Apps

Apps contains the personal web apps installed on your Matrix computer. Some are built in. Others can be created by Matrix in Chat when you describe what you need. Creating an app keeps it in your workspace; it does not publish it.

You do not need to write code to get a useful app. Ask for the outcome, review what Matrix builds, and keep using or improving it.

Apps are real tools

Matrix apps can have multiple screens, forms, tables, charts, and saved state. Start with Web Canvas, Web Desktop, or Electron Desktop, where supported apps can use the Matrix database bridge. Review the result before relying on it.

Where Apps Work

Web Canvas, Web Desktop, and Electron Desktop support apps that use the Matrix database bridge. Web Mobile is the phone-browser presentation of your workspace; check that each app fits the smaller screen.

Native Mobile is in early access. Its Apps screen lists installed apps and can open web previews, but it does not yet provide the Matrix database bridge used by these apps. A preview opening on a phone does not establish that records save or reopen correctly. Use Web Canvas, Web Desktop, or Electron Desktop for apps that depend on that bridge until native app data support has been tested and released.

See Web Mobile and Native Mobile for the distinction.

What You Can Build

Personal Trackers

Habits, budgets, subscriptions, workouts, medications, books, recipes, home inventory, travel plans, and routines.

Work Tools

Lightweight CRMs, task boards, invoice trackers, meeting follow-ups, project dashboards, checklists, and internal request forms.

Creative Tools

Content calendars, script planners, moodboards, portfolio managers, campaign trackers, idea libraries, and publishing checklists.

Learning Tools

Flashcards, study planners, reading notes, spaced repetition helpers, class dashboards, and quiz apps.

Family And Life Admin

Chore boards, shared plans, event lists, meal planning, school reminders, moving checklists, and emergency info.

Games And Fun

Simple games, puzzles, party tools, scorekeepers, interactive stories, and custom dashboards for hobbies.

Built-In Apps

Matrix ships with a growing set of default apps, including:

Notes and writing tools.
Task and board-style planning.
Profile and social surfaces.
Calculator, clock, weather, Pomodoro, and utility apps.
Games such as Solitaire, Chess, Backgammon, Snake, 2048, Minesweeper, and Tetris.
Whiteboard and visual workspace tools.

These default apps are bundled into the Matrix host bundle so every user starts with a useful workspace.

Asking Matrix To Build An App

Good app requests include:

what the app is for;
what information it should track;
what views you want;
whether it should be simple or polished;
any style preferences;
whether it should use connected services.

Examples:

"Build me a budget tracker with monthly totals, categories, recurring expenses, and a simple chart."

"Create a CRM for my wedding photography leads. Track client name, event date, budget, status, notes, and next follow-up."

"Make a study planner for my biology exam with flashcards, topics, confidence ratings, and a review schedule."

"Build a family chore board with recurring tasks, assignees, points, and a weekly summary."

App Data

Supported apps in Web Canvas, Web Desktop, and Electron Desktop can save structured data in your Matrix database. You do not need to manage the database yourself. Check saving and reopening with a sample record before adding important data.

When an app needs tables, Matrix records them in the app manifest and the gateway creates schema-per-app tables in the Postgres database inside your Matrix environment. Apps access that database through Matrix's bridge API, not by handling database passwords directly.

This means:

app data persists across reloads;
apps can have real lists, records, filters, and charts;
recovery can restore app data from snapshots;
app permissions and access can be enforced by Matrix.

Improving An App

You can keep iterating in plain language:

"Add a dark mode."
"Make the mobile layout cleaner."
"Add a status filter."
"Import this CSV."
"Add charts by month."
"Make it easier for my team to use."
"Change the labels to match my business."

Matrix can inspect the app it created, update the files, rebuild it, and keep the app in your workspace.

Matrix App Gallery is planned curated discovery for Matrix apps. The first release is intended to focus on reviewed, first-party examples. It is not yet a production public publishing or installation flow.

Your owner-built apps stay private by default. Creating an app does not authorize a public listing, demo, or access to your connected accounts. Owner-consented public listings, free community distribution, and paid creator apps are separate later steps. See Matrix App Gallery for the current scope.

For Developers

Developers can still inspect and edit app files directly. First-party apps live under the Matrix home as Vite + React projects with matrix.json, index.html, src/main.tsx, and vite.config.ts. For most users, Matrix handles those details automatically.