18yo first iOS app: blocks distracting apps and unlocks with QR/barcode
I built Recode because I realized I was spending 8-10 hours a day on my phone pretty consistently. I tried other screen time apps but I found them too easy to bypass and end my blocks whenever I wanted to use an app. My solution was to build an app blocker app that makes users have to scan a physical QR/barcode to take a break from their app blocks. This helped me be able to get my screen time down to just a few hours everyday since I didn't want to physically get up and go across the house to get my barcode. Anyways, since it worked for me I felt like sharing it. App store link:…
18yo first iOS app: blocks distracting apps and unlocks with QR/barcode launched on October 19, 2025 with 30 votes, #487 of 8,178 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.
In plain words
Recode is an iOS app blocker that prevents users from easily bypassing restrictions by requiring them to scan a physical QR or barcode code to unlock blocked apps. Designed for people struggling with excessive phone use, it adds friction to the process of taking breaks from app blocks, encouraging users to reconsider whether they really need to interrupt their focus. The app helped its creator reduce daily screen time from 8-10 hours to just a few hours by making it inconvenient to disable blocks without leaving their phone behind.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Download Recode: Screen Time Control by Alexander Hartigan on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Recode: Screen…
Productivity Developer Alexander Hartigan Language EN English Size 2.9 MB iPhone Stop scrolling. Start living. Recode is the only screen time app that requires you to physically scan a QR code or barcode to unlock your blocked apps. No easy bypass. No cheating. Just real accountability. How it works: 1. Choose which apps to block and set your schedule. 2. Pick any QR code or barcode as your unlock key — a book on your shelf, a code at your desk, anything. 3. When you want to unblock, you have to physically go scan it. That friction is what makes Recode work. Why it's different: Other screen time apps let you bypass limits with a single tap. Recode doesn't. The physical requirement of…from apps.apple.com
In the maker’s words, at launch
I built Recode because I realized I was spending 8-10 hours a day on my phone pretty consistently. I tried other screen time apps but I found them too easy to bypass and end my blocks whenever I wanted to use an app. My solution was to build an app blocker app that makes users have to scan a physical QR/barcode…
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Source: Show HN post ↗ · launch text quoted in part
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