Why I Built a 3-Second "Exit Button" for My Smartphone

The "infinite scroll" isn't a lack of willpower—it’s a design problem. Here is how I used a simple psychological trick to take my time back.

We’ve all been there. You pick up your phone to check a quick message or the weather. Forty minutes later, you’re deep in a rabbit hole of random videos, feeling drained, anxious, and stuck.

I realized that I didn't need another complex habit tracker or a restrictive app blocker that I would eventually just bypass. I needed a digital circuit breaker.

The Problem: The Dopamine Loop

Most social apps are built using the "Hooked Model"—a cycle of triggers and rewards that keeps us scrolling. When we are in this "scroll trance," our conscious brain is essentially offline. To stop, we don't need more willpower; we need a pattern interrupt.

The Solution: neboo.me

I built neboo to act as a manual override for my brain. It’s a minimalist web app (PWA) that sits on my home screen, right next to the apps that usually steal my focus.

It works through a three-step psychological intervention:

1. The 3-Second Delay: When you feel stuck, you open neboo and hit the "Exit Now" button. It forces a 3-second breathing animation. This tiny delay is enough to "wake up" your conscious mind from the scroll reflex.

2. The 30-Second Swap: Instead of just telling you to "stop," neboo gives you a randomized, 30-second micro-habit. It might be drinking a glass of water, stretching, or looking out a window. This provides a healthy "variable reward" to replace the dopamine hit from the feed.

3. Minutes Reclaimed: The app tracks how much time you’ve saved locally on your device. Seeing those "minutes reclaimed" grow creates a sense of achievement and investment in your own focus.

Privacy by Design

One thing I hated about most productivity tools was the friction. I didn't want to create another account, see ads, or have my data tracked.

That’s why neboo is privacy-first:

• No accounts: Just open and use.

• No tracking: I don't see your data; it stays entirely in your browser's local storage.

• No ads: It’s a tool, not a business.

How to Use It

You don't need to download anything from an app store. You can simply visit neboo.me and "Add to Home Screen" on your iPhone or Android. It’s a Progressive Web App (PWA) designed to be as lightweight and "Zen" as possible.

In a world where every app is fighting for your attention, neboo is the only one designed to give it back to you.