Files
brendan-ch.github.io/_notes/openapplock.md
2026-08-22 11:59:53 -04:00

1.3 KiB

title
title
OpenAppLock

Screenshots of OpenAppLock, including the home page with three active rules, and the new rule page with rule templates.

OpenAppLock is an open source iOS app for blocking apps. It is also a vibe-coding experiment turned real app, after I decided against gatekeeping it.

Block apps on a schedule, add time or open limits, and lock rules to prevent edits. I built it to help me spend more time outside staring at grass, like the picture below.

Some of the design principles of OpenAppLock:

  • Completely offline, no account needed, nothing is tracked
  • The app is meant to sit in the background of your phone
    • You're meant to not use it, along with using your phone less
    • Set the rules once, and let the app work
  • Future considerations
    • Integrate nature as part of the app design?

I worked with the different Apple screen time APIs to build the features in a privacy-preserving way.

Try it out and send me feedback!

A picture of some grass.