Developer Builds App That Lets Users Earn Screen Time Like a Bank Balance

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A developer spent six months building Ravelo, a screen time app that treats leisure time as a currency to be earned through focus sessions and spent on selected apps. The idea emerged after existing tools like Opal failed to curb distraction, since self-imposed blocks could easily be disabled when willpower was lowest. Rather than restricting app access outright, Ravelo lets users deposit minutes by completing focused work sessions and withdraw them to unlock apps, mimicking a bank account. The interface was deliberately designed to resemble banking — with balances, transactions, and a card-style home screen — to give users a familiar mental model. Beta testing revealed key flaws, including unused purchased time continuing to drain and overly large time intervals, which the developer iterated on to improve usability.

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