Roots is not just another screen time app. We're the first to quantify the digital dopamine you get from using your phone, and we help you build a better relationship with your phone from the ground up.
Hey everyone! 👋
Clint here, founder of Roots - I'm excited to share what we've been working on, and offer you a sweet discount for you to try it out.
🌳 What is Roots?
Roots helps you build a better relationship with your phone — by quantifying your digital dopamine, helping you replace time spent scrolling with better things, and adding a little friction to those troublesome apps.
💡 What problem do we solve?
Our phones are incredible tools, but they can also be very addicting. We help you build a thoughtful relationship with your phone — so you can scroll less, be more present, and unlock time for better things.
✅ How is Roots different?
There are other screen time apps, and Apple even has some built in tools that can help, but we're different, and here's why:
- Monitor Digital Dopamine (not all screen time is equal)
- Block apps with Monk Mode (limits you can't skip)
- Track your Balance Score (like a sleep score for your phone)
- Set up Scroll Replacements (for me, it's reading and walking outside)
- Build a streak and earn cheat days (scroll away, guilt free)
🎯 Who is Roots for?
We all struggle with our phone screen time, but we've found Roots adds the most value for working professionals, parents, remote workers, and health enthusiasts who want to:
- Unlock more time
- Boost productivity
- Improve your wellbeing
- Strengthen relationships
- Get better sleep
📱Does it actually work?
Our average user is saving 2 hours per day thanks to Roots. We have a lot of people who have tried countless other apps, and tricks to limit screen time — and they're telling us Roots is the first thing they've actually been able to stick to.
💰Special offer for Product Hunt:
Try Roots free for 7 days, plus get 50% off our paid plan (so, only ~$2.50 per month) with discount code "PH50".
Plus, we offer free and discounted subscriptions through our needs-based program for students, teachers, and other folks who need a little help.
❓Frequently asked questions:
- What exactly are digital dopamine hits? The best way to describe it simply is to think of all the taps, scrolls, notifications, and attention grabbing content you engage with — all of these little things can trigger the little dopamine 'hit'.
- What if it doesn't work for me? We offer a free trial, and 100% money-back guarantee
@shadmannazim Awesome to hear that you like the app focus, and appreciate the positive feedback! We hope you can check it out and let us know what you think!
@leonardsellem thanks for the note! We are "coming soon" in some EU countries at the moment, but we are planning to launch soon (hopefully well before Dec!). Thanks for your interest, and we're excited for you to try it out when we go live in France!
First, huge congrats on the launch! 🎉 After checking out Roots, I realized how much time I waste on apps like PH, IG, X, and Reddit, especially on weekends(Have to look in my screentime stats.). Looking forward to trying out your solution to beat doom scrolling. Here's to more productive screen time!
@brave_nick Big thanks for your words and support Nick! It truly is insane how much time it totals to.. Time spent scrolling goes by fast! Excited for you to get started, let's goo you got this! 🚀
I love this idea! Can't wait to try this and finally detach from my phone. The summer is such a great time to launch it so we can all reconnect with nature and enjoy the sun ☀️
@edoardorainoldi Thanks so much Edoardo! Super excited for you to check it out! That sounds like a perfect summer challenge to stay off our devices and enjoy the sun to the fullest! Hope you have an amazing one! ☀️
Hey. Congratulations on the launch! This is truly meaningful for me. I have to use laptops everyday for work, which cause a great pressure to my eyes. When I come back home, I feel boring and prefer to scroll social medias without any intention. I would be happy if there's an app that could help me away from phone.
And my question is, does this app have some interesting ideas provided for users ? Then can can do something instead of playing the phone.
@abby_zhao Thanks a lot Abby, we are super excited to hear that! One of our key angles to building better balance with our phones is to not only cut down on screen time but to spend more time on the things you love doing. So once you set up Roots, you can define all the things you love doing, (Reading, Going outside, Spending time with family etc.) and once you get blocked from your apps, we will gently nudge you to do any of these things instead of continuing scrolling!
I've had to power off my phone a number of times because it was just too distracting as I work. Looks like Roots is a good alternative - gonna install now!
@thisissukh_ Sometimes the power off technique is the best! We're excited to provide a good alternative that helps you build a better overall relationship in an approachable way. Let us know what you think if you give Roots a try!
While I find it easy to dive deep into overanalyzing anything and everything, I really like the simple Balance Score. It rolls everything up into one super simple score and helps me be mindful of what's taking my attention. Is my phone becoming an idol or a tool - for me, the latter. P.S. ❤️ the UI/UX
@sam_lepak I can definitely relate to overanalyzing everything. I got a little too hooked on tracking my sleep a few months ago. Glad to hear you like the simplicity of the Balance Score, and love the UI/UX! Definitely takes some work to make your phone a tool instead of an idol. Thanks for taking the time to share!
@jasmina_stamenovic Thanks so much Jasmina! So excited it resonates with you, and our name! :) Would love your thoughts when you get into it – here for you if you have any questions!
@anastasiia_stepko Hi Anastasiia, thanks for your note! Really love your Pomodoro timer by the way, looks amazing!
@clinjar can probably break it down even more for you but from my design side of things, UI is definitely a big part of an experience being excellent as it very quickly becomes complicated and confusing otherwise.
Digital Dopamine monitoring is a key differentiator as all screen time shouldn't be treated equally since they do affect us differently. Daily balance score is powerful to see how balanced your days are in terms of time on or off your phone, and if you stick to your goals. Scroll replacements is also a big one, as with every habit, you often need to replace a bad one with a new one - Like calling your mom and check in with her on the latest in her life instead of watching another Instagram reel.
