Kael
Quit doomscrolling. Reclaim your focus and get things done.
Hello,
My name is Raj, and I'm a sophomore at Princeton studying Computer Science and Applied Math.
I started caring about the addictive nature of social media during my first year at university, when I noticed how many people around me, myself included, simply couldn't focus. Whether it was doomscrolling through lecture, or sitting down to study and getting five minutes in before scrolling for twenty, then complaining about being "cooked" the night before an exam, there was clearly an underlying issue.
That got me curious enough to write a paper on how these apps are deliberately designed to exploit attention and human nature, which honestly disgusted me. That led to a second paper looking at the screen-time blocking apps already on the market and where they were falling short.
That research is what became Kael (trykael.com), a screen-time app which is a) cross-platform, b) (almost) bug-free, and most importantly, c) not absurdly paywalled. It's fully functional for free!
Instead of just blocking apps without understanding context or nuance, Kael intercepts apps and websites and makes you explain, in > 30 words, why you need access. Claude then weighs your reason against your schedule and upcoming deadlines and decides yes or no.
"I'm bored" gets denied, whereas "Replying to a DM in my physics groupchat" gets 5-10 minutes.
Kael also has schedule-based timing, location-based activation, synchronization with unlimited Apple and Google calendars, a feature that scans all of your mail accounts for upcoming events, adaptive modes that get stricter or looser depending on the time of day and your upcoming deadlines, streaks and friend competitions, focus reports, and many more features!
It's currently on the iOS and Mac App Stores, and I'm actively working on building it for Windows and Android.
Check it out at trykael.com! Happy to answer questions :) admin@trykael.com
2 Comments
This is a strong angle. One thing I would test early: log the reason categories separately from block/allow.
If most denied attempts are "bored" or "checking notifications", your copy can sell that enforcement moment. If most allowed reasons are legitimate messages or work, you can use that to calm the "will this block things I need?" fear.
For screen-time products, trust in the escape path is almost as important as strictness.
What stood out to me is that you're treating self-control as a context problem rather than a willpower problem.
That changes the role of the product. Instead of simply preventing distractions, it's helping people make better decisions at the moment they're most likely to make a bad one. That's a much more interesting position than another screen-time blocker.