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

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

#81

Post by Unearned5161 »

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!

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

#82

Post by jarko27 »

guax wrote: post #75

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.

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.

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

#83

Post by Timwi »

MMAesawy wrote: post #48
mzhaase wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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.

> 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.

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

#84

Post by andreicap »

Y_Y wrote: post #2

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.

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.

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

#85

Post by mongol »

mavamaarten wrote: post #59
matkv wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

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…

Agree. I had a free app with 100000 downloads, no ads and 4.5 rating on Play store, it is no longer there because I got fed up with Google's nagging. If I will do free things going forward, I will do them outside closed ecosystems.

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

#86

Post by icetank »

PittleyDunkin wrote: post #22
Y_Y wrote: post #2

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.

> 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.

Hacker news has ads in the form of job positions. Do you also consider not using Hacker news anymore?

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

#87

Post by newswasboring »

Y_Y wrote: post #2

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.

> This app could just be an image set as your lock screen background.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224

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

#88

Post by jamalaramala »

jarko27 wrote: post #7
Y_Y wrote: post #2

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.

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…

Great idea for a little app. I don't see a problem with in-app purchases, but have you considered offering the unlocked app for free under Google Play Pass?

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

#89

Post by jventura »

mavamaarten wrote: post #59
matkv wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

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…

Also agree, and would also include paid apps as well!

I had a paid app which was a one time payment and was not doing anything special regarding permissions (no internet, nothing like that), but since it wasn't was bringing much revenue (some 3$-4$ per year), I let the Play Store remove it automatically. I couldn't justify adding the absurd data policies (since I wasn't using any user data) and the cost of updating it regularly.

Sorry for my 100 users, that cannot reinstall the app anymore!

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

#90

Post by Mashimo »

skynet97 wrote: post #20
Mashimo wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dang, I think you just solved alcohol and nicotine addiction. Can you also do something against gambling? Would be cool.

Nobody can help the weak minded. However, they need to learn that the rest of us is no longer willing to reat them like grown up adults.

> However, they need to learn that the rest of us is no longer willing to reat them like grown up adults

Yes! Outcast the people who have an addiction. I'm sure that will help get them back on track! Have you ever thought about writing a book?

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