If it takes too long to scroll endlessly, it is recommended that you touch the grass. This is a sarcastic suggestion that basically tells you to log in and go out. But one developer took the concept to the next level.
Rhys Kentish launched an iOS app last week Touch grassit locks in distracting apps until you actually walk outside and take pictures of the grass.
“I’m struggling on the screen and figuring out if I didn’t change something, I’d spend seven years looking down at my phone,” Kentish told TechCrunch. “I want more friction than other solutions there, which can get me out of my morning away from home. I want to break the habit of reaching out to my phone in the morning Devastating scroll Before starting my day, an hour or two. ”
Don’t even cheat; with computer vision AI, the app can distinguish between house plants and actual outdoor grass. So after the app rejected photos of my Monstera plants, I walked outside and found the nearest green thing: the bushes. I think the bushes are grassy, but the touch grass app makes you touch the actual grass so the bushes aren’t enough.
I panicked for a short time, looking around, surrounded by concrete and bricks in all directions. There are many trees – the middle of the city is rare – but like a bush, a tree is not grass. I had to cross the road and found a piece of grass in front of my neighbor’s house until then, I could access on my phone and turn on Tiktok.
For Kentish, he worked full-time as an application developer in an agency, which is the focus.
“People react to it, ‘Haha, it’s an interesting concept,’ but now for some people, ‘Haha, it’s an interesting concept, but it’s actually helping me.”
The humor in the app depends on how severe it really gets you out. But at the same time, Kentish doesn’t want users to hit grass after dark, and doing so may not be as safe. The app requires viewing the user’s location (which can be granted as a one-time license) in order to know when it will fall in that area. The user can then customize its settings to navigate how the block works outside and when touching the grass, which is not feasible.
The Freemium app enables all users to lock two apps, which can only be unlocked by touching grass, but you can enable a feature that will cost you to pay for the application you want to open. Whatever you pay, half of the fee will be donated to Shigeo Kentes said efforts in the UK. If you want to lock only two apps, you can sign up for $5.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
The concept of paid unlock has been in the app’s DNA since Kentish came up with the touching grass concept. About a year and a half ago, Kent A video was posted On tiktok, an app he designed for himself that transfers money from his checking account to his savings every time he opens Tiktok. But the idea of touching grass is more delicious and fun than something that requires you to link your bank account.
The app has been downloaded about 50,000 times since its launch on Friday. As an independent developer, the Kent is running the app itself, but he said he is not against investor interest. The funds could help him develop an Android app and promote it outside his own social media account.
