We’ve all been there—mindlessly scrolling through endless feeds, losing track of time, and realizing we’ve just wasted another hour on social media. The phrase “touch grass” has become an internet meme, a tongue-in-cheek way of telling people to step away from their screens and reconnect with the real world. But one developer decided to turn this joke into a real-life digital detox tool.
Introducing Touch Grass, a unique iOS app that prevents users from accessing distracting apps until they physically step outside and take a picture of real grass. Launched by independent developer Rhys Kentish, the app is designed to break the cycle of endless scrolling by adding an extra layer of friction—literally making you go outside before you can unlock certain apps.
A Personal Mission to Reduce Screen Time
Kentish, a full-time app developer, came up with the idea after realizing just how much time he was spending glued to his phone.
“I did the math and figured out that if I didn’t change my habits, I’d spend seven years of my life just looking down at my phone,” Kentish explained. “I wanted to create something that would actually force me to break that cycle, something more effective than existing screen time restrictions.”
Unlike traditional app blockers that simply set time limits, Touch Grass requires real-world action. Users select which apps they want to restrict, and when they try to open them, the app prompts them to step outside and photograph some grass. Only then does it grant access to the locked apps.
No Cheating Allowed: AI Ensures You Touch Real Grass
Think you can trick the system by snapping a quick photo of your houseplant? Think again. The app uses computer vision AI to distinguish between indoor plants and actual outdoor grass. Attempts to cheat by photographing a Monstera or an artificial turf rug won’t work. Even bushes and trees don’t count—it has to be real grass.
For urban dwellers, this might present a unique challenge. One user described the moment of panic they felt when they realized their entire street was nothing but concrete and brick. Trees and bushes were plentiful, but grass was scarce. It took crossing the street to a small patch of lawn in front of a neighbor’s house before they were finally able to unlock TikTok.
But that’s the whole point. The app is designed to make it inconvenient—and in doing so, it encourages real behavior change.
Designed With Safety in Mind
While the app is strict about requiring outdoor grass, it’s not unreasonable. Touch Grass takes user safety into account by integrating sunset detection. If a user grants location access (even just once), the app will recognize when it’s nighttime in their area and disable the outdoor requirement after dark. Instead, users can customize how their app blocks work in situations where going outside isn’t feasible.
How It Works & Pricing Model
Touch Grass operates on a freemium model:
- Free users can lock up to two apps, requiring them to go outside and touch grass before accessing them.
- A unique pay-what-you-want feature allows users to bypass the requirement by making a small payment—half of which is donated to rewilding efforts in the U.K.
- Users who want to lock more than two apps can upgrade to a premium plan for $5.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
The concept of paid unlocks isn’t new for Kentish. Before Touch Grass, he experimented with an app that automatically transferred money to savings every time he opened TikTok. However, he found that making people physically go outside was a much more effective (and entertaining) deterrent than financial penalties.
A Viral Success & What’s Next
Since launching, Touch Grass has seen impressive traction, with over 50,000 downloads in just a few days. Kentish, running the app independently, is now considering potential investors to help expand its reach—particularly to bring an Android version to market.
At its core, Touch Grass isn’t just a gimmick. It’s a creative and surprisingly effective way to help people break their screen addiction and develop healthier habits. And while the app may have started as a humorous take on an internet meme, for many users, it’s becoming a serious tool for digital well-being.
So, the next time you find yourself mindlessly reaching for your phone, maybe it’s time to touch some grass—literally.
