A badly timed notification made me build an app — I launched it 2 weeks ago (Android, solo dev)

A few months ago I had one of those small, slightly embarrassing moments that stick with you more than they should.

I had just moved to a new city. Didn’t know many people, was single, but this time the girl I was meeting wasn’t from a dating app — which made what happened next even worse.

We click quickly. Good energy, easy conversation. At some point I start showing her pictures from a recent trip — scrolling through my gallery, telling stories behind them.

And then… of course.

A notification pops up.

From a dating app.

Perfect timing.

I tried to play it cool, but internally I was like: come on… really? right now?

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That moment stayed with me — not because it was a disaster, but because it felt completely avoidable.

I didn’t want to:

• mute my entire phone (I travel a lot, I need notifications)
• dig through settings every time
• permanently disable notifications for apps

I just wanted something simple: control over when specific apps can interrupt me.

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The idea

So I looked for a solution.

I did find some apps, but they all felt… off:

• Too many features — but not the right ones. A lot of functionality that had nothing to do with the core problem.
• Ads everywhere — I get it, creators need to make money. But the experience felt overwhelming.
• Questionable permissions — being asked access to media files or contacts… for a notification app? That didn’t sit right.
• Unclear data usage — using these apps often means handing over your data without really knowing where it ends up.

It felt like using a spaceship to turn off a light.

So I decided to build it myself.

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Validating the idea

Before writing a single line of code, I did something simple.

At my office, I talked to people who are constantly on their phones — the ones who get visibly stressed when notifications go off during breaks or meetings.

I asked them:
“Would you use an app that lets you control when specific apps can interrupt you?”

The reaction was immediate:
“Wait… that exists? Yes. Absolutely.”

Then I asked university students — a completely different context.

Same pattern:

• studying gets interrupted by notifications
• the urge to check is almost irresistible

That confirmed something important:

There’s a real problem, across different types of users.

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What I built

It’s called Permly: Notification Manager

The idea is intentionally simple:

• create profiles (e.g. “Date”, “Work”, “Focus”)
• each profile blocks notifications from selected apps
• switch between profiles with one tap

That’s it.

No complexity, no digging through settings.

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Build process & principles

• Built in ~1 month
• Android native (to keep it lightweight and low-impact)
• Solo developer (with AI coding assistants to speed up delivery)

But more important than the tech are the principles behind it — and these are non-negotiable for me, now and in any future project:

• No ads
• No data collection
• Only necessary permissions
• Keep it simple

To make this real:

• no root permissions required
• no messages or notifications are read, stored, or sent anywhere
• everything stays on the device

On the business side, those constraints forced a clear decision:

No ads. No data monetization.

So the only viable path was direct purchases.

The core app stays free.
Advanced features are paid, like:

• unlimited profiles
• scheduled profile activation
• full statistics history
• premium support

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Launch & early traction

• Launched: March 14
• Distribution: Play Store

So far:

• Dozens of organic users (word of mouth)
• A few hundred more from early ads (still evaluating if it’s worth continuing)

No revenue yet — but early signals are encouraging.

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User feedback

This has probably been the most interesting part so far.

People immediately understand the use case — often because they’ve experienced some version of it themselves.

The most common pattern in feedback:

• “Oh wow, I actually need this”
• followed by feature requests that are very aligned with the core idea

For example:

“It would be amazing if you could schedule this…”

Which is great, because it confirms two things:

1. The problem is real
2. People are already thinking about integrating it into their daily routines

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What was hard

Not the tech.

Marketing.

I’m a developer — building feels natural.
But distribution, positioning, figuring out where attention is… that’s where I feel completely out of my depth.

Most of the time it feels like being 10 steps behind.

The difference this time is: I shipped anyway.

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Lessons learned

• Shipping fast > validating forever
• Real users > hypothetical feedback
• Constraints (like no ads, no data) actually sharpen decisions
• Simplicity is rare — and valuable

If I could go back, I’d launch even earlier.

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What’s next

The plan is simple: follow user feedback.

I’m considering things like:

• whitelist mode (block everything except selected apps)
• a widget to quickly toggle profiles

But the rule is:
everything must reinforce the core idea — not dilute it.

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Who this is for

It started with a dating scenario, but it’s clearly broader:

• professionals (disconnect from work on weekends)
• students (focus time)
• anyone who wants better boundaries with their phone

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Open questions

• Would you use something like this?
• What would make it a must-have for you?
• Any advice on distribution for an app like this?

And also…

am I the only one who feels like a lot of apps forgot how to just be simple?

Thanks for reading 🙏