Quiz-gated app lock for digital detox

What to build

A mobile app that gates access to chosen distracting apps (Instagram, TikTok, etc.) behind a short quiz on a topic the user picks themselves — language vocab, exam prep, trivia — granting a timed unlock window only after a correct answer streak, targeted at self-improvement-minded users who have already uninstalled plain timer/blocker apps.

A developer's personal hack of quiz-gating doomscroll apps struck a nerve on Reddit, suggesting friction that also teaches something beats passive timers that people just swipe past.

Demand

Self-improvement-minded social media users who've already abandoned Opal/Forest-style blockers because they're trivially dismissible are the target; the original builder's own uncertainty post ('genius or stupid') is itself a signal this format resonates when framed as a relatable build-in-public story.

• r/SideProject (Reddit)News

  Developer post: 'I built an app that makes me answer questions before I can doomscroll. Not sure if it's genius or stupid.'

• Original signal posterNews

  Developer built a personal app requiring quiz answers before granting access to doomscrolling apps, uncertain if the friction mechanic is genuinely valuable

• Opportunity briefNews

  Claim that plain timers/blockers are too easy to dismiss and that self-improvement users have already abandoned them in favor of more effortful gating

Stack

• Swift/SwiftUI or React Native
• iOS Screen Time API (FamilyControls/DeviceActivity) or Android UsageStatsManager + AccessibilityService
• Supabase (user data, question banks)
• OpenAI API (auto-generate quiz questions per topic)
• RevenueCat (subscription paywall)

Solo + AI difficulty

The hard part is OS-level app-blocking — iOS's Screen Time APIs are restrictive and Android's accessibility-service blocking is fragile and update-prone, so expect most of the build time there; the quiz UI, question generation via an LLM, and streak/unlock logic are easy and AI-assisted. Realistic solo MVP: 3-5 weeks, mostly eaten by platform blocking APIs and app review approval.

Entry threshold

Buildable solo in days to a few weeks using existing mobile app-blocking APIs (iOS Screen Time API, Android UsageStatsManager) plus a quiz content engine; main cost is building or sourcing quiz content and tuning the friction level so users don't just uninstall it.

Window

6-12 months

Where to find first users

• r/SideProject and r/selfimprovement
• Product Hunt launch
• TikTok/Instagram Reels showing the quiz-gate in action (ironic but effective)
• Indie Hackers build-in-public thread

Competitors

• Opal
• One Sec
• Forest

Counter-signals & risks

• Users can simply guess randomly, skip, or uninstall the moment the quiz becomes annoying, the same failure mode that killed timers and blockers.

• The mechanic is validated by a single builder's own anecdote (n=1), with no evidence yet of reduced screen time or retention across other users.

• The screen-time/habit-gating space is crowded with established players like Opal, One Sec, and Forest already combining friction and gamification, making differentiation unclear.