who it is for
Selbano is for people who already know they scroll too much and want a small circle to show up with offline. That might be friends, a partner, adult family members, or a few neighbors you trust.
It is not a fit if you only want hard app locks, anonymous large communities, or an AI agent that runs your computer. Selbano is connection over blocking.
the return loop
Selbano organizes daily life around a simple rhythm you repeat with your tribe:
- Notice when the screen pulls you away from what matters. Screen Usage Review shows Apple's report on your device.
- Choose a return: a focus block, an offline activity, or a moment with your tribe.
- Do the meaningful action in real life.
- Save what helped so you can reuse it later.
- Reflect privately in Pulse, a calm space just for your own reflections.
- Return with others in a small tribe, usually 5 to 7 people, on a weekly rhythm.
how selbano differs from blockers
Screen time blockers add friction: locks, delays, and solo focus timers. They can help some people, especially when the only goal is to make the phone harder to open.
Selbano uses a different lever. It activates offline activity and accountability with people you trust. When connection and real life are present, the phone often fades without a cage.
Selbano does not replace blockers for everyone. If you only need friction, a blocker may be the better tool. Selbano is built for people who want a small circle and real-life returns, not another solo stats dashboard.
screen usage privacy
Apple renders Screen Time data in Screen Usage Review on your device. Selbano never reads, stores, logs, infers, or transmits Apple metrics such as minutes, apps, websites, categories, pickups, or notifications.
Selbano stores only user-authored reflections and app-owned actions you choose to save. Your tribe sees the activity you share, not your Apple Screen Time report.
how pulse handles reflection and ai
Pulse is the evening reflection tab. It is a calm, private space to close the day, not an infinite chat feed or an agent platform.
Pulse does not send your reflections to a remote AI provider to generate replies. What you write stays yours; Pulse shows bounded, deterministic patterns from your own saved returns. Any future AI in Pulse is planned to run on-device, stay secondary to your own words, and never control your device, browse the web for you, or claim medical outcomes.
private beta
Selbano is in a small private beta on iOS through TestFlight. Daily use is in the mobile app, where you authenticate and use Selbano. If you would like access, ask for a beta invite.
Ask for a beta invitefrequently asked questions
- Does Selbano block apps on my phone?
- No. Selbano does not hard-lock apps in the current version. It helps you notice when the screen pulls you away, choose a return, log offline activity with a small tribe, and reflect in the evening. The lever is human connection, not friction.
- Can Selbano see which apps I use or how many minutes I spend?
- No. Apple renders your Screen Usage report on your device. Selbano never reads, stores, logs, or transmits Apple Screen Time metrics such as minutes, apps, websites, or categories. Selbano stores only what you write in your own reflections and the actions you take inside the app.
- How is AI used in Pulse?
- Pulse is a private evening reflection space. Today it is deterministic: you write what happened and what helped, and Pulse shows bounded patterns from your own saved returns, not AI-generated replies. Selbano does not send your reflections to a remote AI provider. Any future AI in Pulse is planned to run on-device, stay secondary and bounded, and never become an open-ended chat feed.
- Who is Selbano for?
- Selbano is for self-aware adults and families who already know they scroll too much and want accountability with 5 to 7 trusted people. It is a strong fit if you have friends, a partner, or family who will show up offline with you. It is not built for users who only want app locks or anonymous mega-communities.
- How much time does Selbano take each day?
- Selbano is designed for under 5 minutes per day. There is no infinite feed and no gamified loop that rewards time in the app.
- Is Selbano available yet?
- Selbano is in a small private beta for iOS. Authentication and daily use happen in the iOS app. You can ask for a beta invite through the access page.