StayBack vs Know & Act

Ever wondered why it's so hard to put down your phone? Because it's right there. StayBack solves this with a simple but effective approach: complete a quick challenge to unlock your restricted apps and earn 15 minutes of screen time. Three unlock challenges to make you "snap out of it" before picking up your phone: PREFRONTAL ACTIVATION Complete 5 rounds of timed "subtract 7" mental math. This engages your prefrontal cortex and breaks the autopilot scrolling loop. After finishing, you may realize you didn't really need your phone. VOCABULARY CHALLENGE Learn 3 English words each time you unlock - memorize, then spell. Turn the urge to check your phone into a learning opportunity and build your vocabulary without even trying. DISTANCE UNLOCK Your iPhone and Apple Watch measure real-time distance via Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology. Walk at least 5 meters away to unlock. Physical separation works better than willpower. KEY FEATURES - Choose which apps or categories to restrict - Set daily time limits - Apps lock automatically when time runs out - Three unlock methods to choose from - Apple Watch real-time distance display (for distance unlock) - Runs entirely on-device, zero data uploaded PRIVACY StayBack collects no personal data. No accounts, no cloud, no analytics, no ads. Everything stays on your device. REQUIREMENTS - iPhone 11 or later (UWB required for distance unlock) - Apple Watch (for distance unlock) - iOS 17+ Free download. No in-app purchases. No ads. A small tool by an indie developer, hoping to help you reclaim a little time.

Know & Act is a minimalist self-reflection and action journal built on the philosophy of mind (心学) of Wang Yangming. Five hundred years ago, in exile at Longchang, Wang Yangming reached his awakening and taught the unity of knowing and acting (知行合一): knowing is the beginning of action, and action is the completion of knowing. To know and yet not act is not yet truly to know. This app skips the platitudes and the dense classical quotes. It helps you do one thing — turn the conscience already in your heart into one real step you take today. Three lines a day: your daily practice · Today's insight — What do I know I should do today? · Today's action — What one step did I actually take today? · Today's reflection — What held me back from acting today? Defeat the thief within Wang Yangming said, "Defeating the bandits in the mountains is easy; defeating the thief within the heart is hard." Procrastination, fear, pride, anxiety, impatience, avoidance, self-deception — name the biggest inner thief of your day, and the app offers a small practice to match it. Seeing it clearly is the first step toward realizing your innate conscience (致良知). Polish yourself in action (事上磨练) This wisdom lives not in books but in what you do. Streak days and monthly completions, a check-in calendar that reveals the arc of your persistence, and a map of your most common inner thieves help you meet your true self in the ordinary affairs of everyday life. Quiet, restrained, spacious A warm rice-paper background, ink-dark type, a few clean Eastern lines. Like a journal of the mind that belongs to you alone. Fully local, privacy first Every entry is stored only on your device — never uploaded, never connected, never collecting any personal information. Export to JSON anytime, or clear everything with a single tap. One minute a day. Train your mind in action. Know and act as one.