This Digital Wellbeing App Asks ‘Why?’ Whenever You Unlock Your Phone

Our lives, undeniably, are consumed by screens, notifications, and endless scrolling. Although convenient, the heavily-digital lifestyle, especially driven by smartphones, often leaves users feeling more drained than connected.

Phantom Vibration and Ringtone are officially recognized syndromes exasperated by our constant connection to devices, highlighting a clear and deeper concern — us reaching for our devices without a clear purpose. For some, it is a coping mechanism, while for others, unlocking and aimlessly scrolling has become an almost involuntary action.

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Using our phones without a clear reason is a subconscious habit, and this 2020-released app, which is just now gaining traction on the front page of the r/Android subreddit, aims to break that behavior.

Intenty is a digital wellbeing app with a unique approach. It highlights textual full-screen nudges every time you unlock your device, displaying random questions from a custom list to probe your intent. “How defined is your intention for this unlock?” reads the default prompt that shows up when you unlock your device. Options that users can select include ‘No intention,’ ‘Vague,’ ‘Fair,’ ‘Crystal clear,’ and a custom option.

This doesn’t necessarily stop you from using your device, but it does add a slight mental hurdle, or, as the developer describes it, a simple “speed bump” every time you unlock your device. “This breaks the subconscious unlock → scroll habit before it can start,” wrote the app’s developer.

Go beyond intent

Users that don’t want to track intent can track the necessity of their unlock, or use it as a reminder to correct their posture or to write down what they’re feeling.

• Necessity: Is this urgent?
• Grounding: What are you feeling at this exact moment?
• Posture: Device at eye level?
• Minimalism: How much value does this next interaction truly add?

Users also have the option to create their own custom prompts that show up upon unlocking, complete with a history tab that highlights your reply to the prompt and the time you spent on your device during that instance.

The app has a paid tier that unlocks extra features, but it is completely functional as a ‘speed bump’ without the paid plan. The app is 100 percent local with no sign-ups required. As of writing, it has a 4.8 rating on the Play Store.