FocusVault — Choice Architecture for Your Phone

Manage phone use with systemized choice architecture, not willpower

Problem

People try timed lock boxes, Tasker scripts, and iMazing app limits, but the solutions are fragmented, don't sync across devices, and rarely stick. One user wrote a detailed account of chaining Kitchen Safe boxes, custom blocking systems, and a Raspberry Pi setup to control phone use, showing a recurring, high-frequency pain of failed self-control tooling.

Solution

A cross-platform habit intervention app that combines timed lockout, focus-hour blocking, pre-use commitment check-ins, and social accountability into configurable rules. The point isn't blocking—it's automating the user's own pre-committed strategy and logging failure reasons to iterate.

Users

Knowledge workers cutting phone time, parents of teens, and digital wellbeing enthusiasts

MVP

Configure focus hours and app allowlists; 10-second pre-use commitment check; one-tap timed lockout; weekly violation log with improvement suggestions; shareable strategy templates

Revenue

Free base tier plus subscription for multi-device sync and advanced rules ($3-6/mo); family plan per seat

Why now

Native Screen Time is coarse and platform-locked. AI can analyze a user's failure patterns and generate personalized interventions, and indies can differentiate via Shortcuts and automation without needing platform-level privileges.