[codethief]

Which Android apps for limiting screen time does the HN crowd recommend? Is there one that doesn't sell your data or request network access? (Ideally of course the app would be open-source but I'm not getting my hopes up.)

I've been wanting to try Digital Wellbeing but it looks like it's still not available for non-Google devices. Or at least it's shown as "not compatible" when accessing the Play Store from GrapheneOS.

[yamrzou]

I recommend this one for Android: https://github.com/markusfisch/ScreenTime

It doesn't limit apps, it just displays your screen time in a permanent notification and allows you to view and export past statistics.

I've found that to be very effective. From a systems perspective, it amounts to adding a new feedback loop, similar to this leverage point described by Donella Meadows[1]:

There was this subdivision of identical houses, the story goes, except that for some reason the electric meter in some of the houses was installed in the basement and in others it was installed in the front hall, where the residents could see it constantly, going round faster or slower as they used more or less electricity. With no other change, with identical prices, electricity consumption was 30 percent lower in the houses where the meter was in the front hall.

We systems-heads love that story because it’s an example of a high leverage point in the information structure of the system. It’s not a parameter adjustment, not a strengthening or weakening of an existing loop. It’s a NEW LOOP, delivering feedback to a place where it wasn’t going before.

[1] Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System - https://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-t...

[codethief]

Thanks! That app looks quite nice (especially the virtualization) but I already know how much I use my phone (too much :)) and that obtrusive feedback will only get me so far. So I do need an app that goes a bit further and allows me to track & block usage of applications.

[codethief]

> virtualization

Classic Freudian typo (I've been working on virtualization-related stuff way too much this week). I meant "visualization" of course! :)

> obtrusive

s/obtrusive/unobtrusive

[dgimla20]

I set up a basic SQL table where I record the time spent on my phone (and other devices) based on the screen time data from StayFree (Android), and a little private webpage with a line chart and average statistics.

It's pretty manual (2-3 mins per week), but logging the new dates each week is a nice little "check-in" to stop me from drifting back towards more screen time.

I've never been a heavy user, but I noticed sometimes I drifted towards 1-2 hours per day and have since gotten down to an average of less than 15 minutes per day. I just use the phone for utility purpose now. I got scared straight seeing the UK average daily phone use statistics, including my own, and how much that adds up to over a year.

Digital Wellbeing was quite good but I noticed it counts things which aren't necessarily screen time. I kept having loads of time on the 'Clock' app for some reason, and spam calls I ignore seemed to also be counted even if I saw them on my watch.

As for the phone setup itself:

- no media apps (social, games, video, news)

- a web browser, but I try to just remember anything I'm interested in and look it up later on a PC

- absolute minimum notifications. phone, sms, email and messages (Signal/WhatsApp). I try to use only for emergencies or quick messages and meetups instead of having conversations over messages

- minimal launcher (Nova) with black and white icons

- no blocks, just screen time monitoring using StayFree. I don't want to use blocks as a crutch

[codethief]

Thanks for the insights!

> StayFree (Android)

Side note: Are you blocking StayFree from accessing the network? Their ToS make it rather clear that they will collect & share all possible data they can get their hands on.

[dgimla20]

I'm not sure if I am or not. If it's not too much of a write-up, how might I be able to check? Is this something that can be changed in phone settings?

Thanks for letting me know. I wasn't aware of this otherwise.

[codethief]

By default all apps on Android have the permission to access the internet (and thus transfer any data they collected about you). The only way to prevent that is 1) using a custom ROM like GrapheneOS which allows you to block internet for chosen apps, or 2) using a firewall like NetGuard and blocking specific apps there.

[mc3301]

I like this one: https://www.forestapp.cc/

Then I whitelist google maps, camera, and my messaging app. Everything else is inaccessible. I paid for it.

[fluidcruft]

I use TimeLimit. It's open source, available on F-Droid or Google Play, etc.

https://timelimit.io/