ThenThat
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Same tricks. Better target.

Get hooked on the things you actually want to do.

Social apps use the science of habit to keep you scrolling: variable rewards, triggers, streaks, zero friction. ThenThat uses the exact same playbook, pointed at reading, moving, making, learning — whatever you keep meaning to get back to.

Start — no account neededHow it works

Works on this device straight away. Free. No ads, ever.

The same playbook, flipped

Every mechanic below is something a feed already does to you. Here is what it does in ThenThat. The science behind each one →

Variable rewards

In the feedPull to refresh. Maybe something great, maybe nothing. You pull again.
In ThenThatEvery check-in opens a drop. Usually a little XP; sometimes rare; once in a while, a jackpot.

Triggers

In the feedA badge, a buzz, a red dot — or just boredom — and your thumb is already on the app.
In ThenThatYou write the trigger yourself: "When I get into bed, then I read a page." The cue that used to open the feed now opens the habit.

Make it effortless

In the feedInfinite scroll and autoplay remove every reason to stop. Zero effort, zero friction.
In ThenThatEvery hook has a two-minute version. One page counts. Five push-ups count. The tiny version keeps the streak.

Streaks and loss aversion

In the feedSnap streaks and daily rewards you would hate to lose — so you open the app to protect them.
In ThenThatStreaks, per hook and overall. But with a shield: one missed day in seven is forgiven, so one bad day does not make you quit.

Investment and progress

In the feedFollowers, likes, a profile you have built for years. The more you put in, the harder it is to leave.
In ThenThatXP, levels and a feed of your own wins. What you build up here is proof that you did things.

Riding the urge

In the feedThe urge to check arrives, and the app is one tap away. It wins before you notice.
In ThenThatCatch the urge with the "about to scroll" button: swap it for one of your hooks, or ride it out with a 90-second countdown.

How it works

  1. Write a hook. "When I get into bed and reach for my phone, then I read one page." Pick the moment the feed usually wins, and give it a new job.
  2. Do it, tap it. One tap when it is done. Short on time? The two-minute version counts, and keeps the streak alive.
  3. Open the drop. Every check-in opens a drop. Common, rare, epic — or, one time in a hundred, the jackpot. You never know which.
  4. Catch the itch. Feel the pull to scroll? Hit the button. Swap it for one of your hooks, or ride the urge out for ninety seconds.

What's inside

Drops, not likes

An unpredictable reward on every check-in — the slot-machine logic of the feed, paying out on your own progress.

Streaks with a shield

Per hook and overall. One missed day in seven is forgiven, because coming back matters more than never missing.

The itch button

For the moment your thumb is already moving. Swap the scroll for a hook, or surf the urge until it passes.

A feed of your wins

Scroll all you like: it is everything you have actually done, with the drops you opened and the photos you kept.

Proof photos

The picture you would have posted — the page, the view, the finished sketch — kept for you, not for an audience.

One evening nudge

Optional, in your own evening, and only when something is left to do today. No buzzing. No red dots.

No account. No ads. Just start.

Your hooks live on this device until you decide otherwise. Make an account whenever you like, and everything you have done moves with you.

Start — no account needed

Pricing

Free

Free, for good

  • Unlimited hooks, check-ins and drops
  • Streaks, shields, XP and levels
  • The itch button and your wins feed
  • Sync across every device you sign in on
  • The evening nudge
  • 20 proof photos

Plus

A small monthly subscription

  • Everything in Free
  • As many proof photos as you like
  • Keeps ThenThat ad-free and independent

Questions

Isn't "addictive" a bad thing?

The mechanics are neutral; the target is not. A feed uses them to sell your attention. ThenThat uses them on something you chose, and leaves out the parts that are only there to trap you — there is no feed of other people, no notifications, nothing to buy to keep a streak.

Do I need an account?

No. Everything works on this device without one. If you create an account later, what is on the device moves into it — you will be told exactly what before it happens — and syncs to your other devices.

What happens if I miss a day?

Your shield catches it. One missed day in any seven is forgiven, so the streak survives. Two missed days in a row end it — and then you start a new one, which is the whole point.

What are drops, exactly?

A reward that opens when you check in: XP and a line of encouragement, at one of four rarities. Each drop is decided by the check-in itself, so it is the same on every device and cannot be re-rolled.

Is this therapy?

No. ThenThat is a habit tool built on published behavioural science. If your phone use is causing you real harm, talking to a professional is a better first step than any app.