Brainrot: Screen Time Control

What it does

Brainrot is a digital wellbeing app designed to help users reduce their screen time. It gamifies phone usage by translating it into a "brain health" score, represented by a cute brain mascot. The app allows users to track usage, block distracting apps based on custom rules, and monitor their progress over time.

Where it shines

Brainrot's strength lies in its ability to make the abstract consequences of screen time feel tangible and urgent. The onboarding immediately grabs attention with an interactive slider (00:32) that visually depicts a healthy brain degrading into "full rot." This is followed by a powerful calculation that reframes the user's daily habit into years of life lost (01:11), creating a strong motivation to change. The app's core functionality is also straightforward, with easy-to-create blocking rules (04:17) and clear progress visualization in a calendar view (03:53).

UX highlights

Memorable Mascot: The brain character is used throughout the app to create an emotional connection and provide visual feedback on the user's health score.
Interactive Value Prop: The "see for yourself" slider (00:32) is a standout interactive element that immediately communicates the app's core concept.
Quick-Setup Rules: The blocking rules screen includes pre-configured options like "Weekend Detox" (04:53), reducing the setup friction for common use cases.
Clear Data Visualization: The calendar view uses daily brain icons to give users an at-a-glance history of their performance (03:53), encouraging consistency.
Numbered Product Tour: After subscribing, a 13-step guided tour with a progress counter (02:34) systematically introduces all key features, ensuring users understand the value they paid for.
Helpful Instructions: Screens like the widget setup guide (03:05) provide clear, numbered steps with visuals, making it easy for users to enable all features.

Monetization & growth

Monetization is handled through a subscription model, presented after the onboarding quiz and setup. At 02:13, the app shows a paywall offering a 7-day free trial for its yearly plan, highlighting an 87% discount compared to the monthly option. The paywall uses a visual timeline to clarify when the user will be charged, building transparency. A rating prompt with user testimonials (02:03) appears just before the paywall, leveraging social proof to increase conversion.

Who it’s for

Brainrot is for anyone who feels they spend too much time on their phone and wants a simple, motivating tool to regain control. It seems particularly aimed at younger audiences familiar with the term "brain rot" and who respond to gamified, visual feedback. The focus on blocking distracting social media and entertainment apps makes it ideal for students or professionals looking to improve their focus and productivity.

Notes & opportunities

While the onboarding is very strong, the post-subscription tour is quite long at 13 steps. Although it's comprehensive, some users might feel fatigued and skip it, missing key information. An opportunity could be to make the tour more contextual, revealing tips as the user explores different sections for the first time, rather than presenting everything upfront. Additionally, the dashboard's data takes a moment to load (04:00), which could be improved with more optimistic UI updates to feel faster.