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Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

ohyahapp.com

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Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#1

Post by gantengx »

Hi HN! I built Oh Yah! to help my sons (age 7 and 10) stick to daily routines without constant reminders. The core idea: minimal distractions during tasks by locking navigation when a timer is running, plus optional photo-based task completion for accountability

Built with React Native/Expo and Firebase. The trickiest part was designing the UX to be simple enough for kids with minimal distractions while giving parents enough control – ended up with a task-definition system that lets parents create weekly schedules with daily toggles instead of duplicating tasks across days

It's on the App Store now after a few months of dogfooding with my family. There's a 1-month free trial, then it's subscription-based. Would love feedback from other parents dealing with similar challenges

Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons
ohyahapp.com

Re: Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#3

Post by TheSilva »

Slightly off-topic, but as this will require kids to have access to an unlocked phone...

I remember Windows Phone had the feature of "unlocked apps", which you could run without having to unlock the phone: think calculator, browser, games. It was called Kids Corner[1].

Have any other OS (iOS/Androind) copied anything similar to that? This app will (or at least in my case) live in a place like that, where they do not have access to the whole platform.

[1] https://www.windowscentral.com/kids-corner-windows-phone-8

Re: Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#4

Post by gantengx »

ssgodderidge wrote: post #2

Congrats on the launch! A month of use in your own family is a win in its own right. What’s been your sons’ reception of the app so far?

Thanks! This was my wife's idea and I thought it's interesting but was skeptical at first. But after we started using it, it actually helped a lot! Much less whining/crying and a lot less stressful for my wife and I

So at least it works for my family, and just like you said, it's a huge win by itself :)

Re: Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#5

Post by gantengx »

TheSilva wrote: post #3

Slightly off-topic, but as this will require kids to have access to an unlocked phone... I remember Windows Phone had the feature of "unlocked apps", which you could run without having to unlock the phone: think calculator, browser, games. It was called Kids Corner[1]. Have any other OS (iOS/Androind) copied anything similar to that? This app will (or at least in my case) live in a place like that, where they do not…

Yeah, that's a valid concern. We use an older spare iPhone for this, which worked out well. iOS doesn't have a "Kids Corner" equivalent unfortunately - you'd need to use Screen Time restrictions to lock down the device (block apps/calls/etc) but still need to unlock the phone

Re: Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#6

Post by curtistyr »

gantengx wrote: post #4
ssgodderidge wrote: post #2

Congrats on the launch! A month of use in your own family is a win in its own right. What’s been your sons’ reception of the app so far?

Thanks! This was my wife's idea and I thought it's interesting but was skeptical at first. But after we started using it, it actually helped a lot! Much less whining/crying and a lot less stressful for my wife and I So at least it works for my family, and just like you said, it's a huge win by itself :)

It's fascinating how you've turned a personal challenge into a solution that could help many families! The reduction in stress and whining is a huge win—every parent I know would love that. I'm curious about how the kids responded initially to the photo proof feature—did they find it fun or just another chore? Also, have you considered expanding the app for other routine-based needs, like homework or chores, to make it even more versatile?

Re: Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#7

Post by piltdownman »

TheSilva wrote: post #3

Slightly off-topic, but as this will require kids to have access to an unlocked phone... I remember Windows Phone had the feature of "unlocked apps", which you could run without having to unlock the phone: think calculator, browser, games. It was called Kids Corner[1]. Have any other OS (iOS/Androind) copied anything similar to that? This app will (or at least in my case) live in a place like that, where they do not…

For Android w/Playstore you can set up a child's account through Google and then use Google Family Link app to control app downloads, block specific apps, and set content restrictions for apps, movies, and games.

You can set down times for the whole phone and lock it remotely which is of huge benefit for bedtimes!

Re: Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#8

Post by gantengx »

curtistyr wrote: post #6
gantengx wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks! This was my wife's idea and I thought it's interesting but was skeptical at first. But after we started using it, it actually helped a lot! Much less whining/crying and a lot less stressful for my wife and I So at least it works for my family, and just like you said, it's a huge win by itself :)

It's fascinating how you've turned a personal challenge into a solution that could help many families! The reduction in stress and whining is a huge win—every parent I know would love that. I'm curious about how the kids responded initially to the photo proof feature—did they find it fun or just another chore? Also, have you considered expanding the app for other routine-based needs, like homework or chores, to make…

Thanks! They actually liked the photo part. Right now just focusing to handle daily routine but could expand later depending on the feedback

Re: Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#9

Post by shizcakes »

Suggestion for the site: it references “no navigation” a few times, but I am having a hard time understanding what that means. What kind of navigation is meant here? What are the boundaries of the navigation limits?

Various definitions of “navigation” I can think of: - no switching tasks in the app - some sort of phone-wide parental control - maps is disabled ;-)

Re: Show HN: Oh Yah – Routine management app I built for my sons

#10

Post by itake »

TheSilva wrote: post #3

Slightly off-topic, but as this will require kids to have access to an unlocked phone... I remember Windows Phone had the feature of "unlocked apps", which you could run without having to unlock the phone: think calculator, browser, games. It was called Kids Corner[1]. Have any other OS (iOS/Androind) copied anything similar to that? This app will (or at least in my case) live in a place like that, where they do not…

iOS lets you lock apps behind faceID.

All my communication and banking apps are protected.

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