This is a hilarious concept and would probably genuinely help. Nicely done!
I used to have a similar issue with hiding inside all the time (during Covid times, of course) and to motivate myself to go outside, I started an Instagram of tiny little plants growing in cracks in the pavement. I tried to add a new tiny plant every day or two, which meant that I had to wander further and further afield to find a suitable specimen. It wasn't perfect, but was quite motivating.
I love the irony here. Going outside into “real life” to find pictures to post on a site that keeps people inside.
pokemon-go got a lot of people outdoors too. I would see kids walking around the neighborhood with their phones out looking for pokemon, it wasn't perfect but at least they were outside getting some air.
I'm a connoisseur of plants growing in cracks in the pavement, mind sharing a link?
I wonder how many of us picked up this habit from COVID? It definitely got me to appreciate my local flora way better, and the fact that I get weird looks for bending down to take pictures of tiny little insect and plant life is, well, let me be honest, I kind of enjoy being the neighborhood eccentric.
I really love that, would you mind sharing the insta?
Fun idea!
I am always astounded how hard it can be to break doom scrolling as a habit DESPITE knowing how much better I feel when I can't / don't do it.
When I don't do it, I will often spend my time doing something personally productive, but even if I do nothing at all instead, it's still better – my head is clearer, I can think so much better; I feel more content and optimistic about life in general; time goes slower.
Dopamine addiction is very nasty.
Very cool concept! I wanted to make a similar thing a few years ago, but for a slightly different purpose: force myself to walk more. I built an iOS app called Geostreaks [1] with a simple mechanic: pick an outdoor location (for example, a nearby park) and “check in” there every day.
I couldn’t justify the yearly developer fee though, so the app has been removed from the App Store a few years later :(
Can you please open-source it?
Nice idea. I feel like we don't see as many fun/whimsical apps these days as we did 10-15 years ago.
Whimsical doesn’t make money and we are a society of sellouts.
Geolocate the user to ensure that at least the touching of a picture of grass tookplace outside.
Here's a whimsical site I made a few years ago. You can look up grasses and other lifeforms and see how they are related.
https://sol.vandenoever.info/?lang=en,nl&uids=119845,135774,...
Thank you! It's a silly idea but it does actually work for me
iBeer seems so quaint now
I added reddit.com to uBlock Origin's filters list. I can still visit it, but there's now a screen asking me if I'm sure I want to go there. It's stopped me a few times, and it's breaking that muscle memory of "pick up phone & check reddit/etc"
A few years back, I realised how bad the addiction was when I deleted a couple of apps. While doing other things on my phone, I'd autopilot going to the apps list and tapping the empty space where Reddit/Twitter used to be. You're right, that little bit of friction is enough to make you stop and ask "what am I really getting out of this?"
Reddit has gotten so bad over the last decade that I've stopped browsing it altogether, except for one or two niche subreddits every now and then.
Something simpler that has helped me break off some websites is to just log out. Twitter and Facebook have no feed if you log out. Reddit on the opposite will show you an empty feed if you're logged in but follow no subreddit. YouTube does neither, but I like long videos so it's unlikely I mindlessly open one.
Google+ is still part of my muscle memory. It was such a pleasant place when they stopped mandating people use it.
I'm not familiar with how those filter lists work. What do I have to enter to get a screen like this?
What about the app?
Canadian here: I look forward to using my apps again in April.
HongKonger here, no grass to be found in concrete jungle.
This is going to be rough up north where I am, too much snow.
Same problem here... Trying to think of some substitutions:
1. Touch snow
2. See the sun while outdoors.
3. Say hi to someone in person.
4. Text a friend or family member.
5. Touch a tree.
I think touch a tree would be the most direct substitution. Something to be said for a social substitution too though, but it probably doesn't match the initial intent of touching grass.
Its all ice and snow outside. I'd be locked out for a while
Then again maybe that would be a good thing.
I plan on letting the user select what they have to touch, for launch it's just grass but customisation is on the way!
I'm up in icy Canada, but a social media hibernation might do me well.
Make an Instagram of tiny snowmen with different scarves
From touch grass to shovel snow for a while and then touch grass.
Grab a shovel!
Me too.
Touch snow.
Dark times...
People are just going to carry a patch of fake grass around with them to bypass the checks. So I suspect the reviews will be astroturfed.
three's 2 feet of snow on the ground. there's no grass. what do i do? can we get an update to touch snow?
my neighborhood is very low on grass will tree support be added? I like them better and we have a lot more of them
sincerely, Lorax
App not recommended for Canadians. Unless someone makes a 'touch snow' plugin.
Is there an Android version coming soon?
Also it would be better if you kept Instagram uninstalled... I see it installing on the screenshot!
