Show HN: ScreenBreak – Enter addictive apps only if you complete an effort task(screenbreak.app)

Show HN: ScreenBreak – Enter addictive apps only if you complete an effort task

https://screenbreak.app

Hi HN,

I built ScreenBreak after realizing that most app blockers failed in practice. “Hard blocks” were too rigid — I either locked myself out entirely or tapped Ignore Limit and kept scrolling. There was no useful middle state.

In reality, people still need to open apps like TikTok or Instagram for specific tasks: looking something up, replying to someone, checking updates, etc. The problem isn’t intentional use; it’s the unplanned, unconscious scrolling that follows. I wanted a system that interrupts the impulse without fully preventing access.

ScreenBreak uses soft blocking plus effort-based unlocks. When a block triggers, the user must complete a small physical challenge (rapid tapping, shaking the phone, drawing a circle). If they succeed, they get a short access window. If not, the urge typically breaks.

Over the past year, I’ve implemented several flexible block rules: - Schedule Block: active only during set hours - App Launch Limit: blocks after exceeding a daily open count - Usage Budget Limit: blocks once a daily or hourly time quota is used up

The goal is to add friction exactly at the moment of impulse, instead of relying on absolute blocking or self-discipline alone.

I’d appreciate feedback on the concept, challenge mechanics, and whether this approach fits how you manage attention or screen use.

0 comments

—