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Show HN: App that asks ‘why?’ every time you unlock your phone

• Y_Y 2y ago
  Cool idea. Amazingly they've found a way to put "in-app purchases" though. This app could just be an image set as your lock screen background. I've found a good way to discourage mindless phone staring is to set the display to monochrome (e.g. through colorblind emulation). The decreased visual stimulation seems to have an effect on me, at least until I want to see a photo or video in colour and go back to normal.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Allow me to clarify about "in-app purchases". The "in-app purchases" are for small complementary features, like making the screen appear on a schedule, making it impossible to skip the screen, and adding a lock button to lock the screen. Those features aren't essential for the app to function. > This app could just be an image set as your lock screen background. Well, yes and no. In the app, you can interact with the prompts. There is a history of your itneraction. You can export it and then analyze it if needed. > I've found a good way to discourage mindless phone staring is to set the display to monochrome (e.g. through colorblind emulation). The decreased visual stimulation seems to have an effect on me, at least until I want to see a photo or video in colour and go back to normal. +1 here. I have always had this setting on closer to bedtime.
    • mzhaase 2y ago
      The point I think was more a critique on the fact that everyone now tries to extract profit with everything, even the simplest of apps.
      • ltadeut 2y ago
        why shouldn't they? they had to take the time to make the app and get it up on the App Store. it's totally fair to charge for work you've done. the fact it's simple is irrelevant. what matters is the value it brings to the user.
        • matkv 2y ago
          It is totally fair to charge for work you've done - but then again, in my opinion, not everything needs to be built with some profit in mind (not talking about this app in particular now). I think it's really refreshing to find an app that doesn't lock any features behind a paywall or makes using it more cumbersome unless you pay. I'm mostly okay with one-time payments though. Just because you invested some time into making a project doesn't mean that you absolutely need to make some money to make it "worth" it. Hell, most open-source software is built on free/voluntary labor.
          • mavamaarten 2y ago
            I understand the sentiment from a user's perspective, I really do. I have been totally burned out by having to maintain all my free apps in the Play Store though, lately. Even a simple non-internet-using app needs an update every year and needs to comply with new bullshit policies every few months. It has totally changed my opinion on free vs paid apps. I still despise subscription models, but I absolutely understand that there's just no free apps out there anymore. It just costs too much of my time to keep doing it for free.
            • matkv 2y ago
              I've actually been talking about the developer's perspective as well - I have a couple of personal projects that I've invested quite a bit of time into but I still don't feel the need to try to find a way to monetize them. I can definitely see your point though. Maybe an option would be open sourcing your app? (considering it's already free anyway) - that way you could maybe find some contributors to make it easier to keep up with everything.
              • Apocryphon 2y ago
                [flagged]
                • account42 2y ago
      • akkad33 2y ago
        It's time and effort. If you're not willing to pay you're saying it has no value. I prefer a small upfront fee to seeing in app purchases though
        • robin_reala 2y ago
          That’s not true: not all value is monetary. The results of my hobby are distributed for free, but I gain value from the creation process for myself.
          • akkad33 2y ago
            Imagine someone less privileged than you tries to make a living this way. It's completely legitimate
      • MMAesawy 2y ago
        How would you suggest to compensate devs for developing and maintaining such apps? Personally I would much prefer that developers lock poweruser features behind a paywall rather than plaster ugly ads all over the place. Making it a paid app works too, but likely 95% of the potential userbase would not try the app if they had to reach for their wallets first.
        • Timwi 2y ago
          > How would you suggest to compensate devs for developing and maintaining such apps? As a developer, I feel more than sufficiently compensated by seeing people use and enjoy my work and thanking me. Getting featured on Hacker News would make my day; nay, year. I just need to be able to eat and use a computer. I shouldn't have to prove myself valuable just to be allowed to live. I think everybody, regardless of what they do, deserve a livable basic income.
        • oneeyedpigeon 2y ago
          UBI. (I would leave the comment at that, but it would probably come across as a bit facetious and would fail any 'low-effort' test. But I genuinely mean it: remove the necessity to obtain a certain amount of money every month, and all of a sudden, people would be able to create, share, and enjoy for free.
      • cowsandmilk 2y ago
        The point is, everyone believes all apps should be free when this developer spent time building, testing, and iterating to come out with quite the useful app. And the developer respects users, so they chose to monetize in a way that doesn’t collect our data or shove ads in our faces.
        • madeofpalk 2y ago
          The first thing OP says is "Cool idea - don't deserve to get paid for it though".
          • Y_Y 2y ago
            I think you'll find that's not quite true.
      • endorphine 2y ago
        Critiquing the players and not the game misses the forest for the trees. This is the system we live in.
        • ryandrake 2y ago
          You're allowed to critique both. "The system" isn't handed down from god. It's just a set of choices made by people.
          • Timwi 2y ago
            Yes, and one of those choices made by people is that if you don't make money, you deserve to starve.
      • deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
    • jamalaramala 2y ago
      Great idea for a little app. <3 I don't see a problem with in-app purchases, but have you considered offering the unlocked app for free under Google Play Pass?
      • jarko27 2y ago
        Thanks Never used 'Google Play Pass' and haven't explored it from a dev perspective. If that's something like a toggle in Google Play Console then I see no problem enabling it.
  • youoy 2y ago
    I do the same! It works pretty good for "visually addictive" apps... but not for HN for now
    • siva7 2y ago
      For that you set noproc in hn settings.
      • youoy 2y ago
        Ah, I was not aware of that! Thanks!
  • PittleyDunkin 2y ago
    > Amazingly they've found a way to put "in-app purchases" though. I've been so happy slowly going through my phone and removing every single app on my phone that has either ads or in-app purchases. I don't miss a single one.
    • icetank 2y ago
      Hacker news has ads in the form of job positions. Do you also consider not using Hacker news anymore?
      • monooso 2y ago
        That's a pretty loose definition of an advertisement, particularly in the context of this conversation.
      • oneeyedpigeon 2y ago
        Not all ads are equal. I am willing to bet that every single app they were referring to had much more egregious advertising than HN does.
      • everdrive 2y ago
        My sentence, in a very loose sense is an advertisement for my ideas. I think the concept can be stretched too far.
      • PittleyDunkin 2y ago
        If I sense that these so-called ads are lowering my quality of life—absolutely.
      • deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      • GrinningFool 2y ago
        Your comment comes across as disingenuous. I think by this point in time, most people who are taking an active effort to remove advertising from their lives are well aware that the concern with "ads" isn't primarily about the requirement to see ads - it's the privacy-consuming infrastructure behind them.
