Kinetiq
Digital Wellness iOS App
An iOS app that turns a screen-time limit into an active break: selected apps lock when a session ends, and walking toward a step goal unlocks another session. "Lock. Walk. Unlock."
Overview
A pause between impulse and access.
Kinetiq turns an app-opening habit into a small physical action. It uses Apple's Screen Time controls to restrict selected apps, tracks walking with CoreMotion, and restores access after the step goal is met. The interaction is intentionally simple: lock, walk, unlock.
Engineering decisions
- Tri-modal state machine with dynamic visual theming
- 3D gyroscopic parallax dashboard at 60Hz
- Screen Time API for minute-by-minute app monitoring
- Step tracking via CMPedometer for unlock mechanism
Built with
- Swift
- SwiftUI
- CoreMotion
- FamilyControls
- DeviceActivity
- ManagedSettings
A closer look
Behind the build.
A limit is easy to ignore when the next tap is effortless.
Kinetiq explores a more deliberate interruption to habitual app use. After a chosen amount of screen time, selected apps are shielded. To begin another session, the user must make progress toward a walking goal rather than dismissing a reminder.
Connect Screen Time to a physical action.
The app lets people select distracting apps and set daily, session, and step limits. DeviceActivity monitors usage, a ManagedSettings shield applies the lock, and CMPedometer supplies the step count shown in the dashboard. An App Group shares the usage state between the monitor extension and the main app.
Count the walk after the lock.
The dashboard records a step baseline when a session ends, then compares new steps against the unlock goal. A completed walk starts a fresh allowance; reaching the daily cap keeps the apps locked for the day. That distinction makes the walking break part of the interaction rather than a step total earned earlier.
Inside the product
From the app itself.
