Breaking the cycle of mindless phone use is challenging, even with built-in timers and controls provided by Android/iOS itself or social media platforms.
Ukrainian developer Yaroslav Neznaradko offers a new solution with Intenty, a free Android app designed to disrupt habitual unlocking. Each time a user unlocks their phone, Intenty asks them to say why they’re unlocking the phone or do an action such as breathing or stretching.
Neznaradko has been thinking of the phone addiction problem since 2019 when he would use his device a lot.
I found myself checking my phone too much. I tried screen time limits, focus modes, and app blockers, but they were rather frustrating than helpful. And I got an idea. What If I had to state and evaluate my intention before using the phone? That’s where it all started.
An initial version launched in 2020, simply asking users why they unlocked their phones. An iOS version followed but was hampered by platform limitations, stalling the project until 2023.
This summer, after researching human-computer interaction, Neznaradko released a redesigned version with customizable nudges. Users can select from categories like Intention, Necessity, Grounding, Posture, and Minimalism, each with various prompts. They can also add custom categories and prompts.
While users can bypass the nudge screen with a swipe, this undermines the app’s purpose. A cooldown timer prevents immediate nudges after locking, which is useful when awaiting replies. Users can also adjust nudge frequency, setting them to appear on every 2nd, 3rd, 5th, or 10th unlock. The app tracks unlock history and answer logs.
Intensity is free but you can unlock additional features with a $1.99 monthly subscription such as scheduled nudges, a mandatory-entry “hard mode,” and a lock button directly on the nudge screen.
Intenty is only available on Android on the Google Play Store.