  • siva7 2y ago
    Best of all it saves battery
  • zuppy 2y ago
    same thing worked for me. on iphone, ios 18 introduced a way to apply shades to everything, including app icon and notification counters. since i made the entire thing darker, i've stopped using instagram. i couldn't believe that such a small thing could do wonders. probably the same thing can be achieved by disabling the notification counter, but i think it's better to have it when you want to look for it, but make it not pop out into your eyes.
  • HPsquared 2y ago
    I have greyscale set to activate in the evening to wind down for bed.
    • blahlabs 2y ago
      Could you share how you achieved activating greyscale automatically? Was it Android or iOS? I would love to be able to do this but couldn't find a way on GrapheneOS.
      • chris_pie 2y ago
        Latest Android has that built-in as a "Night Mode". You can also set a schedule or have it enable while charging
      • HPsquared 2y ago
        It's a Samsung, Android phone. I used "Modes and Routines" which allows to set greyscale (and silent mode etc.) and automate triggers (such as time of day) to activate a "mode".
  • andreicap 2y ago
    I do the same with iOS automations - disable monochrome (and orientation lock) for photos and camera apps, and enable it back once closed. The benefit is that it re-enables monochrome mode after I might disable it manually.
  • newswasboring 2y ago
    > This app could just be an image set as your lock screen background. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224
  • space_oddity 2y ago
    Either way, it’s all about finding what clicks for you!
  • deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  • hackernewds 2y ago
    you can find a balance here by setting on bedtime mode in Android where after sunset, your screen glows black and white and they added the ability to pause for 30 minutes.
• andy_ppp 2y ago
  Some people wrap their phone in an elastic band or there’s always Opal if you want more fine grained control: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/opal-screen-time-control/id1497465230 https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/opal-screen-time-control/id149...
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Physical barrier on the phone is probably the best way to tackle with such things, but that's not what always available or convenient. I liked Opal, but with Intenty I tried to create an alternative way without blockers or limits. For some reason, app blockers and time limits are very frustrating for me and rarely work. That was one of the primary motivations for the app creation. While I admit that for the majority setting proper limits on certain apps will work.
  • psteinweber 2y ago
    Opal is incredibly helpful for me. Exactly the right amount of control and annoyance to get me off social media.
    • cnity 2y ago
      Opal's ads were very good actually. I got targeted ones on Instagram Reels and they legitimately made me uninstall everything that wasn't serving me. Ironically I never installed Opal, but their marketing team really did me a solid.
• byyoung3 2y ago
  brilliant
• maelito 2y ago
  I need this ! I can also recommend Stretchly for the computer https://github.com/hovancik/stretchly https://github.com/hovancik/stretchly. Forces me to stand up and look further / go grab some chicory.
  • retSava 2y ago
    Yes! I use this for both Win and Ubuntu. Works great.
• superasn 2y ago
  Have you tried RescueTime? It's a similar app that prompts you to log your activities every time you unlock your phone. It's surprising to see how much time can slip by unnoticed each day. Using it can really make you more mindful of how you're spending it.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    > Have you tried RescueTime? It's a similar app that prompts you to log your activities every time you unlock your phone. I didn't know they had such a feature. I'm going to check this out. > It's surprising to see how much time can slip by unnoticed each day. Using it can really make you more mindful of how you're spending it. Exactly. I have so many unnecessary phone pickups during the day. Without such apps that would slip unnoticed. Also, it's worth mentioning that when you notice those moments at least in my case it makes you feel guilty a bit that you picking it up unconsciously, but maybe that's my individual behaviour.
  • hed 2y ago
    Does it do this on iOS? I just cancelled RT because it crashed on my work computer all the time but if the phone app weren’t useless that might be different.
• fransjorden 2y ago
  Great app! Love the design and thoughts behind it. Few comments: - isn't it possible to select multiple intentions? I've tried but when I turn on one, another one turns off. - for apps like these I'm really missing a more expensive lifetime subscription. I'm okay with paying some more upfront if I don't have to pay a periodical fee. Anyway, really nice work!
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Thanks for giving it a try! > - isn't it possible to select multiple intentions? I've tried but when I turn on one, another one turns off. Here is the place where I made a UX mistake. I implemented nudges in a similar way as "modes" on iOS or routines on Samsung phones. You can enable one at a time. If you want to customise the content you see, you have to customise it inside nudge, not by enabling another one. I didn't make any UX tests before releasing this and I see a lot of confusion here. Apologise for that. > for apps like these I'm really missing a more expensive lifetime subscription. I'm okay with paying some more upfront if I don't have to pay a periodical fee. That's another miscalculation I made :) But I already have plans to replace the subscription with one-time purchase. Again sorry for the inconvenience. Again, thanks for a try
    • fransjorden 2y ago
      No problem! To be fair, turning multiple on at the same time would be a great (premium) feature, for people who want to work on multiple things like me :)
• TudorAndrei 2y ago
  I have been using Mindfull, and it's great. It can even block short form videos on different apps (Reddit, Instagram, Snap) https://github.com/akaMrNagar/Mindful https://github.com/akaMrNagar/Mindful
• skynet97 2y ago
  [flagged]
  • 4ndrewl 2y ago
    Are you asserting that people's ability to counter addiction has changed?
    • skynet97 2y ago
      [flagged]
      • lompad 2y ago
        What's with that idea that compulsions aren't real? They are just as real and difficult to drop as substance-based addictions, for a rather simple reason: The physical addiction is only a compounding factor, not the core difficulty in a "classic" addiction. What really makes people always come back, no matter what, is the psychological addiction, not the physical one. Which is also why phones can be just as difficult to stop as gambling compulsions or drug addictions.
        • skynet97 2y ago
          [flagged]
          • 4ndrewl 2y ago
            Do you speak from a position of authority on the subject?
      • deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
  • Mashimo 2y ago
    Dang, I think you just solved alcohol and nicotine addiction. Can you also do something against gambling? Would be cool.
• bjt12345 2y ago
  Cal Newport would love this!
