Hacker News: artzev_

Ask HN: Whats the best friction approach to breaking phone habits

artzev_ — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 16:05:09 +0000

been thinking about friction design patterns vs pure blocking for phone habits. blocking feels punitive - you hit a wall every time. friction is different - you add a 5-60 second delay before opening the app, but you still decide to open it. the pause breaks the automatic reach and forces intention.

any hn folks tried approaches like this? does friction actually change behavior better than removal/blocking? curious what patterns work best in practice.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47196925

Points: 1

# Comments: 3

Tell HN: I launched a focus app on Kickstarter – what I learned about friction

artzev_ — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:04:19 +0000

launched minifon on kickstarter - its an ios launcher that adds delays before distracting apps. been thinking about friction vs blocking. friction (5-60s delay) lets you still reach the app but that pause breaks autopilot. blocking feels punitive, friction feels like a speedbump you chose. curious if behavior change works better with intentional friction vs removing access

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47153374

Points: 3

# Comments: 0

New comment by artzev_ in "The power of daily rituals (2021)"

artzev_ — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 02:17:11 +0000

friction makes rituals stick. if opening instagram takes 2 seconds instead of zero, that pause is where the ritual lives. you notice the choice instead of autopilot. works for building good habits too - the slowdown creates space for intention

New comment by artzev_ in "Attention Media ≠ Social Networks"

artzev_ — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 16:02:01 +0000

friction is underrated as an attention design pattern. blocking feels punitive, friction just makes you notice the reach instead of being on autopilot. not saying it solves algorithmic feeds, but the pause before opening apps changes the math for most people