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This app limits your screen time by making you literally touch grass
Rhys Kentish launched an iOS app called Touch Grass that locks distracting apps until users take a photo of actual grass outside. Designed to combat excessive screen time, the app employs computer vision AI to ensure users don't cheat. With 50,000 downloads since launch, it offers a freemium model and donates half the paid unlocks to UK rewilding efforts.
Key points
- Rhys Kentish developed the Touch Grass app to help users manage screen time by requiring them to go outside.
- The app utilizes computer vision AI to verify that the photo submitted is of real grass, not house plants.
- Users can unlock two apps for free; paid options are available for enhanced features or more app locks.
- Users provided positive feedback, indicating that the app effectively reduces their screen time.
- Since its launch, the app has been downloaded approximately 50,000 times.
Why it matters
- The app addresses increasing concerns over digital addiction and excessive screen time, a trend noted in the ongoing 2020s focus on mental health.
- It reflects a growing interest in gamified solutions to wellness, linking technology and outdoor activities.
- The freemium model and charitable component resonate with current app monetization trends focusing on social responsibility.
Touch Grass exemplifies innovative approaches to digital addiction by merging humor with functionality, promoting a healthier relationship with technology while benefitting environmental efforts.