  • warner25 2y ago
    I was just thinking about Cal too. I listened[1] to Deep Work and Digital Minimalism a couple years ago and still use many of his prescriptions. Namely, I have no social media or gaming apps installed on my phone. On my home screen for quick access I only have Google Voice, Messenger, Maps, and the camera app. The browser app (Firefox with uBlock Origin extension) is buried and it deletes everything when I close it, so there's no history, bookmarks, logins, etc. to make browsing more streamlined. I often leave the phone at home or in my car when I go out. I leave it by the front door when I'm at home instead of keeping it in my hand or pocket. I find that having a very light data plan helps too (in addition to saving money). I have the $5/month annual plan from Red Pocket that gives me 500 MB. I'm well aware that I could burn through 500 MB very quickly, so that makes me think twice about whether I really need to load a web page if I'm out somewhere without Wi-Fi. [1] Audiobooks on my phone, ironically. But making audiobooks more accessible is probably the best value that smartphones have provided for me. Libby, for borrowing audiobooks from the library and listening to them, is the one entertainment app that I have installed.
• iLoveOncall 2y ago
  I haven't seen any of those apps (or built-in OS features like screen time on iOS) not become useless in a matter of days. People that will use their phone for distraction (which I don't think there's actually anything wrong with) will take only a few days to get "notification fatigue" from those screens and automatically bypass them without even thinking about it. I get that you can prevent bypassing the screen as you mentioned as an extra feature but people will just click the other button then. There's not a single person (myself included) I have seen use screen time not automatically bypass the limitation instantly as it pops up.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Well, I agree. The fatigue from the screen is real. What I'm trying to achieve here with the app is to give a set of tools that can help deal with this fatigue. Like adding a variety to the texts you see, changing the intensity of the pop-up screen, adding cooldown, or hard mode and schedules. The Northstar is to adjust the nudge automatically based on the level of fatigue from the screen. I know I'm far from it now. But I'm attempting. I'm changing the nudges often and their configuration manually for myself now. And it works for me and I believe it can help other folks as well. That's it.
  • littlecranky67 2y ago
    > There's not a single person (myself included) I have seen use screen time not automatically bypass the limitation instantly as it pops up. You can take the more drastic approach and lock yourself out of your phone by changing it's unlock code and use a timelock [0] to prevent yourself from bypassing it for a given time. Works also with parental-control like Apps that require you to enter a password/code to unlock. No bypassing here. [0]: lockmeout.online
    • wingerlang 2y ago
      The point is that people don't stick with it. Bypassable versions works just as well as this, for a day or two until it becomes slightly annoying. Full lockout will work for a day or two as well, until it becomes annoying. The bypass here is simply that you never use it again.
• qwerty456127 2y ago
  One should ask themselves just this whenever they are going to act or make a judgement.
• jeofken 2y ago
  For me the only really useful intervention was getting a black and white e-ink Android smartphone. I started to read a book per month and my short video watching time was decimated. I got the Bigme Hibreak which isn’t the worst, but lacks recent android versions. Gives me hours of my life back every day, compared to the phone addiction I experience with my lcd colour screen smartphone
  • jarko27 2y ago
    As an experiment, I wanted to try something similar, but more extreme maybe since it's not Android AFAIK https://www.thelightphone.com https://www.thelightphone.com. Also I wonder if my app is working nicely on an e-ink smartphone, very interesting.
  • alexey-salmin 2y ago
    I'm surprised there are so few on the market. The reason I gave up on Nokia in 2020 was a handful of apps: taxi, maps, messengers. All of that would perfectly work on e-ink. Instead I got a Pixel and after four years I have attention span of a squirrel. Really have to do something about it, will try grayscale for now.
• p1necone 2y ago
  I feel like we're far too obsessed with the "nobility" of stuff we do for fun. Watch YouTube shorts, scroll reddit, whatever. It's only "addictive" because it's fun, it's no more pointless than anything else you might do for fun. What are you really achieving by using this app? Do you have an unhealthy relationship with your phone, or are you just arbitrarily ranking it low on the "worthiness" of random shit you might choose to do to kill some time.
  • exe34 2y ago
    it's currently very cool to announce to everybody how little time you spend on your phone, it's like the new "I'm vegan" or "I use arch btw". people don't realise how addiction works - see the Vietnam veterans case: https://jamesclear.com/heroin-habits https://jamesclear.com/heroin-habits we have bigger (social) problems that's causing the phone addiction: if it wasn't a phone, it would be video games, TV or alcohol or something else.
    • p1necone 2y ago
      I swear comments on posts like this one always read like some religious support group for people that think sex outside of the context of marriage is worthy of shame. It's depressing.
      • immibis 2y ago
        The new religious nutjobbery is that sex between a man and a woman inside of the context of marriage is also worthy of shame because it's gay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRRPTfOB2U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRRPTfOB2U
    • exitb 2y ago
      Even if the addition is really driven by the environment, rather than its subject itself, can individuals actually solve the underlying social problem? Can they do so in a way that's actually scalable to a significant portion of the population? If your work, or lack of money, or your kids school, or your parents health are causing you stress, most often you can't simply "change your environment" to a less stressful one.
• vr46 2y ago
  My buddy has a wallpaper on his phone that says, in large letters, "Do I really to be picking up my phone right now?" Done and done.
  • rvnx 2y ago
    (edited)
    • baxtr 2y ago
      He’d probably be on X "creating content"
      • deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
  • frereubu 2y ago
    I prefer this method too, as it helps me develop my self-control. (I have "τῶν ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν καὶ οὐκ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν", which is from Epictetus and means "things that are up to us and things that are not up to us" as a reminder that I can exert control over my phone use).
  • kukkeliskuu 2y ago
    I made one with large text ”Why?”
• olabyne 2y ago
  I have a foldable flip phone. It is equivalent : I need to go through some effort to open my phone. I don't open it unless I need to
  • jarko27 2y ago
    BTW, it was quite complicated but I added support for flip phones as well. So the app works correctly on flip phones as well. Flip phone users might have an ultimate setup.
• Refusing23 2y ago
  i scroll through reddit when im on the toilet or waiting etc. while cooking or something that's really it.
• yamrzou 2y ago
  Love it. I wish there was a way to select multiple nudges. Is it possible to provide a lifetime subscription (instead of a monthly one) for premium features?
  • oleksii88 2y ago
    Great app, but I second the lifetime price request. It's a bit weird for me to see a subscription for such an app. I'm happy to support the developer, but not on a monthly basis.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Thanks for the try. Now I realize that the decision to make nudges in the same way as modes on iOS was a bad decision. I made it intentionally, you select nudge as one mode to enable. If you want to customize the content, just change the prompts in the nudge. Apologies for the inconvenience. And about lifetime subscription. I also get that. I will replace the subscription with a one-time purchase eventually.
