Hello ProductHunt! 👋
Excited to announce our latest project Detoxify which helps you to detox from your most addictive apps.
HOW IT WORKS: Our app enables you to generate fake apps which looks exactly like your addictive apps. Once you replace your apps with the fake ones, every time you open them, you'll be faced with an screen that congrats you on getting detoxified.
After a while, you'll get detoxified by un-learning the habit of opening addictive apps randomly all the time.
Happy detoxing!🚀
@tomfme Thanks! Didn't use the Space before but looks like a similar concept. I used to remove apps but I'd end up re-installing them after a while. We read from "The Power of Habit" that unlearning a habit (aka forming a new habits to replace the old one) is about having a proper cue. So we thought the fake app could act as a cue/signal to remind you about your goal and boost learning the new habit of not visiting the app randomly based on the habit.
@farbodsaraf neat! you folks are clearly thinking about this the right way.
@mattmayberry whoops sorry for saying defunct. the product hunt post i linked too says it's "no longer available"
@farbodsaraf great idea! When I deleted facebook from my phone, the first week I kept going to my phone to access it but it was not there. It was such an unconscious move that I was surprised myself. I think your idea will help people realize this more consciously and it will help.
Hi @farbodsaraf I'm one of the makers of SPACE. It looks like you used our product for "inspiration". Can you speak a little bit more on the science behind Detoxify and if there is any intelligence built in?
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Maker
@mattmayberry Hi Matt, Thanks for your comment. I never used Space but I'll give it a try. Seems like a similar idea. You're probably aware of the science behind it as you built a similar product: it's about breaking the habit loop but creating a fake cue to replace the old habit with the new one by reminding a person about their detox goal. Regarding your last question, there's not much intelligence built in it, besides the concept that I just described. It's a pretty simple but effective concept.
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I like this idea a lot, but I can't install the web app on my Android phone. I think I dismissed the install prompt once, now I can't get it to reappear! Any ideas?
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Maker
@notalex You can't dismiss it except if you press install once or if you are a non compatible browser.
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This seems fun. Quirky idea. Wondering if it actually works as a solution though. Would love to see some data on your findings from your users also reminds me of this Go Fucking Work
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Maker
@s_jayaswal Thanks! That's basically how it works: learning a habit (aka forming a new habits to replace the old one) is about having a cue. The fake app acts as a cue/signal to remind you about your goal and boost learning the new habit of not visiting the app randomly based on the habit.
By installing the fake app, you'll be surprised how many times you unconsciously you open them, although you are aware that they are fake apps. It feels like our brain is on auto-pilot, once we're hooked/addicted to unconsciously open addictive apps.
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@farbodsaraf Sounds good. Im not fully sold on the installing the fake apps manually. Because if i know they are fake and i put them there, then my mind would work around it, i might do this a couple of times but dont know it would be sustainable. Maybe you could just replace the app shortcuts programatically rather than having the user put them there on their own?
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Maker
@s_jayaswal The point is most of us open the addictive apps instinctively many times a day so even though you're aware that it's fake, based on your old habit, you most likely open the app and if after a couple of times you became aware of it being fake, then you reach your goal which is the whole idea behind this.
Regarding your last suggestion: replacing the app shortcuts programmatically isn't feasible so that's why we went for this implementation.
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That is a pretty cool concept. I have deleted apps off of my phone for periods of time to remind myself how much i use them and see what it is like to go without them. But this seems like another interesting solution
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Maker
@colinrhys If you're able to avoid re-installing them, then you're definitely good to go!
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication and this is brilliant. Epic concept, beautifully executed. I'd call this "spiritual entertainment" but that's just me ;)
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Maker
@brianswichkow Thanks Brian, your words made us super happy!
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Cute idea :) Never thought about that, but perhaps it could be effective.
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Maker
@anna_0x yesss, give it a try and you'll be surprised how many times you instinctively open the addictive apps.
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@anna_0x@farbodsaraf Lol. You're not wrong. The number of times I've scrolled through reddit, sighed, closed it down, and immediately opened the same app again...
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