Launched this week
CirqTap
Tap a tag to block the apps that steal your focus
10 followers
Tap a tag to block the apps that steal your focus
10 followers
CirqTap is a physical NFC key for your digital life. One intentional tap between you and the apps that pull at you — and it breaks the autopilot scroll. Join the waitlist.
Hey Product Hunt 👋
I'm Marc, the maker of Cirqtap.
I noticed something about myself: every time I unlocked my phone to reply to a message or check just one thing, I somehow ended up on Instagram or YouTube without even realizing it. App blockers never worked for me because I'd always end up tapping "Ignore."
So I started wondering: what if opening distracting apps required a real-world action instead of just another tap on the screen?
That's how Cirqtap was born.
It's a small NFC tag that lets you lock or unlock the apps you choose with a simple tap. I keep one on my desk while I work, another next to my bed, and I'm thinking about putting one near my front door too.
What's surprising is that having to get up and walk over to a tag before opening social media is enough to stop most impulse scrolling.
There's no subscription—buy the tag once, pair it with the app, and use it however you like. It works on both iPhone and Android.
Cirqtap isn't available yet—we're currently building it and preparing for our Kickstarter launch. If it sounds interesting, we'd love to have you on the waitlist and hear your feedback.
https://cirqtap.com/
If you had a Cirqtap, where would you put it?
the idea of a physical tap to break the scroll loop is honestly kind of genius, it makes you pause before mindlessly opening apps. curious how it works with quick logins or if it stays strictly for the "put the phone down" angle.
@yasemin4ysd
Thank you, that means a lot! Breaking that automatic scroll loop is exactly what I'm after.
The tap is really just the start. It works together with an app where you can build focus streaks, add friends to keep each other going, and set up your own focus modes for different parts of the day. The idea is to make staying focused feel like something you want to do, not a punishment.
For now I'm mostly focused on helping people use their phones a bit more intentionally
— I'll share more as things move along.
Using a physical key to actually pause and decide before opening an app feels oddly satisfying, like giving myself a tiny moment of friction back. Curious to see how it holds up with apps that really know how to pull you in.
@vedat02op
Thanks! That's exactly what I was going for with CirqTap. Not to completely block apps, just to add a small moment to stop and think before opening the ones that tend to suck you in.
The tap is only part of it, though. The app also has focus streaks, you can add friends for a bit of accountability (and some friendly competition 😄), and create different focus modes for work, studying, reading, before bed... whatever works for you.
I'm really curious to see how it feels with the apps you find hardest to resist. Let me know what you think if you ever get the chance to try it!
Love the concept of using a physical token to pause and break the scroll habit. One thing that would make it stick for me: a customizable cooldown lockout, where after tapping to block an app you set, you can't open that app again for say 10 or 30 minutes. Right now a tap feels like it could be too easy to override with a quick press, so a forced waiting period would really cement the intent behind using the key.
love that it's a physical object you actually have to reach for, that friction is kind of the whole point and it makes the design feel intentional instead of gimmicky
The idea of a physical tap to break autopilot scrolling sounds genuinely interesting. One thing I'd love to see is compatibility with custom shortcut profiles, so I can set different tap actions for work versus personal apps.
The physical NFC key idea is such a nice piece of analog thinking for a digital problem, love that the friction is built into the object itself rather than buried in settings.
@elifeuyar8v3q
Thanks, I really appreciate that! That's exactly what I was aiming for.
Most digital wellbeing tools try to solve the problem with more software. I wanted to try the opposite: a simple physical action that makes you pause for just a second before opening the apps that usually pull you in.
I'm really happy that part of the idea resonated with you.