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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

#111

Post by lrvick »

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.

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

#112

Post by immibis »

p1necone wrote: post #38
exe34 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 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.

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.

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

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

#113

Post by wruza »

Timwi wrote: post #91

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…

Usually it’s procrastination and anxiety escapism, and it’s all automatic. To know what goes through your head you have to reflect a lot and wouldn’t have the issue in the first place if you did that. Reflection is hard and its insights are very situational so I wouldn’t expect anyone to fully answer it.

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

#114

Post by everdrive »

icetank wrote: post #86
PittleyDunkin wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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?

My sentence, in a very loose sense is an advertisement for my ideas. I think the concept can be stretched too far.

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

#115

Post by jarko27 »

retSava wrote: post #106

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 no…

Advanced reminders are going to be a thing for the next big release. I agree that one problem is to pass the unlock, but staying on track with your intention is a different story. One periodical notification with static text can in theory fix that, but the chances are low in comparison to the full-screen pop-up. I intentionally focused on the unlock procedure first. For now, you can combine it with other apps like minimalistic launchers and apps that pop up after the app opens. But eventually, improving the reminder experience can make the solution more complete, I agree.

About typing "captcha" or random characters. I think it's just a different type of nudge. Another can be a small mini-game to play like catching a moving object. I'm going to consider adding different types of nudges to the app. Thanks for the suggestion.

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

#116

Post by account42 »

Apocryphon wrote: post #110
matkv wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 t…

[flagged]

Who are you to tell others what they are allowed to think and talk about?

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

#117

Post by space_oddity »

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.

Either way, it’s all about finding what clicks for you!

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

#119

Post by jarko27 »

jamalaramala wrote: post #88
jarko27 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

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.

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