At a glance
| App | Sink Link Shortener (Utilities) |
|---|---|
| Developer | miantiao (面条, @miantiao_me on X), whose open-source projects include Sink and Slite |
| App Store | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sink-link-shortener/id6824786849 |
| First release | October 27, 2026 |
| First update | 1.1.0, October 28, 2026 |
| Built with | AirBuild, from development to App Store release |
| What it connects to | Your own Sink or Slite instance, with a Site Token |
A self-hosted link shortener keeps your links and analytics on your own server. The catch is usually the phone: you end up opening a web dashboard in Safari every time you want a short link. Sink fixes that with a native iPhone app, and its developer built it with AirBuild.
“The Sink iOS client, developed with air.build, is live. The development experience on air.build is really good. I really hope it supports Android soon.”
— miantiao, October 31, 2026 (translated from Chinese)
What the app does
According to its App Store page, Sink lets you:
- Create short links: paste the destination, set a slug, add a comment
- Shorten from anywhere: a share extension creates links inside Safari and other apps
- See how links perform: visits, visitors, referrers and a trend chart, per link or for all links
- Share fast: copy, the share sheet, or a QR code in three sizes
- Edit, expire and delete links at any time
Your data stays on your own instance. The app talks only to the address you connect, with no accounts and no tracking in between.
Built and shipped with AirBuild
miantiao developed the Sink iOS client with AirBuild and released it on the App Store on October 27, 2026. The next day, version 1.1.0 followed with a new look (grouped cards and liquid-glass controls), more options when creating a link (tags, expiration, password protection, social previews, per-device redirects), a share extension that matches the app, and a smaller, faster build.
AirBuild handles app updates the same way as new apps: it prepares the build, metadata, screenshots and review notes, submits, and handles App Review feedback.
Why a native app for a self-hosted service
If you run your own service, a native iOS client gives it things a web dashboard can’t, such as Sink’s share extension that creates links inside Safari and other apps. The usual blocker is the time it takes to build and maintain one alongside the server. Sink shows the alternative: describe the client you want, and let AirBuild’s agents build it and take it through App Review.
More user stories
- How one developer made an iPhone game with AI and shipped it to the App Store
- How Vincent made an iPhone app on his phone, from idea to App Store review
- ClipFlow: shipping an update to an established iOS app with AirBuild
- One developer, several iOS apps: moving development to AirBuild
- Jizhi and Yan: using AirBuild on apps that already have users
- Apps built with AI: AirBuild user stories
FAQ
What is Sink Link Shortener?
A native iOS client for self-hosted Sink and Slite link shorteners. You connect your own instance with a Site Token and create, share and track short links from your iPhone.
Was Sink built with AI?
Yes. Its developer, miantiao, developed it with AirBuild and released it on the App Store on October 27, 2026, with an update the next day.
Does Sink send my links to a third party?
According to its App Store description, the app talks only to the instance you connect, with no accounts and no tracking.