  • thrtythreeforty 2y ago
    Subscription software cost can be modeled as a one-time fee: you calculate the net present value of all the payments. For example, if you plan to use this app for 7 years (which is a reasonable expectation for a piece of software's lifetime) and it costs $2 a month, the net present value is somewhere around $138. That is, if you decide right now to use the app for 7 years, you are costing yourself $138 in today-dollars. Which is rather a lot. Of course the subscription does have the benefit that you can cut off your usage at any point, however the people asking for a perpetual irrevocable license are probably not the type who appreciate this capability.
• guerrilla 2y ago
  Nothing for iOS?
  • jarko27 2y ago
    On iOS it's simply impossible to implement. There is no way you can display an app over other apps after unlocking. I tried to implement something similar, like a widget, but that's a completely different app. Unfortunately, such an app is possible only on Android.
    • hda111 2y ago
      After unlock is probably impossible. But open app over app is possible with one sec and shortcuts.
      • jarko27 2y ago
        Yeah, but then it's a completely different app. On Android, you can even combine Intenty and one-sec.
• noufalibrahim 2y ago
  I use https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qqlabs.minimalistlauncher https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qqlabs.min... which has several things that pester you when opening certain applications. It also makes the home screen quite dull. Combine this with a monochrome display and the phone considerably loosens its grip on you.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    I think it will work just fine in combination with Intenty. Of course, it might be too challenging to use the device with so many obstacles. But if that helps to be more mindful about phone usage, why not?
• jatins 2y ago
  I like the idea, congrats on the launch! One feature request: instead of giving me a freeform field to enter "why", give me a few of common uses cases as options like: - Picking up the phone for real use (order, cab, call etc) - For social connection - For mindless scrolling overtime you can plot why the phone was picked
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Thanks! > One feature request: instead of giving me a freeform field to enter "why", give me a few of common uses cases as options like: - Picking up the phone for real use (order, cab, call etc) - For social connection - For mindless scrolling You can add quick answers to the prompts, it's there, no need to type every time > overtime you can plot why the phone was picked Already you can export all historical data to CSV to analyze it. There is also an interesting thing to observe, it's time spent on the screen.
  • fma 2y ago
    Is this really a launch? I see reviews from 4 years ago.
    • jarko27 2y ago
      The original app was released ~ 4 years ago, but it survived several rounds of overhauls from scratch while keeping the original idea - "showing nudges after phone unlock". It can be considered a launch because it's almost a remade app.
• tmikaeld 2y ago
  Love the idea, is there an iOS version planned?
  • jarko27 2y ago
    As soon as Apple allows listening to phone unlock events and displaying app over other apps. Currently there are not APIs on iOS for such thing
  • mrbombastic 2y ago
    Check out ScreenZen, it doesn’t work with general unlocks but you can set it to add similar mindfulness reminders for specific apps or categories of apps. Been using it a few weeks and a fan.
    • JansjoFromIkea 2y ago
      +1 it's pretty easy to work around but all I generally need is something to knock me out of my flow.
• guax 2y ago
  Installed about 30 minutes ago, it already made me reconsider using the phone 3x. It is indeed effective while you're engaging with it. Hope it continues like this for long term.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    For the long term, I recommend changing the prompts from time to time and adjusting intensity and cooldown settings. Sometimes even turning it off, so you are not getting used to the screen.
  • hshshshshsh 2y ago
    It will not last much. The brain will figure out the reconsideration is wasted mental processing and just proceed to open phone by clicking tool.
• Unearned5161 2y ago
  love the app, I think it works much better than a simple background with a question on it, and not only because I like to have pretty pictures there instead an idea: it would be neat to have extra functionality with specific apps, with regular interruptions to ask if you're still on track or what have you. maybe not even a button press, just like a 5 second breather with a message on the screen and then it goes away. sort of like the notifications you currently have in place but for the whole screen. users could modify the message for each app... look forward to seeing further development!
  • jarko27 2y ago
    More advanced reminders are the most frequent feature request so far. As a very trivial way to implement it, I'm thinking about showing the original screen periodically instead of the notification. But the thing you suggest with modifying the message for each app sounds interesting. Are you thinking about something like "Have you found what you searched? Or you are just scrolling" on Reddit? In any case, it's an item on the roadmap already
• Timwi 2y ago
  Congrats on a useful and popular app! It sounds like something that could really help a lot of people. Now, I really don't want to come across as smug or anything, but I'm not one of the people this would help. I already use my phone in a consciously controlled manner and I don't do things like endless doomscrolling. Despite, it's clear from the evidence that a lot of people do and would benefit from this app. So I'm really curious... what is that like? What goes through your head when you grab the phone, see the app, and then decide to put the phone back down? If you realize at that point that you don't actually want to use the phone right now, why did you grab it in the first place? I'm not insinuating anything, I'm genuinely just curious.
  • Schinken_ 2y ago
    I am also not a doomscroller but a frequent "let's check if something new is happening" leads me to randomly picking up my phone regularly. It's almost automatic by now. Middle of work? "Muscle memory" sort of grabs phone, unlocks it, opens emails, messengers. Nothing new? Just close. TL:DR;: For me (not a doomscroller) it's sort of automatic to check my mails and messages. Not thinking much while grabbing the phone
  • rmholt 2y ago
    I don't think about it at all, it's almost automatic. Like locking the door when you leave your house. I have a free moment, I enter a bus, I sit down at a table, boom phone. I may be an usual case as I believe it to be caused by general anxiety and wanting to avoid the world.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    In my case it depends on the nudge I'm currently set up. If that's about using the phone less, like during focus time I pick it up habitually to procrastinate the screen can say "Just put it down and check it at the scheduled time". When I see the text I'm kind of dragged out of the habit loop and just putting it down or press the lock button. So it's a kind of replacement of one habit with another one. See an app screen? Lock the phone. If it is about a weekend or a vacation I put a text on the screen about being more relaxed and not having FOMO. Like 'If that's something important, you will know about it'. Here the mechanism is almost the same, I'm replacing the habit of checking stuff with something different like music or locking my phone back again.
