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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

#171
post #156
post #111

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…

Is this the new "we don't have a TV in this house?"

My mum. And very grateful she did it, even if it was brutal at the time.

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

#172
post #111

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…

[deleted]

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

#173
post #123

Great idea, I'm a bit worried about security. To have control over phone unlocking the app has to be pretty privileged, right?

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/requestin... The Play Store lists these permissions: * view network connections * full network access * run at startup * draw over other apps * prevent de…

The network is used for checking in-app purchase status, requests to Google Play only

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

#174
post #156
post #111

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…

Is this the new "we don't have a TV in this house?"

[dead]

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

#175
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.

[deleted]

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

#177

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.

Why have the brain rot apps installed at all?

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.

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

#178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what I want to do, but as a husband, father, homeowner, etc, I find it is not in my best interest to be unreachable by phone. So I think about carrying a flip phone for my telephone, an e-reader for entertainment, and a smartphone in airplane mode for (mainly) maps, photos, music, notes. But then I'd be carrying three devices, which seems worse in its own way. Probably worth the change ultimately?

It drives me NUTS that nobody makes a decent e-ink device with a GPS app. It seems like it'd be ideal for the backcountry use-case. Super long battery life because you could just wake up the GPS every few hours and get a new fix, reframe the map, then go back to sleep and use the latent image like a topo map.

I have a few use cases like this that would go towards replacing my phone. I'm on the lookout for a hackable/linux ereader.

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

#179
post #170
post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this the new "we don't have a TV in this house?"

I think so. Also half of the people don't have children and/or have a lot of free time. I am not even talking about responding to emails/family chat. How do they do 2-factor auth to Heroku/Gitlab/whatever? Maps in a foreign country where you can't even read the letters? On way to job interview when the interviewer has an emergency and needs to postpone? Good friend is in the town and calls you to hang out? Translatio…

I get the general point, especially as IRL payment options are also increasingly assuming you have a smartphone, however maps and translation can also be done offline.
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