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I built an app that blocks social media until you read Quran daily

I built an app that blocks social media until you read Quran daily

by kalyfacloud·Mar 8, 2026·3 points·2 comments
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AI Analysis

●●SolidSolve My ProblemNiche Gem

200K users in 3 months, but habit-blocking exists (Freedom, BePresent, Digital Wellbeing).

Strengths
  • •Strong product-market fit: 64.9% retention and 4.8-star rating after 3 months validates real user need.
  • •Clever constraint design: Quran reading unlock is psychologically smarter than generic app blockers.
  • •Cross-platform parity: React Native + native Screen Time/UsageStats APIs ship on both iOS and Android simultaneously.
Weaknesses
  • •Quran reader UX is basic—users request font sizing, landscape mode, translations, but app focuses on blocking.
  • •Generic app-blocker category (Freedom, BePresent, Digital Wellbeing) already solved this problem; religious framing is differentiation, not innovation.
Category
Health
Target Audience

Muslims seeking to build consistent Quran reading habits and reduce phone addiction.

Similar To

Freedom · BePresent · Digital Wellbeing

Post Description

Hey HN, I'm a solo developer from Nigeria. I built Quran Unlock - an app that blocks distracting apps (TikTok, Instagram, etc.) until you complete your daily Quran reading. The idea came from my own struggle with phone addiction. I wanted to read Quran daily but kept getting distracted. So I built this for myself, then shared it.

Some stats after 3 months: - 200K+ users - 64.9% returning user rate - 31M events tracked

Tech stack: - React Native - Firebase (Auth, Firestore, Analytics, Cloud Messaging) - RevenueCat for subscriptions - iOS Screen Time API + Android UsageStats

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/quran-unlock/id6754449406

Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.quranu...

Would love feedback from the HN community!

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