• retSava 2y ago
  Great! Apps like these are sorely needed. My feedback would be, apart from what others are saying about sub vs one-time purchase, to look at what Leechblock firefox extension is doing. The key point is to make it harder (but not impossible) for me to use the phone. A "Do you need this?" is a great start, but since I can easily sneak by, I will soon do that. Even if I click "1 minute" to get a reminder, that should not be a simple notification, but back to the large big screen covering things. What LB does is genius. You can enable a barrier so that if you reeeeeeally need to, you can get around, but it's annoying and time consuming, and thus the quick loop of "pick up phone and get stuck" is broken. The barrier in LB can be to type a (long) passphrase, or my favorite: a 64-char random string which cannot be copy-pasted. You need to manually look at 2-3 chars at a time and replicate the whole thing. Very effective. But again, also the snap back to reality thing. If I keep using it, throw up a big overlay with a good question "Is your attention well spent?" for example. Make me wait before I can continue.
  • guitarlimeo 2y ago
    I tried LeechBlock for a while and had that 64-char random string passphrase thing on. Turns out I became really quick at typing those 64 characters to get my dopamine fix.
    • retSava 2y ago
      Hahaha. Yeah. I started using a second browser...
    • jasfi 2y ago
      The same thing will happen with this app. The user will select any answer to just do what they wanted to do.
    • artisanspam 2y ago
      You can make it up to 128 characters. That's impressive that you are able to type a random string of nonsense so fast. My hack was to take a picture on my phone, have Apple's image recognition copy the string to my iCloud clipboard, and I'd paste it on my mac. It's too easy to defeat the purpose of these things if you're even slightly driven.
• lrvick 2y ago
  I just deleted an app a month until I was happy. My phone got so boring after a few months of this I started forgetting it when leaving home. Ended up using it so little on the go, wifi was enough and canceled my cell phone plan. Been four years since I had cell service or regularly carried any internet capable devices and I have never been happier. My anxiety has plummeted and my attention span and productivity have skyrocketed. I do not have a phone as a security blanket anymore and feel so much more confident in public. Smartphones are optional for most people, but if you are forced to carry one, keep it in airplane mode whenever possible and only use it when solving the specific problem that forces you to carry it that you lack any alternatives for. If you need mobile entertainment buy a paper book.
  • laweijfmvo 2y ago
    what do you do when you need a phone number?
    • xethos 2y ago
      Not OP, but I've been meaning to pick up a used business phone and connecting it to a VoIP number for a home phone
  • stillasleep 2y ago
    how do you listen to music then?
    • palijer 2y ago
      I still use an ipod classic. My music taste hasn't changed in 2 decades.
    • seba_dos1 2y ago
      Listening to music isn't a networked activity.
    • ben_w 2y ago
      I'm genuinely amazed that this question exists, but then I grew up with radio, then CDs, then MP3 players.
• ajithshan001 2y ago
  but why?
• sunsetonsaturn 2y ago
  I'd like to give it a try, but it is not compatible with my device. Is there a reason for it not to work on a Galaxy Note8?
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Likely it's an Android version. Minimum Android version is Android 11
• oytis 2y ago
  Great idea, I'm a bit worried about security. To have control over phone unlocking the app has to be pretty privileged, right?
  • cloudking 2y ago
    It's 100% local only. No server side component, analytics or ads.
  • aesh2Xa1 2y ago
    It does not list any special privilege except drawing over other apps. I think the author could justify the network permission or they could remove it, but I personally don't consider it a big problem as-is anyway. https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requesting-special https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requestin... The Play Store lists these permissions: * view network connections * full network access * run at startup * draw over other apps * prevent device from sleeping The only one that gives me pause is "draw over" because it would allow the app to capture screen content, and that is only concerning because of "full network access" enabling it to send data. I'm not sure why this app would require _both_ of these permissions. https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/com.actureunlock/latest/ https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/com.actureu...
    • oytis 2y ago
      > does not list any special privilege except drawing over other apps This one is huge though? You can e.g. imitate other apps' login forms and collect passwords.
    • jarko27 2y ago
      The network is used for checking in-app purchase status, requests to Google Play only
      • deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
• toisanji 2y ago
  I wish I could do this on an iphone.
• alickz 2y ago
  You have a typo in your "To be more persent" screenshot Cool idea though
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Wow. Thanks for reporting. Fixing it.
    • aodj 2y ago
      Haha, came here to report the same
• neondude 2y ago
  love the idea, just installed it, but the premium cost is too much for what it offers. Monthly doesn't make sense to me, especially since you don't have any running costs.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    After receiving so many comments about the "premium" version I'm going to consider adding a one-time purchase as an option. Thanks for sharing.
• qweiopqweiop 2y ago
  I love the premise behind this app, but the "draw over screen" permission is pretty dangerous. For example, stealing passwords by intercepting taps on the keyboard. How can we trust you won't be doing this?
• farceSpherule 2y ago
  People have too much damn time on their hands. Do yourselves a favor and delete all social media.
  • keybored 2y ago
    But that would give me even more time (on my hands).
  • XorNot 2y ago
    Don't know why this is being downvoted. Everyone who complains about their phone as a distraction, on inquiry also has some comment like "I get sent too many notifications by apps!" Which is baffling to me, because apps which send even 1 notification I don't like get uninstalled unless they're some non-optional thing, in which case they get muted. The only notifications I get on my phone is from Home Assistant telling me when my dryer has finished or warning me if the fridge door temperature is too high (I cannot recommend this enough - it usually means you should clean off the heat exchanger).
• bcoughlan 2y ago
  My approach for iPhone: - Set time limits on apps. - Block App Store. - Set a Screen Time pin, then forget it. Downside: if you need to install a new app, you need to do a iTunes backup, factory reset and restore the backup,. Also apps won't continue to update with this approach. Worth it though. I don't miss wasting 10-20 hours a week on brain rot apps.
  • throwaway519 2y ago
    Why have the brain rot apps installed at all?
    • jarko27 2y ago
      I think it's not the apps are brain rot. It's the content available on platforms and the way how you navigate inside the app. You can watch various content on YouTube for instance.
    • bcoughlan 2y ago
      Can't uninstall the browser, and occasionally it's needed for legit reasons. I quite literally can't resist drifting towards mindless scrolling apps, though I know that's hard to fathom for some people.
  • space_oddity 2y ago
    Your method skips the subtlety and goes straight to a hard reset (literally)
• throwaway106382 2y ago
  My iphone battery died and instead of getting the latest and greatest I got a Punkt phone. Best decision I ever made, I got my life back.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Interesting. How are you dealing with cases when you need a navigation like Waze or Google Maps? Navigation apps are my main obstacles for trying a "dumbphone".
    • throwaway106382 2y ago
      My city is easy to navigate (and I've lived here my entire life) so I don't really need real-time map navigation when I'm walking the streets. I have a dedicated GPS unit in my car.
