The blog.
Attention, feeds, and the quiet mechanics of boredom. Research, guides, and field notes from building Uglify.
Make Your iPhone Boring. On purpose.
The complete iOS 19 setup guide. Grayscale, Focus Modes, homescreen minimalism, notification batching, and Shortcuts automation — everything you need to reclaim your attention in 20 minutes.
The ADHD Friction Stack: 7 Layers That Stuck
Standard screen-time advice assumes executive function you don't have. This guide builds scaffolding around time blindness, impulse control, and dopamine-seeking — seven layers, almost zero willpower required.
How to Stop Doomscrolling at Night on iPhone
A 7-night protocol that makes your phone get boring automatically before willpower runs out. Automation, friction, and a phone that transforms after 9 PM.
I Tried 10+ Screen Time Apps and Failed
An honest, hands-on review of every major screen-time app — what works, what doesn't, and why every approach has the same blind spot. Founder disclosure: Uglify is one of them.
What Happens When You Switch to Grayscale?
What the peer-reviewed research actually says about grayscale and screen time — Holte & Ferraro 2020 (−37.9 min/day), Dekker & Baumgartner 2024 (−20 min/day, unlocks unchanged) — plus hundreds of user reports.
Dopamine Detoxes Don't Work
The science behind why “dopamine detoxes” are neurologically incoherent — and the evidence-based behavioral strategies that actually reduce compulsive phone use.
Why “Just Delete TikTok” Doesn't Work
Substitution, rebound, reactance — the three predictable failure modes of cold-turkey app deletion, and the friction-based approach that actually sticks.
Make TikTok Black and White — Three Methods
From 30-second system toggle to iOS Shortcuts automation to true per-app grayscale. How to make TikTok in black and white on iPhone, and why it works.