October 6, 2026

Mornings = Coco. Days = work. Evenings = my phone wins.

Hey!

After our baby Coco is asleep, it looks like this:

Dopamine addiction.

Yet my days are pretty good...

Coco playtime in the morning.
Exercise before work.

Trying to find that balance where I'm a present, connected and time-dedicated father.

And going to work to provide her the best possible life.

The balance is mostly good.
We're living a good life in Antwerp for September and October:

I go to work.
I'm building very cool things.
Plus some useful tools along the way. Four cards; skip past if you like:

One more thing built... surprise... read on...

Then I get to the evening.

Mornings = Coco.
Days = work.
Evening — I really want something for me.

Yet I'm tired.

So I grab the easy dopamine.
And scroll my phone, chasing a feeling of something for myself.

Then I miss a good bedtime.
And the cycle repeats.

The biggest thing I'm missing is some connected time with Bene.

That should be the easy thing to reach for.

So I decided to see if I could build a tool.

I've tried things in the past.

A Light Phone. I had their original Kickstarter and the Light Phone II.
I tried another physical e-ink device.

Yet this couldn't stick, because Apple's hardware is just so good!

I want the amazing camera, the music, the apps that I use as useful tools.
Just without the doom scrolling.
And not to buy yet another device!

Useful apps kept, scroll apps crossed out

So the solution is 'Calm Phone'.

A custom app.
Built on Foqos, an open-source app blocker, using Apple's Screen Time controls. The same controls behind parental settings.
It locks all the distractions.
Schedules the phone into greyscale in the evenings and at night (an iOS Shortcut does that part).
And is unlockable when I need more.

FYI: you could turn on parental settings and get the same thing.

The problem: you unlock once. Bene is the 'parental setting'.
I have to go back to her to lock it again.
It often stayed unlocked.

So this version controls the unlock length.
Unlock for 15 minutes to check that important website.
It locks again.

If you want it, it's open source.
You can download it, install it and customise it (via Claude Code, Cursor, etc.).
You will need an Apple Developer account — €99 a year.

However, if just one person replies "I want this", I'll find a way to share the real app.

Thank you for reading!

If this is useful, maybe there's a friend or family member that needs a calm phone!