      • jarko27 2y ago
        That sounds nice. In my case, I rely heavily on many "essential" apps that are available on smartphones. Maybe the approach of having another Kale phone and a "Junk" phone is a thing (https://x.com/george__mack/status/1681378342627311640 https://x.com/george__mack/status/1681378342627311640). And Punkt will be a great candidate for Kale phone.
  • your_drunk_dad 2y ago
    Tried that but came back quickly simply due to good camera and ability to do a quick search/navigate that is a godsend sometimes. Also nobody uses SMS or Signal where I live.
• camtarn 2y ago
  Installed to try it out. I really like the art :) When you're editing a prompt, the back button takes you back to the nudge screen instead of the prompts popup, which feels like a bug.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Thanks for the try. > When you're editing a prompt, the back button takes you back to the nudge screen instead of the prompts popup, which feels like a bug. Yeah, it's on the list of things to fix. Now to exit the prompt popup properly you have to click either on cross or out of the popup area.
• flaviomartins 2y ago
  I use this on iOS https://one-sec.app https://one-sec.app
  • rattray 2y ago
    Looks interesting. Any tips for using it effectively? What's it been most helpful with?
    • epanchin 2y ago
      Surprisingly I find it most useful on my email app. I pick up my phone to check email a lot, then go onto other useless apps. By catching email usage, I also stop myself going on the rest.
  • wonger_ 2y ago
    I used it on Android for a bit. I liked how the screen animation naturally made me take a deep breath, and I liked seeing how many times I've opened an app so far in the day. Unfortunately the free tier is quite limited - you can only enable it for one app, and you can't customize the duration of the blocking animation.
  • al_borland 2y ago
    I usually just delete the app if it's dominating my time on the phone or drawing me to it.
    • cnity 2y ago
      This is the way. Uninstalling instagram, facebook, youtube, reddit, and tiktok genuinely worked for me. Otherwise it's like trying to diet when your pantry is fully stocked with every possible ultra-satisfying snack food under the sun.
      • hackernewds 2y ago
        I deleted the apps and then also got the mobile web/ native apps versions. it also seems the algorithm is very hamstrung given that the browser versions cannot access all of those phone permissions. now it makes it think what all data are your apps even collecting?
• wayoverthecloud 2y ago
  Genuine question, I also like to use my smartphone less, but what about when you are in the lavatory? I have a habit of using my smartphone else I cannot go. Has anyone been able to solve that?
  • prettyStandard 2y ago
    Do as I say, not as I do.... Don't take it? It's bad to dit on the toilet longer than 10 minutes.
  • catlikesshrimp 2y ago
    https://archive.ph/Lfh1u https://archive.ph/Lfh1u (CNN Health) >>"Don’t sit on the toilet for more than 10 minutes, doctors warn" >> Leave your devices behind when you head to the bathroom (...) too much time spent on the toilet can cause possible health problems...
  • itishappy 2y ago
    I'd challenge that. I suspect you can go fine (or should go to a doctor) and just don't like boredom. You're not alone! Provided it's not a medical issue, it's a mental one, and the answer is practice. Leave your smartphone outside, you can sit idle for 3-5m. If you're spending much more time than that, it's a medical issue.
• racl101 2y ago
  Has anyone built the app from Google: The Movie yet? Er. I mean The Internship?
• diimdeep 2y ago
  This will turn into gamified form filling habit for no profit, what is the point ? If you mechanically open phone at least do something useful in it read a quote https://github.com/jameshnsears/QuoteUnquote https://github.com/jameshnsears/QuoteUnquote track a habit https://github.com/iSoron/uhabits https://github.com/iSoron/uhabits learn vim https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=develop.example.beta1139.vimmaster&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=develop.exampl... c++ quirks https://github.com/vsklamm/CppQuiz https://github.com/vsklamm/CppQuiz or else
• namuorg 2y ago
  For anyone looking for something similar for their desktop browser, try out Intention: https://getintention.com https://getintention.com Show HN post from 2020: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22936742 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22936742
  • jarko27 2y ago
    The fun fact. I've been using that extension while I was making Intenty back in 2020. Great extension, I'm glad to see it up and running till now!
    • namuorg 2y ago
      Aw yay, glad it was beneficial in helping you bringing Intenty to life!
• tasn 2y ago
  Love it! Reminds me of an app my brother and I built 10 years ago (time flies!). It's no longer on Google Play because of the maintenance burden of keeping it there, but here's a page with some screenshots: https://apkpure.com/spinach-motivation-lock-screen/com.tengu.spinachLockScreen https://apkpure.com/spinach-motivation-lock-screen/com.tengu... The idea was that if you're unlocking your screen, you should at least: (1) reinforce a mantra, or (2) force yourself to acknowledge you shouldn't be unlocking the phone. Happy to share notes if you think that would be helpful.
  • mdaniel 2y ago
    Up to you, but if the app has (or could have) an OSI license, you could submit a PR to f-droid and the app could live on. They don't care if you ask for donations, so it could even resurrect a bit of revenue
    • tasn 2y ago
      Yeah, I have a few apps on f-droid, maybe worth doing!
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Wow. It's so cool to see such a project. I even remember in 2019 finding an app that was using a popup after unlock to learn words of a foreign language, unfortunately, it closed and I cannot recall the name. I would be happy to see the notes.
    • tasn 2y ago
      I think it could potentially be us too, though not sure. It was a very flexible product and we had a variety of use-cases. :) We also had a lock screen app that you needed to play a tune on an instrument in order to unlock the screen. This too died because of Google maintenance burden (it had 500k downloads IIRC). Here's what I could find about that one: https://music-lock.en.softonic.com/android https://music-lock.en.softonic.com/android
      • 2y ago
• yieldcrv 2y ago
  I want a screentime app where it requires your friends to approve an override Like the ones you share location with Keep you accountable more than reflexively remembering the override pattern Has to be at the OS level so that everyone already has it
• MortyWaves 2y ago
  Needs an option for “my employer turned on shitty Microsoft ten-billion-factor auth settings”. To login to my work Microsoft account requires a passcode and then three face scans.
  • poincaredisk 2y ago
    But that's ok your work phone right? At least I hope you didn't agree to have it installed on your private phone. For work phone I guess a good strategy is to avoid installing anything non-work related, so the temptation to use it for anything is low.
    • cglong 2y ago
      Not GP, but I'm okay installing that stuff on my personal phone because it's isolated via Android Work Profile.
