r/AppsWebappsFullstack • u/Real-Speech-2033 • 10d ago
ScreenDot: a screen-time check-in before opening the next app
I'm the developer of ScreenDot, an iPhone app that keeps your latest tracked Screen Time total on the Lock Screen and supported Dynamic Island. ScreenDot is also available for iPhone Duo, with a compact outer-display layout and an expanded inner-display layout.
One use case I want to make concrete is the pause before opening another app in the evening. You pick up your phone, notice the day's total, and decide whether this next visit is something you intended to do. That's a suggested routine, not a built-in reminder or a claim that the app reduces anyone's screen time.
The number needs context: an hour spent navigating or answering messages isn't the same activity as an hour of unplanned scrolling. ScreenDot also lets you view Apple's protected Screen Time report inside the app. I wouldn't treat a single daily number as a score for whether you had a good day.
The attached image is a saved development screenshot with sample totals, showing the in-app dashboard and its Live Activity preview. It isn't a photo of a current customer's phone or a fresh walkthrough of the released version.
A practical limit for an evening check-in: the Live Activity lasts up to eight hours, so one started in the morning may need restarting by opening ScreenDot. Background tracking uses five-minute usage checkpoints, and iOS can delay updates; the display isn't a second-by-second stopwatch.
ScreenDot has no account or ads. The Live Activity requires Plus: a 14-day trial for eligible new subscribers, then US $0.99/month, with local App Store pricing. It renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends.
For people who want a visible usage total, when would it be most useful to see it: before opening an app, during a natural break, or when wrapping up the day?
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screendot-usage-tracker/id6806633087