Inspiration
Most habit trackers are overly positive, gentle, or gamified but real motivation sometimes comes from a little tough love. We wanted to build an app that cuts through the fluff and calls you out when you slack off, in a way that’s funny, sarcastic, and brutally honest. That spark of humor and accountability inspired Rude Habit.
What it does
Rude Habit lets users create habits, set reminders, and mark them as completed or missed. Instead of sending motivational quotes, the app uses sarcastic, rude, or witty notifications (powered by AI) to keep users accountable. It turns consistency tracking into something entertaining, making self-improvement less boring and more engaging.
How we built it
Frontend: iOS app built with SwiftUI for a clean, modern interface. Notifications: Integrated OpenAI to generate personalized, sarcastic push notifications based on user habits and streaks. Data handling: Data synced with firebase firestore backend for habits and completion history, with consistency analytics to show progress. Design: Simple, minimal UI to focus on the habit flow, paired with playful copywriting for a unique brand voice.
Challenges we ran into
Balancing humor with actual usefulness, making sure notifications feel funny but still motivating. Handling iOS push notifications reliably during both development and production builds. Fine-tuning AI prompts so responses feel sarcastic but not offensive. Designing a lightweight system without requiring a backend, while still keeping data meaningful.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Built a habit tracker that feels different from every other “cheerful” one out there. Seamlessly integrated AI-generated sarcasm into notifications. Created a working MVP that’s fun, functional, and actually makes users laugh while staying accountable.
What we learned
Humor can be a powerful tool for engagement in apps when used responsibly. Prompt engineering is crucial when working with AI, small changes make a big difference. Push notifications are more nuanced than expected, especially on iOS with tokens and certificates. Sometimes the best user experience comes from breaking conventions (like being intentionally rude).
What's next for Rude Habit
Add streak-based “levels of rudeness”, the longer you miss habits, the sassier the app gets. Market the app and gather feedback from more users. Expand tone customization: let users choose between “light sarcasm,” “brutal roast,” or “coach-style tough love.” Implement social features where friends can roast each other for missed habits.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.