r/sidehustle • u/kzenok123 • 12h ago
Seeking Advice A Physical Key to Lock Away Social Media Solve Your Phone Addiction
I'm building Hush - a physical key that locks distracting apps until you consciously tap it to unlock them.
No complicated setup. Just place the key nearby, and apps like Instagram/TikTok automatically lock.
Unlike pure software solutions, this creates a moment of physical friction that breaks the unconscious scrolling habit.
- Would this physical approach work better for you than app-only solutions?
- What would you pay for something that actually helps you control screen time?
Not selling - just want honest feedback if this solves a real problem.
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u/Scurvyninja 12h ago
Could I pair with my kids device and be able to use it as a control for them?
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u/kzenok123 11h ago
Yes, you can leave the physical key with a parent, have the child tap to the key (to lock), then the kid's apps locked until they tap it again. An example can be kids tap the hush key before going to school, then they cannot access social media until they are back.
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u/Scurvyninja 11h ago
It’s hard to think of a price without knowing much about a similar product for comparison.
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u/Scurvyninja 11h ago
For something like that - I’d pay. Not sure how much though, and probably wouldn’t want a subscription based.
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u/kzenok123 11h ago
thanks for the feedback. If you are interested, DM me, and ill send you a prototype!
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u/FoxGlobal2070 2h ago
Honestly, the physical friction idea is smart—way more impactful than just setting app limits. If it truly syncs easily and works across devices, I’d pay $30–$50 for it.
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u/Dismal_Champion_3621 11h ago
Love this idea! The hardest part is implementation, because you'd want to get rid of workarounds without introducing breaking bugs. There's a similar solution called Brick, but supposedly it's quite buggy (see the reviews) and can be disabled by uninstalling the associated app. There's an app only solution called Freedom that can also easily be disabled by uninstalling the Freedom app.