Press Kit

About memu lock

Hi, I'm Damir Stuhec, the solo developer behind memu lock. I built it after noticing how easy it was to spend hours looking at other people's lives while almost never revisiting my own photos. I wanted a screen time app that did more than block. I wanted one that gave something back.

memu lock uses Apple's Screen Time API to intercept Instagram, TikTok, and other distracting apps, then replace the opening impulse with a photo from your own camera roll. It asks when and where the photo was taken. Get it right and your apps unlock. Everything runs on-device.

How it works

Choose the apps: Pick Instagram, TikTok, or any other app you want to interrupt. Setup runs through Apple's Screen Time API. No Shortcuts required.
Open one of them: Instead of going straight into the app, memu lock surfaces a photo from your own camera roll.
Answer the memory challenge: Guess when and where the photo was taken. Get it right and your apps unlock for 5 minutes.

Key features

Native Screen Time integration: Built on Apple's Family Controls API. No Shortcuts setup required.
Memory-based unlock flow: Multiple-choice questions about date and location, generated from your photo metadata with plausible wrong answers.
Fully on-device: Zero data leaves your iPhone. No accounts, no backend, no cloud storage.
A clear visual identity: memu is a living polaroid, and the memory appears inside it instead of sitting beside it.
Positive stats: The app tracks memories relived and streaks without framing the product as punishment.
memu lock pro: Unlimited blocked apps, longer grace periods, and higher daily usage limits.

Early traction

137 beta users
3,000+ memories relived in the first three weeks

Why it's different

Most apps in this category rely on generic friction: a breathing pause, pushups, a prayer, or a timer. memu lock uses your own memories instead. That changes the feel of the interruption. Instead of being stalled by something abstract, you're pulled back into your own life for a moment.

It also stays fresh because the content comes from your own camera roll. The experience changes every time, and it stays private because everything runs on-device.

About the founder

Damir Stuhec

I'm a solo indie developer from Slovenia focused on consumer apps with a clear point of view. Reach me at damir.stuhec@gmail.com or @stuhecdamir on X.