I’ve tried Opal, One Sec, and several other screen-time apps. They usually worked for a week or two, and then I deleted them.

The problem was that I didn’t want my iPhone to become a brick. Apps like Instagram, Reddit, and YouTube are not always bad. Sometimes I’m mindlessly scrolling, but sometimes I’m replying to a friend or looking for something useful.

I also treat screen time differently throughout the day. Ten minutes of social media in the morning can derail the start of my day. The same ten minutes during a break might be completely fine. During working hours I want stricter boundaries, while in the evening I prefer more flexibility.

Most screen-time tools did not reflect that context, so I built **TimeSip**.

The simplest option does not block anything. TimeSip can notify you every 10 to 15 minutes while you’re using selected apps. Endless feeds make it easy to lose track of time, so the reminder gives you a chance to stop without taking control away from you.

If you want stronger limits, you can also:

* Set daily or hourly limits
* Use different limits for mornings, working hours, and evenings
* Exclude apps such as Maps or YouTube Music from your screen-time totals
* Choose supportive, witty, harsh, or completely custom reminder messages
* View heat maps of your usage and longer “rabbit hole” sessions

Unlocking is intentionally simple. I found that breathing exercises, delays, and other friction became something I automatically ignored after a while.

I believe you can’t improve what you can’t measure, so I’m also building more detailed analytics. TimeSip helps you see not only your total screen time, but when you use certain apps, how your habits change throughout the day, and when a quick check turns into a longer rabbit hole.

One area where feedback would be especially helpful is the main dashboard. Many screen-time apps seem to open with some version of “How bad were you today?” I don’t want TimeSip to make people feel guilty.

Instead, I want the dashboard to help you understand what went well, where you lost track of time, and whether your habits are moving in the direction you want. I’m still exploring how to show that clearly without overwhelming people with charts, scores, and settings.

That is probably my biggest design challenge: offering enough flexibility and useful information without making the app complicated.

Everything stays on your iPhone. There is no account, no tracking, and no data leaves your device.

I’m looking for iPhone beta testers, especially people who have tried screen-time apps and eventually deleted them.

**TestFlight:** [https://testflight.apple.com/join/ePnXTy3K](https://testflight.apple.com/join/ePnXTy3K)

If you try it, I’d love your feedback on three things:

1. Does it give you enough control without feeling complicated?
2. Does it make you more aware of your scrolling without becoming annoying?
3. What would you want to see on the main dashboard so it feels useful rather than judgmental?

I’ll share a few dashboard concepts in the comments. Honest feedback is very welcome.

I kept deleting screen-time blockers, so I built a more flexible one