SerenSync

SerenSync is an Android-only Flutter launcher with a built-in app blocker. It combines a quiet home screen with rules that interrupt distracting app use.

What works

• Minimal home screen with a clock, phone shortcut, and camera shortcut
• Alphabetical app drawer with live search and package-change refresh
• Persisted app list so the drawer can render before Android finishes a scan
• App launch, system app settings, and uninstall actions
• Schedule limits, including overnight windows
• Daily foreground-time and launch-count limits
• Website and keyword blocking in supported browsers, read from the address bar through an accessibility service
• Enable, edit, and delete limits
• Full-screen blocking overlay with a return-home action for apps and a go-back action for pages
• First-open intro that explains the problem, then walks through usage access, overlays, notifications, battery optimisation, and accessibility one permission at a time
• Pomodoro focus sessions that lock chosen blocks for each focus round, with adjustable focus, break and long-break lengths, a countdown in the notification shade and an alert when a phase ends
• Strict mode that locks blocks behind a timer of up to 99 days or a PIN with an optional cooldown, plus an emergency unlock; while on, blocks can only be tightened, and the Settings app, the recent-apps screen, and newly installed apps can be blocked, while a device-administrator registration keeps the app installed and the accessibility service closes the screen that could deactivate it the instant it appears
• Foreground blocking service that starts by itself while a block is enabled, a focus session runs, or strict mode guards apps, and restarts after boot and app updates

SerenSync deliberately has no accounts, analytics, backend, or non-Android platform support. Browsing time is not measured, so usage and launch limits block their websites and keywords all day. Strict mode's uninstall lock uses the legacy device-administrator API with no policies; Android still lets the admin be removed from Settings, which is why that lock always turns on the Settings lock, and nothing stops Safe mode or a computer with developer tools.

Project layout

lib/
  apps/        app discovery, persistence, search, and launch actions
  blocking/    pure rule evaluation, persistence, engine, overlay, and UI
  home/        launcher home screen and shortcuts
  onboarding/  first-open intro and permission walkthrough
  pomodoro/    focus sessions, their persistence and the phase alert
  strict/      strict mode model, persistence, guarded packages, and tab

The main product logic lives in lib/main_app/blocking/rule.dart. It is pure Dart: plugins, Flutter APIs, and ambient clock access do not cross that boundary. Usage totals come from Android on demand and are never accumulated locally. Supported browsers and their address-bar view ids live in lib/main_app/blocking/screen_watcher.dart; the accessibility service config in android/app/src/main/res/xml/accessibilityservice.xml lists the same packages plus Settings and the installers strict mode guards, and a test keeps the two in sync.

Run locally

Requirements:

• Flutter 3.44.6 or a compatible stable release
• An Android device or emulator

flutter pub get
flutter analyze
flutter test
flutter run

Set SerenSync as the Home app under Settings → Apps → Default apps → Home app.

The rule evaluator, persistence, widgets, and engine coordination are covered by automated tests. Foreground detection, overlay reliability, reboot recovery, and battery behavior still require a physical Android device.

Android permissions

Permission	Purpose
QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES	List launchable apps
REQUEST_DELETE_PACKAGES	Open Android's uninstall flow
PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS	Detect the foreground app and read today's usage
SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW	Display the blocking overlay
FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SPECIAL_USE	Keep the blocking engine running
POST_NOTIFICATIONS	Show the required foreground-service notification
RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED	Restart blocking after reboot
REQUEST_IGNORE_BATTERY_OPTIMIZATIONS	Reduce background process killing
BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE	Read the address bar of supported browsers for website and keyword blocks
BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN (receiver)	Keep SerenSync installed while strict mode's uninstall lock is on
VIBRATE	Buzz when a focus round or break ends

Usage data stays on the device.