Inspiration
Phone addiction is one of the largest problems of our generation, and we wanted to develop something that would combat that. We noticed that the issue wasn't just the time spent on apps, but opening social media out of pure habit with no real intention. Instead of creating another restrictive app blocker, we were inspired to build a tool that introduces a gentle pause for reflection, empowering users to make more conscious decisions about their digital consumption.
What it does
BrainFreeze is a mobile app that promotes mindful technology use. When a user attempts to open a potentially distracting application like Instagram or TikTok, BrainFreeze intercepts the launch. It then initiates a voice-based conversation powered by AI, asking thoughtful questions like, "What is your intention for opening this app?" or "What are you hoping to achieve right now?" Based on the user's spoken response, the AI can either grant immediate access or guide the user through a moment of reflection, helping them decide if opening the app aligns with their goals.
How we built it
Core App: The user interface and core logic were built with Flutter and Dart, allowing for a reactive and visually appealing cross-platform experience.
AI & Voice: The conversational brain is powered by Google's Gemini AI API. We integrated the ElevenLabs API for its high-quality, natural-sounding text-to-speech output and speech-to-text recognition.
iOS Integration: To achieve the app interception, we built a native component in Swift using App Intents. This is triggered by the user setting up an automation in the iOS Shortcuts app, which uses a custom URL scheme to launch BrainFreeze.
Development Tools: We accelerated our development process using AI-powered coding assistants like Claude within the Cursor IDE to help write, debug, and refactor code.
Challenges we ran into
Our biggest challenge was getting the iOS app interception working with Shortcuts. iOS is a very sandboxed operating system, and there's no direct way to prevent an app from launching. Our multi-step solution (Shortcut to Native Intent to Flutter App) was complex to orchestrate.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are incredibly proud of successfully engineering a workaround for iOS app interception. It’s a clean, deep system integration that provides the core functionality of our app on a traditionally locked-down platform. We are also proud of creating a seamless, fully voice-driven conversational flow that feels natural and engaging. Finally, we successfully designed an experience that acts as a mindful partner, not just a frustrating barrier.
What we learned
This project taught us a lot about mobile development, specifically Flutter architecture and the Dart programing language. We learned to use emulators. We also learned to manage time properly.
What's next for Brain Freeze
Customization: Allowing users to choose different AI voices, set their own reflection questions, and customize the list of target apps. App Store Publication: Polishing the app for an official release on the iOS App Store to get it into the hands of more users. History: Allowing users to keep track of transcripts of past conversations with BrainFreeze. AI Personality Modes: Introducing selectable modes like gentle, normal, and aggressive to adjust the AI's conversational tone and the strictness of its intervention
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.