Inspiration
We constantly get distracted from our work by procrastinating on our phones. Our idea was to develop an app that would stop us from accessing distracting apps while studying. We also wanted it to require the user to answer a question correctly to be able to use their phone again.
What it does
Get Off Your Phone has a simple switch to toggle study mode on or off. Once study mode is on, the user can't leave the app unless they answer a question related to their studies or the 1-hour countdown finishes (or, if they really really need to use their phone, unlock it in the settings)!
How we built it
We used Android Studio for development and Git for version control. The app is written in Java.
Challenges we ran into
Many of us on the team are beginners at programming, and all of us are entirely new to Android development! Learning how to use Android Studio as well as version control was a huge hurdle for us all. It took a long time until we were able to simply get the same project on each of our own devices.
Another challenge was implementing the main function of restricting access to other apps. We settled on using what is essentially the Screen Pin feature in Android, which is not exactly what we envisioned. Also, because most of the team was new to programming, learning how to use Java was tough.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We're proud that the app functions at all! It was the first time that any of us had ever even seen Android Studio. The fact that we got something to show up on the screen-- and also function similarly to what we envisioned-- is fulfilling.
What we learned
Everything. Well, just about everything it took to build this was something new for us to learn! Some of us learned Java, some of us brushed up on objects and classes, and others learned version control.
What's next for Get Off Your Phone!
Right now, the questions are simple placeholders, like 2+2. Ideally, we'd have questions that vary based on what the user is studying, but that will take a lot more time to implement. It's on our list for development though :)
We'd also like to implement a timer that automatically turns off study mode after a chosen amount of time that can be customized by the user. Ideally, the user would select for how long they want the app to run.
Categories
Education, Mobile App, Health
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