AwareThumb

AwareThumb doesn't block YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels. It interrupts the reflex. When you open Shorts or Reels, AwareThumb pauses the video and shows a calm screen asking: do you really want to watch this? Continue unlocks after a few seconds – just long enough to notice whether it's a decision or a habit. Want to watch? Watch. AwareThumb sets no time limits and never judges what you watch. HOW IT WORKS • A pause before the feed – the checkpoint appears when you enter Shorts or Reels, and again on each new video. • You decide – "Allow this once", "Don't ask again for 10 minutes" or "Don't ask again today". • Go back at any time – closes the checkpoint and returns to the previous screen. • Choose the pause: 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 seconds. • Separate switches for YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. PRIVACY AwareThumb runs entirely on your phone. No account, no server, no ads, no analytics and no watch history. ACCESSIBILITY SERVICE To recognise when Shorts or Reels open, AwareThumb uses Android's AccessibilityService. It only checks which app is on screen and, inside YouTube and Instagram, the layout of the screen – element IDs and positions. It never reads any text – no video titles, comments, messages or anything you type – and sends nothing anywhere. You switch access on yourself, after agreeing to it in the app. SUBSCRIPTION The first 14 days are free. After that, AwareThumb is a monthly or yearly subscription at the price shown in Google Play, renewing automatically until you cancel in Google Play. Cancel before the trial ends and you pay nothing.