce friction" in getting users to click "Allow" on permission popups. It's a dark art. We tell you it's for "better ad relevance" or "improved local experience," but mostly, it's just hoarding.
Data is the oil of the 21st century, and your phone is the drill site.
I got tired of being part of the drilling crew. I wanted to build something that felt like... cleaning up the spill.
Enter LiveMarquee: The "Three-No" Philosophy
I decided to build LiveMarquee, a simple LED scrolling text app for concerts and airports. It’s a utility, just like that flashlight. But I built it with a set of stubborn, arguably bad-for-business rules I call the Three-No Philosophy:
No Ads: I don't want to sell your attention. If you like the app, buy the pro version. If not, use the free one in peace.
No Tracking: I don't know who you are, where you are, or what you're typing. I don't install Facebook SDKs or Google Analytics to spy on your usage graph.
No Permissions: The app doesn't ask for your location. It doesn't ask for your contacts. The only permission it might ask for is the Camera, and ONLY if you explicitly try to take a photo within the app.
This is technically "bad product management." I have no retention cohorts to analyze. I have no funnel data to optimize. I am flying blind.
But I sleep better.
Privacy is the New Luxury
In a world where everything is smart, connected, and watching, "dumb" and "offline" are becoming luxury features. Silence is expensive.
When you use LiveMarquee, the text you type—whether it's a pickup line at a bar or a protest slogan—stays on your phone. It doesn't go to a cloud. It doesn't getting fed into an AI training model. It just... scrolls.
It reminds me of that scene in The Truman Show when Truman finally hits the wall of the studio. He discovers the limits of his fake world and chooses to leave it.
I can't tear down the surveillance studio, but I can at least give you a tool that doesn't belong to it.
If you're tired of being the product, try using a tool that's just a tool.
Hi Indie Hackers! 👋
I’m the maker behind LiveMarquee, and I wanted to share my latest iOS utility app with you all.
The Problem:
I’ve often needed a way to display scrolling text on my phone—whether it's holding up a sign at a concert, picking someone up at the airport, or just using it as digital signage for a desk setup. I found that many existing apps were either filled with intrusive ads, required weird permissions, or just looked outdated.
The Solution:
I built LiveMarquee to be the cleanest, easiest-to-use scrolling text app. It turns your iPhone or iPad into a dynamic LED banner in seconds.
Key Features:
🎨 Full Customization: Control fonts, colors, speed, and animation effects easily.
📸 Moments Capture: Unlike standard banner apps, I added a camera feature so you can capture photos while using the app, helping you save memories of the events where you use the signs.
🔒 Privacy First: As with my other apps (BucketPal, 3ThingsPal), privacy is a priority. All data and photos are stored locally on your device. No cloud sync, no data mining.
🌍 Multi-Language Support: Ready for global users.
The Business Model:
The app is free to download with basic features. There is a Premium tier for advanced themes and customization options.
I'd love your feedback:
Is the UI intuitive for a "pick up and go" scenario?
For those who use digital signage apps, what feature is usually missing?
Check it out here:
👉 App Store Link
👉 Website
Thanks for checking it out!
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