Pin Drop

A FIX FOR A BAD MEMORY

Pin Drop originally launched in April 2011 (how is that even possible?!). This was the wild west of mobile mapping... There was no standalone Google Maps app, awful data deals, poor connectivity... We could go on but you get the idea.

Andy (the founder) was using the feature of Apple Maps to try and help his awful memory for locations. You could "Drop a pin" and give it a name, that was it. He tried pinning a number of pins but soon realised that it was just overwriting as a singular pin. This sparked an idea for how an app could help you curate the world around you without having to checkin / share it with the world.

THE ROLLERCOASTER

Pin Drop evolved slowly the first year as it was being worked on alongside client projects. The tipping point was when the app went from paid (a barmy price of $1.99!) to free. The app started trending in app stores globally and that was when the rollercoaster ride really started.

In 2013 a chance encounter with the amazing Stephen Fry led to an introduction with Jony Ive and the Apple team in Cupertino. Later that year the app was featured as one of the "Best apps of 2013" by Apple. The app also gained acclaim with awards and recognition from: The Sunday Times, The Webby Awards, The Europas, Lonely Planet, Wired, W3 and more.

THE APPLE YEARS

Fast-forward to 2014 and the team raised a small seed round to focus on the app and shut down the design agency business. As with all good stories, the money ran out but ultimately resulted in the team being acqui-hired by Apple and joining the Apple Maps team in California.

BRINGING IT BACK TO LIFE

After being in the app store gathering dust for seven years we decided to brush the dust off the app and bring it back to life. Since the summer of 2021 that's exactly what we've been doing.

PIN DROP OR PINDROP

The name is two words. Plenty of people write it as one, and both land here.

The app went on the App Store on 18 March 2011 and has been listed under the same record ever since, which makes it one of the older mapping apps still actively built. The team behind it was acquired by Apple in 2014. The product is independent again now, built and run from London by Salucia Ltd.

What it is has not really changed in over fifteen years. A map you can put real information on, shared with the people who need it, for work, travel and everyday life.