Arc: Screen Time Control

Great app!! Really got my off my phone and building healthier habits. New years goal is to fix that broken dopamine cycle of watching short form content, and this is clearly the best way to do that!

I was 100% addicted to my phone when I first downloaded this app. Endlessly doomscrolling up to an hour at a time. I knew it was a waste of time, but I truly couldn’t stop myself from scrolling—it was just too easy to keep swiping. Ever since getting this app, my habits have changed so significantly it’s remarkable. At first, I would frequently hit my session limits for Instagram, even though it was set at a lengthy 20 minutes. Now, months later, this app has trained me out of wasting time on Instagram (and other apps). I rarely hit the session limits now and have started naturally spending my free time doing something better like playing guitar or reading. It’s ridiculous how such a big change came from an app, but it makes sense when you consider the design. The basis for my addiction to Instagram was my total disassociation with time (and thinking). The design of the arc nudges are genius because of how obnoxious they are—always reminding you that you’re doing nothing of value. As such, disassociation is impossible. However, if the nudges don’t deter you, the session limits will. When you finally hit your session limit, the decision to keep using the app is taken out of your hand. You’re just totally locked out, which forces you to find something else to do. One of the best things about this app though, is how customizable it is. What may work for me may not work for you. For example, my wife (who also uses and loves this app), doesn’t like the nudges and doesn’t find them helpful, so she’s turned them off. Her session limits and target apps are also different than mine. In this way, even though our methods are different, our results are the same—less wasted time! This app is such a great value and I can’t see myself without it. Do yourself a favor, give it a try and get your life back!

Love this app! It’s seriously helped me cut down my screen time without feeling restrictive. I had no idea how much time I’d get back just by scrolling less—suddenly I’m actually doing things again instead of getting sucked into my phone. The nudges are super helpful, and I really like that you can pick which apps to track.