Ever feel like your phone has more control over you than you have over it? Clearspace helps you break free from mindless scrolling and reclaim the hours lost to screen addiction — without ditching your smartphone entirely.^1
Clearspace works by placing an intentional pause between you and your most distracting apps. When you tap a restricted app, you're met with a brief breathing exercise and asked to choose how long you actually want to spend there. It's a simple concept backed by behavioral science: small, recurring nudges reshape habits more effectively than willpower alone.^2 The app also offers physical challenges — like doing push-ups before unlocking social media — gamifying self-control in a way users genuinely enjoy.^3
Founded by Notre Dame graduate Royce Branning, who studied Computer Science alongside Philosophy and Theology, Clearspace was born out of his own struggle with phone addiction during the pandemic. Branning left a senior engineering role at Quicken (where he helped build the NYT-acclaimed Simplifi budgeting app) to tackle the problem full-time. He and co-founder Oliver Hill went through Y Combinator (W23) and have since helped users save over 25 million hours of unwanted screen time.^4
Why Christians Love It"I feel like I am back in control of my phone usage, keeping all of the utilitarian benefits of my phone without the hazards. I was close to chucking it for a dumb phone, but with ClearSpace, I don't feel like I have to make such an extreme change."^2
"My time spent on social media apps is WAY down since I started using ClearSpace!"^2
"I had over 8 hours of screen time a day and now I average between 2 or 3. This app is truly amazing."^2
Notable- Backed by Y Combinator (W23) and featured on Forbes and in The New York Times Wirecutter^5
- Available on both iOS and Android with a freemium model — free for students^2
- Supports accountability partners and family sharing for households tackling screen time together^2
- Ranked #2 Product of the Day on Product Hunt (September 2024)^7
