I couldn’t stop doomscrolling, so I built an app that makes me earn my screen time.

Description and use

The author built an app that blocks distracting social media until the user completes a real task and proves it with a photo verified by Gemini AI, turning procrastination into a cost and rewarding productivity.

Problem

The author struggled with ADHD‑related procrastination and found habit apps ineffective, needing a system that penalizes distraction and rewards productive tasks.

Outcome

The app successfully blocks distracting apps until a user completes a real task and provides photographic proof, thereby turning procrastination into a cost and rewarding productive behavior.

Workflow

• Select distracting apps to block
• Choose a real task (e.g., make bed, read 10 min, push‑ups)
• Take a photo as proof
• Gemini AI verifies the photo in real time
• Upon successful verification, unlock screen time for the blocked apps

Evidence

Habit apps didn’t help either: notifications I swipe away, streaks I feel guilty about for 3 seconds, dashboards that track my failures beautifully.

Source

NichiHab blocks your distracting apps (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, whatever) until you physically prove you did a real task.

Source

Take a photo as proof Gemini AI verifies it in real time. No old screenshots, no cheating

Source

Hard Mode blocks phone settings and prevents uninstalling during an active session.

Source

Kotlin + C++ (security layer), Jetpack Compose, Hilt, CameraX, Gemini 2.0 Flash. No backend, no accounts.

Source