I had an idea to lock my phone until I burn x calories. So, I cannot see notifications or open any app unless I achieve the goal. When I checked, it was impossible to do that with Apple, It's great to know that you can lock apps, though! I love the concept.
I love this, the internet needs more of these weird concept apps. As another commenter mentioned, perhaps this could be extended for people that don't have grass around them due to season/location? Touch snow, touch sand, etc
One sec was great for breaking my YouTube shorts habit but the safari plugin only works 90% of the time and in some way the "gambling nature" of hitting reload and getting in sometimes has made it worse.
This is so bizarre! We live in a world where companies invest billions and hire the best researchers all to capture our attention and serve ads. And now, to claw back any sort of agency, we resort to this.
How is it blocking other apps? Is it creating apple shortcuts which go through this app as a launcher?
Why does the app need to collect location data?
I wrote an apple shortcut last year that notifies me with a random item from my todo list after five minutes of having an "addicting" app open. It sort of helps to jog me out of mindless scrolling, but I still ignore it a lot of the time. At the very least, it helps repeatedly remind me of things I aspire to do someday (I keep big picture ideas and projects in certain lists)
Needs a mode where touching snow counts.
Looks great! I truly believe that mobile and scrolling addiction are causing people to disengage, especially those who value the real world, real people, and genuine human connections.
AI is undeniably empowering and accelerating almost everything—faster, faster, faster. But what comes next for us, as regular human beings?
Still, grounding ourselves in nature—touching grass, watching sunsets, hiking, cycling—remains essential to our well-being.
Awesome idea.
But knowing myself, I'll probably just end up buying a plant and put it next to my table and end up using it
Can we change it to unblock only when I do 10 pushups? I would love to get that to my Nephew and Nieces phone
You can probably expand your user base to Canadians by also adding a "touching snow" feature.
Fun idea, but not the right way to end an addiction. Making it more difficult to get the dopamine (really epinephrine) hit will only lead to more frustration and reinforce the relief when you get your reward. In other words, it only makes the reward more pleasurable.
The European Union is about to introduce a regulation on infinite scrolling called the Digital Fairness Act. They are currently looking for ideas, so, thanks for sharing.
Seriously this is really cool!
I would love an app with a configurable "unlock" task. Ex:
- Do a quick mindfulness/breathing exercise.
- Answer a quick quiz question related to something you're learning.
- Remind you of pending to-dos
Anyone know of an app like this?
Kudos on getting your project from conception to the finish line!
The concept of having to interact with the natural world before being allowed to interact with the social media world is interesting and this is perhaps the most interesting implementation of that.
Personally I find it's rewarding to flex the "self restraint muscle" by stopping myself from doomscrolling rather than relying on technology to do that for me.
Love this. But wonder if it would work better if there was an incentive tied to using your phone less, ie. Rewards points for staying off socials.
I have had an idea like this but instead it is a few minutes of breathing exercises with a calm nature background, then it unlocks your other apps
What if someone tries to cheat and just touch a picture of grass? You need to understand that the no-touch-grass people are Machiavellian.
This is fun, but there's an amusing oxymoron embedded in needing an app on my phone to verify that I'm... not using my phone
Obviously for urbanites only. Here in Northern California, grass is a conspicuous waste of water, and is slowly going out of favor and being replaced by native xerophilic plants. Our neighbor has a lawn, but we've got wood chips and native shrubs instead.
If we all acknowledge that nature is an antidote to anxiety, why not consider moving out of the city?
I bit of UX tweaking and this could see a lot of traction as a snarky reply, a la "Let me google that for you".
Very nice, but why does it require iOS 17 ? Jailbreakers are stuck on iOS 16 (and some are stuck even lower than that.. )
This is sick! Is it using an LLM's photo detection to determine if it is a picture of touching grass?
I recently added all of my most distracting apps to the Hidden section on iPhone. It requires a FaceID check to even see the apps, and blocks all notifications from them. It has helped me cut down on the scroll-time significantly.
What I would love is social unlock, where your friends have to approve or deny your requests
I didn't realize there was a screen time api! I was waiting on Apple to do it, now I'll have to do it and wait for Apple to commit an antitrust violation and do it after it gains traction!
I was thinking about this recently and was trying to determine if I could take advantage of some kind of accessibility settings or otherwise to contextually/periodically disable the gestures that doom scrolling depends on entirely, on fly.
I have a user issue: there is currently 3 feet of snow outside and no grass to be seen :P
This is great, OP. For someone like me who is addicted to my phone in the house, it would be nice if there was some arbitrary object at the opposite side of the house I could touch to trigger this.
Anybody here know an Android equivalent of this?
Can I touch snow instead? There is no grass in sight in Canada this time of the year
I live in Finland. Any chance I can get a "touch snow" option? Thanks.
Please add a "touch snow" feature for those living in the north ;)
That's so fun
I understand it's a meme, but you're not "touching grass" if you need the mediation of an app to do so.
