How Semo works
Semo is an iPhone app that adds a short AI conversation between you and the apps you want to use less. This page explains each step, what runs where, and where the limits are.
How does Semo stop me opening apps?
It does not stop you, and whether that is enough depends on you. Semo puts a short chat between you and an app you chose to guard. You say why you are there; it gives you a timed pass or suggests something else. It suits you if a reminder of your own reasons is enough, not if you need a lock, because you can always open the app anyway.
The three steps
- Say why. On first use, a short chat asks what you want your time and attention for and which apps pull you away. Your answers are kept as your own words.
- Pick your apps. Choose the apps to guard and set your own rules, such as "tutorials are fine, Shorts are not".
- Pause at the door. When you open a guarded app, a brief chat asks what you are here for. You get a timed pass, or a nudge to do something else.
An illustrative gate chat
Illustration written by us, not a real user or a recording.
Semo: What are you opening Instagram for?
You: Just checking if my sister replied.
Semo: Fair. Ten minutes, then back to your evening?
How it knows you opened an app
iOS does not tell apps when you open another app. Semo uses a Shortcuts automation that you set up once per guarded app, about a minute each. Setup steps.
Limits, stated plainly
- It is a nudge, not a lock. You can dismiss the check-in and open the app anyway.
- It depends on you setting up the Shortcuts automation for each app.
- It is a self-help tool for adults 18+, not medical advice, therapy or treatment.
- We have no published evidence of results yet. See what is real in AI screen time apps.
What leaves your phone
What you type in the chat is sent to our server and on to an AI model provider so it can reply. The app asks before the first message is sent. Your account is anonymous. You can export or erase your data in the app: how. Read the privacy policy (draft).