Friction means making the automatic route less automatic
Friction is any extra step between an impulse and the behavior: moving an app, signing out, leaving a device outside the bedroom, or temporarily shielding access. None of these choices eliminates desire. They create time and effort where the old pattern used to be instant.
Use layers instead of one perfect barrier
A single blocker can fail if you know how to bypass it. A better setup uses several small layers: environmental changes, app restrictions, a physical reset, and a prewritten reason or commitment. The strength comes from the sequence, not from pretending one wall can do everything.
Pair restriction with a replacement action
Blocking access without changing what you are doing can leave you sitting in the same place with the same urge. Pair friction with movement. Stand up, walk, complete a short mission, scan a real-world object, or do another task that forces attention into the environment around you.
Smart verification can make the reset active
Override uses supported on-device computer vision for certain missions so the app can help verify that a real-world action happened without needing to upload your camera feed. That turns the intervention from a message you can dismiss into an action you have to complete.
Set it up before you need it
Choose your friction while calm. Decide which apps are high risk, define your reset, and make the intervention easy to launch. In the moment, the best plan is usually the one that requires the fewest new decisions.
Build the interruption before the urge.
Override combines temporary app shielding with active real-world missions — including supported smart computer-vision checks — to help you break the route while the urge is live.