It's engineer logic 101, when technically true does not mean ontologically true.
Damn I love this! how was the process of getting approval from the app store? Wondering if you had to send videos instead of having reviewers touch grass. I launched Foqos earlier this month: https://github.com/awaseem/foqos and the review was brutal plus the form you need to submit to get permissions for Family activity
Great concept! However my mind started already coming up with ideas how to circumvent this like printing out a color picture of grass! Hope you can detect these fake attempts! :)
Back in the day we used to just make a fart button on a web UI. The level of dedication at this stage is beyond me!
Well done.
Please detect dog droppings near hand, for a wash hand notification.
Very cool idea! I would have actually installed it if I had any grass outside, unfortunately I've been buried under snow for the past month xD.
This is very cool. Congrats! I love it when apps force you to step outside. Pokemon Go was such a brilliant game in this regard! Wish we had more apps like this.
Nice idea! When you have finished building a biometric database of users' dorsal palm aspects, will you require scanning their palmar?
Great concept, solid privacy policy and terms of service, and an excellent use of premium purchases to support rewilding projects. Absolutely love it!
DLC for a dust mode, for those of us in Southern Arizona?
How is it that an app can block access to other apps?
Instructions unclear, all I see around me is snow...
I wish you all success and hope that this catches on. I will make a fortune by selling little pots of turf to social media addicts.
This is fire. Sent it to a few people. I don't use an iPhone as my daily, unfortunately.
Android port? I'd pay you €0.99 at least!
Nicely done! I'll add this to my newsletter - I wouldn't be surprised if you got some press for this.
This is great! A mode for snow would be awesome, haha. Up here in Canada there isn't always grass around in winter.
Incredible concept, love it. I have many friends who literally ask for apps like this
great concept! out of curiosity - what tool did you use to create the main UI app animation/video on the website?
This is great! No good for urban junglists though. Or maybe really good for them, depending on how you view it.
I like it. I signed up for when it's available. Good luck!
Not a Hot Dog.
I have snow outside, what about a snow feature? Love the concept hahahahhahaha!!! LOVE IT!
Are there any good anti-procrastination Safari extensions for desktop? Sometimes it can be hypnotic.
I love it. And now I must make a “touching grass generator” to plug into the front of this.
What happens if it’s the middle of winter and the grass is completely covered with snow?
Funny how even the demo on their website has the annoying "rate this app" popup.
Love it!
How does it handle -20ºC in snow-covered Northern Canada? :-) Can I touch fake indoor grass?
Works fine in Finland in winter!
Cute, but it might be time to ditch your smartphone if you really want to change.
Love the idea and the app looks great! Originality and artsy-smartsy, kudos!
nicely done, and while we on the topic of doomscrolling, maybe there's a surge of anti-doomscrolling trends coming soon? I know I built lessnews.dev to overcome my urge to mindlessly scroll HN all day.
I love your demo showing you ignoring the rate and review like a true user
Somewhat ironic to have an app to get people to look away from apps.
That is fantastic. Should come preinstalled with every phone.
I laughed out loud, great concept and use of technology!
On a tangential note.. Best use of a "touch grass" reference goes to Noita devs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1bt7aid/streamer_sp...
Wow what a great idea and all!
Mind if I ask what stack you used for this?
I feel bad for all the folks who live in Arizona...
Can you make a desert version to touch some rocks?
No thanks my closest grass is covered in dog pee!
What if you live in the Sahara or a dry country ?
fun idea
i'm not going to see any grass for another few months, unless i travel somewhere warmer, though
What do you do in the winter, eh?
brilliant. you have created a genre.
very creative. what would it take to make it function offline?
No phone during winter
Okay this might help!
doom via phobe better than doom via grass though :(
I like the idea but it will be hard to build a moat -- if that's something you care about. How about making it more general? "touch grass", "feel sand between your fingers", "hug a tree" ...
What the ....
See also: https://graas.easrng.net/ - "grass-touching verification service"
Hilarious!
Lmao really fun. I guess you're using a network request, but I wonder if you can access the models that the photos app seems to use locally.
Interesting concept. I would say not being able to touch grass when it is covered in snow, like right now, might be a feature.
Imagine going to a ski resort and being locked out of your apps in the evening because everything is covered in snow.
Nice idea. Would be great to have a winter mode for us that can’t literally touch grass for 3+ months a year ;)
Reminds me of Pokémon go
Spending many hours not touching grass to build an app that makes you touch grass. I like it.
It might be awhile before I can touch grass. There is quite a bit of snow on the ground!
I'm afraid to ask, but on the demo video... Is that dog poop next to the hand?
Touch the grass, not the glass.
Or, "Don't touch the glass!"
I hate this and I love it. Good work.
bro has grass touching IAPa
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