I built a 1:1 coaching service to reduce my screen time

In plain words

Zabit is a coaching service that helps people reduce screen time and improve everyday habits like fitness, sleep, and diet through accountability with real human coaches. The service integrates with iOS Screen Time to block apps, and requires users to write a 25-character justification to their coach before overriding app limits. It's designed for iPhone users who struggle with smartphone and social media overuse and want structured support to change their habits.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hi HN! I'm a former Facebook engineer who has struggled with smartphone / social media usage (ironic) for many years. The accountability of a personal trainer really worked for me to start a consistent fitness routine, so I've spent the past two years building out a low cost, lightweight coaching service (with…

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  Mom ClockJan 2026 · momclock.com · ▲742

  Hi HN, I’ve tried dozens of reminder and habit apps over the years. They’re all polite. Gentle. Easy to ignore. So I built something intentionally different. Mom Clock is a reminder app that behaves more like a strict parent than a productivity coach: – no snoozing – no “later” – optional app blocking using Screen Time APIs The idea came from my own behavior: I don’t need motivation — I need enforcement. This is not for everyone. Some people hate it. Some people love it. I’m genuinely curious where HN stands on this tradeoff: comfort vs. effectiveness. Happy to answer questions about: –…

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  Meaning2024 · usemeaning.com · ▲197

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  iOS Screen Time from a REST API2025 · thescreentimenetwork.com · ▲106

  We're Oliver and Royce and we're the founders of Clearspace. We build tools to help people reduce their screen time (here’s us two years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35888644) We get all kinds of requests from users for ways they'd like to use their screen time data. - “Auto-donate $x to charity every time I exceed a limit or try to bypass it” - “My 75 Hard group has a screen time requirement, can we set up group visibility?” - “Let my personal agent know if it’s a good time to tackle things on my todo list” - “Auto-report large deviations in my screen time to my…

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  RescueTime for Mobile2018 · rescuetime.com · ▲142

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  AppBlocker2022 · play.google.com · ▲73

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