Through the app, users can create profiles, selecting which apps they\u2019d like to block when. They can then unblock said apps by scanning a preset barcode, NFC tag or a manual unblock, depending on the profile.<\/p>\n
\u201cI put my NFC tags at the bottom of my sock drawer, and I would start a focus session, essentially to get away from these (social media and distracting) apps,\u201d Waseem told LWC.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving to go down to the bottom of my sock drawer to find this plastic thing, to get access to those apps, really helped and made me create a really healthy relationship with my phone instead of opening my phone every time I\u2019m bored to get a hit of dopamine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the app needs access to a phone\u2019s screen time, it is completely unpaid and open source. Waseem said that users do not need to set up an account, he does not care about personal information, and the only data he sees are download numbers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want people to have that healthy relationship, and I think the only way to do that is to make that barrier to entry as low as possible. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s right to charge (money),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Currently, Foqos\u2019s only true cost is the annual developer fee, which keeps the app on the Apple App store. Waseem said that as a solo developer, the app is essentially free to maintain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something that I made for myself and maintain myself, the fees I\u2019m paying are totally sustainable for me right now. I had never inclination to make it bigger. I never spent any money on marketing, and I don\u2019t pay for any server costs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Similar screentime awareness apps and products often charge upfront or for an ongoing subscription, something that Foqos will never incorporate.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the stuff that these apps use are built into your iPhone, which is the crazier part; these other companies are using the same (software) that\u2019s built into your iPhone to build these features, but charging you 100 times the margins,\u201d Waseem said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat just did not stick right to me personally.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Foqos blocking an app<\/p>\n
Calgary to its core<\/p>\n
Waseem\u2019s 11-year software development career is rooted in his electrical engineering degree from the University of Calgary. Aside from the apps\u2019 numerous callouts designating it as Calgary-made, Waseem, who moved to Alberta from Pakistan in Grade 3, relied on the city\u2019s entrepreneurial culture through places like House 831<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started releasing Foqos, I wanted to get feedback from these individuals, and they thought it was such a good idea and there were so many really good tips from the entrepreneurship community in Calgary to grow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Now, some 700 downloads a day later, Waseem has seen the reality of phone addiction.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s extremely daunting to see how many people are actually addicted to their phones. I see it all the time, I see it in grocery stores where people are waiting to check out, and people are watching TikToks in the checkout line, where 10 years ago, you would chat with a clerk. You\u2019d be looking at the snacks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it\u2019s better for your calories, but you\u2019d be doing other things than just opening up your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from Foqos and its first-year success, Waseem works full-time in software development. As it stands now, that won\u2019t change in the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rails to monetize Foqos are long dead, and I just want to keep it as a passion project. Obviously, I\u2019ll fix bugs as people see them, but to me, it\u2019s costing me, essentially, maybe a few hours a week to maintain and some small fees, that\u2019s it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s gonna stay that way until I die. But for now, as long as I\u2019m healthy and able-bodied, Foqos will always stay free.\u201d<\/p>\n Liked it? Take a second to support Kaiden Brayshaw – Local Journalism Initiative on Patreon!<\/p>\n
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