      • autoexec 2y ago
        How is that keeping Microsoft from accessing your GPS, sensor data, wifi, camera/microphone etc? Sure, they can't get at SMS or your other apps and your work won't have access to your entire device but it means MS can still access your location (using GPS and nearby bluetooth/wifi), record audio/video, read/control sensors (accelerometer, proximity, gravity, temperature, pressure, magnetic field etc), have full network access, etc and can record and collect that data whenever they feel like it for the most part.
        • cglong 2y ago
          That's true with a separate work phone too right? And once I turn off the AWP for the day, all of that stops.
          • autoexec 2y ago
            A work phone I could leave in a lead lined box until I needed to log into the company network. My personal device is often carried with me and in use at other times. If your IT people let you pause your work profile indefinitely that could help protect you though.
• TeMPOraL 2y ago
  I installed this in the morning to give it a test drive, and after several hours, I learned the following: it's great when I reach for the phone as a distraction; it's a big annoyance otherwise. E.g. each time I want to change the currently playing song, what was muscle memory gets scrambled by the interruption. Or, when I'm taking a lot of photos (like on my daughter's kindergarten event today), I tend to keep the screen off in between, and rely on being able to turn it on and shoot a photo in less than two seconds, total. Guess how that got screwed up by this app. The app itself is great, and I'm still a believer in the concept of managing executive function issues by throwing obstacles in front of bad habits and known focus black holes. However, this experience made me discover the third class of phone activity, next to "distraction" and "work" - quick, intermittent, on-the-fly use, the kind you ideally don't think much about. This class does not distract you... unless someone adds friction to it. I just saw the app has "every N unlocks" option, I'll try it out and see if this helps with the "third class".
  • ar_lan 2y ago
    This sounds like a good case for an allowlist for certain applications - Camera, Spotify, Notes, etc.
  • echelon 2y ago
    This is where an OS-based agent would help. If it semantically understood the tasks we're trying to accomplish, it could filter the cases we care about. I'm even more excited about browser or OS agents being able to unilaterally scrub the web of all advertisements, spam, polarized toxicity, etc. Forget adblock - I can effectively block all the bad things Google, Meta, Twitter, etc. do and their army of PMs won't be able to stop me. This tech is going to rip the advertiser and algorithmic madness out of the internet and make it serve me and only me.
    • hackernewds 2y ago
      neither Apple or Google will ever develop this given that their core Business depends on users using their phones often
• pdecker 2y ago
  this is great, especially the design. but, as some of the comments have stated, it will prob get annoying. Instead, I think it would be better to incentivize people to use their phone/social apps less. Touch Grass. Earn Points.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Making it work in the long term is going to be a challenge. I agree. I'm planning to implement as much tooling as possible so you can deal with annoyances that appear over time. While incentives can be outside of the app. For instance, there is an initiative called OfflineDay. https://www.reddit.com/r/OfflineDay/ https://www.reddit.com/r/OfflineDay/ And even now in-app, you can create a nudge for OfflineDay
• nosduhz 2y ago
  On iOS, I've tried nearly everything, but here's what's lasted more than a few months. 1. A physical blocker like Brick (getbrick.app) and/or a Kitchen Timer Safe (KSafe). 2. One Sec app I'll occasionally leave my phone at home and use only an Apple Watch with LTE. These are the only flows that haven't become frustrating over time and have worked to cut screen time and addicted apps (or altogether).
  • chatmasta 2y ago
    One Sec broke my addiction to doomscrolling apps. The feature that makes you look at your face for two seconds when you open the app, while telling you that you last opened it a minute ago, is both hilarious and effective.
    • hackernewds 2y ago
      has anyone dug into whether one sec is safe (private offline on device as it states)? it requires access to accessibility settings, which means that it could be reading all of you cryptocurrency apps, passwords as well as two-factor authentication
      • chatmasta 2y ago
        I just needed to create shortcuts. I don’t remember needing to grant any further accessibility settings, but I don’t currently have it installed.
• khernandezrt 2y ago
  Wonderful, now i need this for my Iphone!
• dvngnt_ 2y ago
  Looks like Hinge
• mrkramer 2y ago
  Even more cooler idea would be that the app restricts you to only communication apps when you choose "communication" intent or when you choose "boredom" it prompts you to enjoy IRL activities and tells you to leave your device aside. That would make it even more interactive and fun.
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Well, that would be ideal. But as soon as I think about implementation I realize how complicated it is to make such an intelligent system that would understand intent and based on intent adapt the action. In theory, it all can be manually connected, but then it would require a complicated setup. Of course, it's only from an implementation perspective. From the UX it can be trivial.
    • mrkramer 2y ago
      Idk, my impression always was and is that Android app development is complex, especially when you got Java in the mix....maybe now it's easier when Kotlin is around. Your idea is very good and you can even monetize your app by selling ad space when users choose "boredom" then you can recommend them sponsored apps and games. This idea would be also interesting on PC, when users lock their screens and then come back to do something. Maybe it can even be part of some diary/note taking app where when you unlock your screen note window pops up and asks you "What are you planning to do now?".
      • anonyme-honteux 2y ago
        Kotlin is a great langage, but Android being difficult was not about Java but about Android APIs being terrible.
        • mrkramer 2y ago
          Yea and that....my bad for not mentioning it.
• Havoc 2y ago
  A counter in a corner or similar might be less disruptive and still keep you mindful. Bit like a step counter
  • jarko27 2y ago
    I remember a very cool similar thing from Google Digital Wellbeing Experiments called unlock clock https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.digitalwellbeingexperiments.unlockclock https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.digitalwel...
• mcflubbins 2y ago
  I can answer this myself. 95% of the time its because I need to do some form of MFA (totp app, sms, email, duo, etc)
• j45 2y ago
  The mobile app Opal and others do a good job too. I dare everyone to try putting their phone into grayscale instead of color display.
  • Ylpertnodi 2y ago
    Yay! I've been on greyscreen for about two months now. Phone used much, much less, each week.
• stackedinserter 2y ago
  I want this for my fridge.
• greekanalyst 2y ago
  The app I always knew I needed but never thought I wanted too.
• asdf6969 2y ago
  I love the idea but the globohomo art needs to go. Nobody wants to see that
• myhf 2y ago
  Why?
