The phone is both the best and worst thing we have.
It's our camera, our calendar, and our connection to everyone we care about. It's also what makes an evening disappear without us really deciding to.
We tried what everyone tries. Screen time limits, grayscale, deleting and re-downloading apps, putting the phone at the other end of the room. It lasted a few days. Then we found a way around it – that's what happens when the barrier is in the same place as the temptation.
It was never about willpower. It was about it only taking one tap to give in.
So we moved the button out of the phone.
Wake is a block without a screen, buttons, or battery. You place it in another room, and there it stays. Your apps will only open again once you have gotten up and held your phone against it. The same applies to the alarm in the morning.
The ten seconds it takes to walk over there is the whole point. They are enough for you to make a decision, instead of just continuing.
We make it in Denmark, and we use it ourselves every day.
Hi – my name is Silas
I’m the person behind Wake, and I originally built it for myself. A block on the fridge, an app on my phone, and no shortcuts. When it worked for me, it didn't really make sense to keep it to myself.
Wake is still a small project. That means I pack the orders myself, and I read all the incoming emails myself.
If you have a question or an idea for what Wake should also be able to do, please write to me.
Silas, Founder of Wake
Put your phone down.
Wake in a different room. That's all it takes.
- You receive