@anastasiia_stepko Thank you for the note! I think Pontus did a great job with some of the differences but I'll add a few more thoughts!
We think that any great market will have several leaders (think UPS & Fedex, Calm & Headspace, Zoom & Teams, etc). In this case, and many other markets, there is some overlap in the top rated solutions.
We think the brand, approachability, and design are key differentiators, in addition to the unique features Pontus mentioned — digital dopamine tracking, daily balance score, monk mode, and scroll replacements.
A lot of the screen time apps have a similar goal (to get you off your phone!), but it's fun to see all the different ways various teams are approaching the problem.
We believe the market is big enough to support several big players, and would love for you to give Roots a try and see what you think.
Sounds great, but unfortunately not yet available in the European app store (I'm in the Netherlands). Can only "pre-order" it in the app store. It says it'll be available December 1st. Might want to check on that @clinjar :)
@emarky Thanks for your note Wilco! One of our main focuses right now is to launch in Europe as well, we picked a date later this year for this but actually anticipate availability very soon as we get it out!
The best way to stay tuned meanwhile is to pre-order and you will get a notification when it's showtime! 😊
@stas_mikhaylov1 Hi Stas! We are "coming soon" in some countries at the moment, but we are planning to launch in Singapore soon (hopefully well before Dec!). We're excited for you to try it out once it comes!
Hi all makers and creatives! I’m Pontus, Co-Founder & Head of Design at Roots and I'm thrilled to introduce what we are building to you all! I thought I'd share a bit about our design vision and principles as you get familiar with Roots for the first time 🌳
I could start by saying that simplicity is one of our core principles, which it is, but I want to highlight an even more important focus: Supportive. It's tough to get off our phones, it truly is, and I've struggled with this for many years as well. It often starts with a bit of scrolling and ends up consuming all of you. That's why we aim to deliver an experience that feels supportive in facing this challenge. All the way from our tree illustration, representing your daily balance score, to the way we communicate, provide information, and gently nudge you to put down your phone – all without negativity or disruption.
We strive for a product experience free from unnecessary complexities, ensuring the highest quality of interactions to move you through Roots seamlessly.
Lastly, we infuse playfulness into our design with thoughtful details like animations and transitions. Currently, our app has a light and fresh look, but we’re excited to bring you a lovely dark mode soon. Until then, our website offers a dark, cinematic vibe, perfect for showcasing vivid visuals and depth. Check it out at http://getroots.app and explore the details we’ve crafted so far – I think you’ll like it!
We're just getting started, so if you have any thoughts or questions, especially on the design side, I'm here for you! I can't wait to continue this journey with you all as we will launch in Europe very soon too!
Thanks a lot for your support! 🚀
/Pontus
@jo_jo26 Very excited that this resonates with you! Totally agree with you and absolutely, we are here to help you get the best sleep you've ever had hopefully haha! A great simple setup is to have a phone downtime at 9-11pm right before bed, blocking out social media etc!
@jo_jo26 That sounds awesome! Totally get what you mean! FOMO, fear of missing out, from social activity once reduced is definitely one of the struggles we try to help with and there are several ways you can setup your limits so that it doesn't overwhelm you in this habit change. We're here if you want any further tips!
@jo_jo26 Compromising is definitely a part of it but maybe even more so to be kind to ourselves and not make a too big of a first step. So starting small instead with a little less screen time per day and then increase week by week. Curious on how it goes!
I've been using Opal for 6 months now. When I first saw this product, it looked very similar. But after digging in a bit, it seems you've come up with a better solution and you've addressed my biggest issue with Opal.
Opal allows me to categorize screen time as good or bad, but the reporting treats all screen time the same.
I don't care about my screen time, I care about WASTED time. There is a big difference.
Looking forward to giving Roots a try!
@matty_reed Thanks a lot for this Matty! We are excited to hear this! Would love to hear more of your thoughts after you've tried it out so feel free to reach out with any reflections so that we can improve even more!
@victor_crum We are happy to hear this! Certainly, this is a very important part of our mission and approach to help everyone who wants to be more present for life. Thanks Victor!
The concept of digital dopamine is intriguing. How does Roots measure and quantify it, and what kind of insights can users gain from this data? Any plans to expand beyond iOS? Congrats on the launch, Clint & Pontus!
@kyrylosilin thanks for the note and good questions!
The best way to think about quantifying digital dopamine is — all of the little taps, scrolls, and notifications that happen on your device as you use it. We also have a more detailed write up about it here: https://www.getroots.app/posts/c...
The insights you can gain from it include:
- understanding which apps have the biggest impact on you each day (not just based on screen time)
- watching your overall digital dopamine trend over time as a key indicator of your balance with your phone
We use the apple screen time api so all data is completely private and stays on your device.
Last but not least, we do have plans to expand internationally and will be launching in EU and most other countries we aren’t currently live in before the end of the year (if not sooner!)
@iris_matt This is fantastic to hear! Monk Mode is definitely one of our most loved features so we are glad it helps you stay focused and reduce distractions! Thank you Iris!
I've been one of those guys. Spending hours on socials thinking I am networking while the work I have to get done keeps on sitting, or my life partner is just doom-scrolling instead of making a closer connection. Tried all competitors, iOS screen time, and honestly - all were bulshit. Roots changed my perception on how to connect with the world, that's not in our screens and helped me cure my addiction to constantly check what's going on, as honestly - if it was important somebody would call me. Couldn't recommend Roots more!
@denisjeliazkov Thanks so much for your support and appreciation Denislav! Your story is so relatable to so many of us! We are certainly on a big mission here to find better balance in life with less scrolling and more presence in life. Super exciting, thanks again! 🙏
Roots