• xyst 2y ago
  this is the type of tool a C-level executive would mandate to be installed on your devices. Instead of “why”, it would send out notifications to a central server with a data pipeline into genAI which can generate reports on productivity. Employee not complying? Bye bye equity, severance Employee opening device too much? Fired. Of course C-level executives would get exempt from policy because “rules for thee but not for me” attitude. As for personal usage, I would much rather configure “Focus” mode to block certain apps from opening. Rather than rely on this. I would install this on phones of annoying people though for shits and giggles
• notadoc 2y ago
  The "why" is often habituation
• goda90 2y ago
  I've been day dreaming about an Android launcher that has a section for tool apps that you can access freely, and then a section for distractions that either guides you towards a "productive" distraction, or makes you wait for a timer before you can open a distracting app.
  • tanujnotes 2y ago
    Have you tried Pro Launcher? Disclosure: I'm the developer of Pro Launcher.
• iljya 2y ago
  Last year I laser-cut a replica of my phone out of wood. I looked at it, said the words "this is my phone", and put it in my pocket, where I normally carried my phone. You wouldn't believe how many times I mindlessly pulled out this piece of wood from my pocket, intending to check messages, or whatever. When I placed it on the table while having dinner with a friend, my inner eye was looking at it, thinking maybe there is a new message. It was absolutely absurd and scary. You can try this out yourself.
  • MarcelOlsz 2y ago
    Manufacture these with some slick styling and a nice website and I'd probably buy one for $99 lol. Give it a name like "B R I C K" and a slick logo.
    • ClassyJacket 2y ago
      Someone already did. I'm trying to remember the name of it.
      • archon810 2y ago
        NoPhone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NoPhone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NoPhone
        • pmmr9 2y ago
          I wonder how well they can sell the bag of air that's on their shop
• pyt_ale 2y ago
  Statistics for the current day are recorded for yesterday (GMT +4)
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Thanks for reporting this. I will be taking a look at this issue in the next release.
• pyt_ale 2y ago
  Statistics for the current day are recorded for yesterday (GMT+4)
• moderatorjerry 2y ago
  Nice job. I like what you built here.
• jujumilk3 2y ago
  simple perfect idea
• LocksmithBest 2y ago
  Great app, thanks for sharing! It reminds me of an anti-bullying app that simply asked, "Are you sure you want to send this?", which greatly decreased the abuse. Instagram seems to have the same approach now.
• foobarquxbaz 2y ago
  You humans are just too weird.
• hulitu 2y ago
  > Show HN: App that asks ‘why?’ every time you unlock your phone Just like Google or Microsoft does with "hey, we have a new feature nobody uses, press ok" or "hey, we are spying on you in a new way" or "hey, we determined that you need a microfone and a camera button in Messages, although you only send text messages, press ok".
• 0xf3ffff 2y ago
  Inspired by someone's comment on Reddit, I have setup this routine on my Samsung phone: - when app X is opened - start 10 minutes timer (wait) - turn on blue color filter - turn on grayscale mode - flash screen This is particularly effective with photo/videos social media apps (e.g. Instagram), as with all colors dulled down they lose much of their appeal. Not so much on text-based apps like Reddit. Therefore, a couple of days ago I went even more nuclear and added two more steps: - wait 3 more minutes - close the app When that happens, I just put my phone away. It's hard, because when the routine starts running (i.e. when I open the targeted apps) a notification shows up, and I can kill it right away from there, preventing it from triggering the annoying effects. Also if I switch apps and come back the timer resets. A tiny amount of willpower is needed anyway to make these things work. Another thing I did was to put a "Screen Time" widget on my homescreen, so I any time I unlock my phone I am reminded of how much time I am throwing away Doom Scrolling (that's also the name of the routine, btw). Both of these things can also be implemented with iOS, as it also has a Screen Time widget, and the capability of turning your screen to grayscale after X seconds when an app is opened via Shortcuts' automation (although I prefer Samsung's routines are they are much more versatile).
  • Ylpertnodi 2y ago
    I just keep my phone in greyscale.
• deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
• YVoyiatzis 2y ago
  I’d prefer it to nudge me when I’m about to add a task to my calendar, asking, “Why are you adding this?” Actually, I just got an idea…
• josephernest 2y ago
  Jarko27: on my Android 9 phone of a few years ago, i cant install it : the play store says it Cant be installed on my device. Why?
  • jarko27 2y ago
    Unfortunately the minimum android version is Android 11
    • josephernest 2y ago
      Are you sure you need a specific feature of Android 11 / API_LEVEL_30? Would it be totally impossible technically to target API_LEVEL_28 (Android 9)? Many people in your users "niche" deliberately use an older device (such as Android 9) to limit the phone addiction: newer device => richer experience => even more addiction => for this reason some people in your niche use an older phone.
      • jarko27 2y ago
        Well, you are right about the audience, many people might prefer to downgrade to older versions. However, support of older versions will significantly complicate the development. The app uses several APIs that are not available on older versions. In one moment in time when I had the support of lower versions the app consisted of many wrappers for OS API versions. It was a challenge to support and add new features to such a codebase. Plus even Android 11 already reached end-of-life support https://endoflife.date/android https://endoflife.date/android. Technically it's not impossible, so I might consider adding it in future.
        • josephernest 2y ago
          Out of curiosity, which API are you using, not available in Android 9 / API_LEVEL_28?
          • deleted 2y ago
            [deleted]
• animesh10k 2y ago
  haha this one is so damn cool
• bbstats 2y ago
  So what if it's an emergency
  • jarko27 2y ago
    By default (if hard mode is not enabled) there is a way to skip the nudge
• Ylpertnodi 2y ago
  Why aren't the 'In-app purchases' specified on the site? It would save me a download (and possible uninstall) if they were. *goes for all apps, not just this one.
• mistyvales 2y ago
  This might be unpopular, but it's really sad that this app has to exist
• dev-vaayen 2y ago
  I love when apps resolve specific issues, this is great, I'll install it right away!!!
• e-clinton 2y ago
  I’ve been using ClearSpace and it cut down my screen time by about 40%. I’m a fan of the Strict Mode which basically completely blocks you out of the apps you want for X number of hours.
• mliapich 2y ago
  Wow, the app is cool! The fun fact is that I'm also working on similar app, but for iOS: https://apps.apple.com/pl/app/naze-screen-time-control/id6474093604 https://apps.apple.com/pl/app/naze-screen-time-control/id647...
• Lilylily 2y ago
  For someone like me who is almost addicted to short videos, this is a great app. It can serve as a reminder and help me reduce my dependence on the phone. But when I use my phone to do serious work, this reminder will be very annoying.
• indiedev101 2y ago
  I like the idea, especially in current time, almost everyone is addicted to use phone all the time. Maybe, this will let user make mindful decision. I’lo try it.