are there docs available on the screentime API? I remember looking into doing this a while back, and nothing was available as recently as 6 months ago. would love to chat more about this if you have the time - any email i can reach you at?
Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
91–100 of 183 posts
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#92Freedom.to has been working pretty effectively for me on Android. You guys care to comment on why your approach may be better? Definitely willing to try you guys out
We don't have an android solution yet, so stick with them for now :)
We found Freedom’s VPN solution to be great for completely blocking out distractions when you don’t need any internet and want to focus in on certain tasks. That can be helpful for mobile too, but we've found the day-in-day-out experience of injecting "intentionality" just-in-time to be more effective for us than pre-scheduled “allowed” and “not allowed” blocks.
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#93Hi Royce and Oliver, I have a suggestion: look into dimming the screen slowly for the last 30-60 seconds before you pull a person out of the app. This will greatly decrease the annoyance of being pulled out. It gives you time to anticipate being done with your session. I do this with my toddler. We let him use our phone to look at family videos while we are changing him. If I turn the phone off abruptly, it can be fr…
Do you have physical brightness buttons? Do you have any more gradual transition hacks? Our 2-yr old doesn't have access to phones at all -- except perhaps when he grabs one that's lying around; but then he expects it taken from him. But he's so taken with TV that we plan screen time in reverse: start at dinner time and subtract how much time we want him to be there. Our whole approach to tantrums is having something…
he's probably just surreptitiously using control center to dial things down. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202769
One thing I discovered recently was that iPhone volume buttons decrement the volume 1/16 at a time.
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#94What’s the distinction between the IOS inbuilt feature that does this?
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#95I've been using the app for a few months to gatekeep Twitter and Instagram, and my only real issue is that sometimes when those apps are linked to from other places, I just want to be able to quickly see it and then stop my doomscrolling. e.g. if my friend sends me a tweet, I want to be able to click the link, read the tweet, and then be immediately locked out of the app. With the current system, I click the link, ha…
ha, that's the first time I ever heard that term "doomscrolling", definitely feels that way in many places. Makes me think of what the opposite would look like. Something in the direction of https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/glow-up/ but for websites.
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#96are there docs available on the screentime API? I remember looking into doing this a while back, and nothing was available as recently as 6 months ago. would love to chat more about this if you have the time - any email i can reach you at?
yes docs (albeit fairly sparse ones) are now available - feel free to email me, oliver@getclearspace.com
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#97This looks great! The only thing I'd really advocate for is not pricing the app ridiculously. I tried Opal for a while, but their pricing model per month is a bit ridiculous. Effectively a subscription service for what should be a single-purchase app demonstrates developer greed. Edit: I'm a bit disappointed to see monthly fees here. Can you help justify to me why an app like this demands ongoing cost?
I hear that. The truth is that it's not solely about generating revenue, but aligning interests and making sure we're building the right thing over time. When customers are consistently paying, if we don't consistently deliver the value they're paying for, they leave. It means we're in a tighter feedback loop with users about what's working and what isn't. It also lets us plan for the long term since we have a decent…
Thanks for the reply. Ultimately my willingness to pay would come down to how things improve for me using it. I'll perhaps give the paid plan a try.
One possible thing I'd recommend on a trial is to have more of a real(?) experience. Curious how the one-app limitation ends up conveying in terms of realized value. Will report back.
Thanks again, and nice looking product.
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#98I’ve been using Screen zen for quite some time now. I found it to be incredibly useful. Curious to know how clearspace is different from screenzen, given the latter is free on app store. https://apps.apple.com/in/app/screenzen-screen-time-control/...
What is the benefit of this over Apple’s default screen time app?
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#99I’ve been using Screen zen for quite some time now. I found it to be incredibly useful. Curious to know how clearspace is different from screenzen, given the latter is free on app store. https://apps.apple.com/in/app/screenzen-screen-time-control/...
What is the benefit of this over Apple’s default screen time app?
a few ways! but the most succinct answer is that with clearspace, no learned behavior path can become a compulsive habit for quickly getting more scrolling.
every configuration of screen time limits we've tried has ended with us learning the quickest behavioral path to more scrolling (ie: quickly tapping "5 more minutes", entering passcode, etc).
Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time
#100Love the idea of interrupting the "dopamine loop" with a delay vs. simply tracking or restricting usage. I worked on creating a Chrome Extension several years ago for myself and I can't believe I didn't have this (in retrospect) obvious idea. I have a few concerns: * The UI feels somewhat unpolished for asking me to purchase an annual plan on signup. * I would prefer a free version that is fully featured for a short…
I can relate to this. I created SuperFocus ( https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/superfocus-stop-sc... ) with a similar idea. Dopamine loop is a big problem. I have tried site blockers / SuperFocus which is a feed blocker but there was something missing and have been looking for the magic solution. Just signed up for Clearspace and immediately felt this is it. Planning to rewrite SuperFocus later this week to d…
Hey this is great and something I started on working myself.
Just a note that if you pin the extension on the extension page itself it gives a very, very confusing message of
"SuperFocus works on Youtube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
SuperFocus is not yet available for dboceidahklphhjpfbpnicodnbkoiokn."
thought it was a bug before I realised that must be the chrome extension id, but it's quite likely people will first open the extension on this tab as that's where you teach them to pin it
keep up the good work!