Frequently Asked Questions

Making lasting changes to our habits is simply too hard. We have all heard otherwise responsible adults say things like, "I really need to cut down on Instagram" or "I should hit the gym more often."

We all experience those moments when we know what we need to do to improve our lives. But those moments of clarity are short lived, leaving us to rely on our own willpower to keep up with our new commitments—and let's be honest, willpower can be pretty fickle.

Existing solutions are ineffective, because they are non-binding in nature. In moments of weakness, we may uninstall website-blocker, reinstall distracting apps, skip the gym, or abandon our mediation practice.

That's where Discipline.io comes in. All you have to do is decide on a goal, put down some cash as a deposit, and let the app keep an eye on your progress. If you slip up, your deposit goes to a cause of your choosing; if you succeed, you get your money back.

The key difference with Discipline.io, is that it really holds you accountable. Once you commit to something, there's no backing out without losing your deposit. Even if you try to uninstall the app or disable it, it won't let you off the hook. Decide what you want to achieve, and the app will take care of holding you to it.

We don't, currently. We are working to introduce a premium version of the app, that offers additional features for a subscription fee.

It's important to note that we have ruled out the idea of taking a percentage from forfeited deposits. Doing so would be counterproductive, as it would imply that our business model relies on users failing to achieve their goals. Our focus remains on fostering success and lasting behavior change for our users.

The app currently supports three types of commitments:

1. Limit/increase app usage
2. Make a call
3. Visit a place

These commitment types are unique, in that they can all be verified directly on the device, without requiring any compliance or self-reporting from the user.

Here's how each commitment is monitored:

1. App usage is detected through the UsageStats API. This means that even if Discipline.io were to be uninstalled or the background service terminated, we could still identify app usage during the commitment period retroactively.
2. Calls are detected by examining the device's phone call logs. All outgoing calls made during the specified time period are checked to determine if the commitment has been satisfied.
3. Visiting a place is detected by requiring the user to check in within the app at the designated location. The device's GPS confirms the user's presence at the site. While it would be convenient to automatically detect when the user enters the target location, doing so would significantly impact battery life. As a result, we opted for a manual check-in system.

If you choose to uninstall Discipline.io, there are no immediate consequences. However, to redeem your deposit, you will need to reinstall the app. Upon reinstallation, Discipline.io will examine the commitment and verify that it was not broken during the time the app was uninstalled. In other words, uninstalling the app will not allow you to bypass the commitment^[1].

This feature is what makes the commitments "binding." Once you commit, there's no turning back without forfeiting your deposit.

^[1] The Android app utilizes the usage-stats API to view historical app usage data. The commitment can't be resolved, unless the usage-stats permission is granted to the app.