Semo: an AI check-in for the apps you want to use less
Semo is an iPhone app that asks you one calm question before you open an app you want to use less. It is for adults who want to scroll less and be reminded of their own reasons. When you open a guarded app, a short AI chat asks what you are here for, then gives you a timed pass or a nudge to do something else.
For iPhone. Adults 18+. As of 19 October 2026 Semo is not on the App Store yet (launching soon).
Semo (SEE-mo), from the Greek sēmeion, "sign".
“I lose an hour on Instagram after my son goes to bed and then sleep badly”
An example of what you might tell it. Semo remembers your own words and points at them when it matters.
Will an AI check-in actually help me use my phone less?
It depends on what you need. Semo suits you if you already want to cut back and would benefit from being asked, in your own words, why you are opening an app. It does not suit you if you need a hard lock, if someone else sets the rules, or if you would rather not send chat text to an AI service. Today it is a nudge you can dismiss, not a block. We have no published results yet, so we cannot promise it will work for you.
How it works
- Say why. A short chat about what you want your time and attention for, and which apps pull you away.
- Pick your apps. Choose the ones to guard and set your own rules, such as "tutorials are fine, Shorts are not".
- Pause at the door. When you open a guarded app, a brief chat asks what you are here for. You get a timed pass, or a nudge to do something else.
The name
Socrates said he had a sign. A small inner voice that never told him what to do, only what not to. It spoke up right at the moment he was about to act.
Semo is that sign for your phone. You tell it what you’re trying to change, and why. Then, when you reach for the app you meant to leave alone, it reminds you in your own words. You decide what happens next.
Semo (SEE-mo), from the Greek sēmeion, “sign”.
What it cannot do today
iOS does not tell apps when you open another app. So Semo uses a Shortcuts automation that you set up once per guarded app. It takes about a minute each, and the steps are on the support page.
That makes it a self-help nudge, not a lock. You can always dismiss it and open the app anyway. It works best if you want to be reminded of your own goals.
What you type to the AI is sent to our server and on to an AI provider so it can reply. The app asks before the first message is sent. It is not medical advice or a treatment. See the privacy policy (a draft awaiting legal review).
Pricing (as of 19 October 2026)
Annual
$49.99 per year
Starts with a 7-day free trial for eligible new subscribers.
Monthly
$9.99 per month
No free trial.
These are planned launch prices and may change before the app is on sale. Both plans renew automatically. Prices may differ by country. Payment is handled by Apple. See pricing and the terms.
Proof and reviews
None yet, and we will not invent any. As of 19 October 2026 Semo has no App Store ratings, no published user numbers and no testimonials, because it is not on the App Store yet (launching soon). When real ones exist they will appear here as plain text with a date.
How does it compare?
Two short guides: Why a conversation instead of a block? and Screen time apps that use AI: what is real.