Being addicted to my phone was a normal activity for me. It wasn’t until during a crucial work meeting when I was caught using Tinder that I realised the severity of my addiction, Ondrej Žák, CEO of Zario, said.
“Following this incident, I started to research addiction, particularly focusing on phone addiction. At that time, there were no apps available to help with screen time management, so I had to think about external strategies to combat my problem,’ he said.
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Žák said that after months of intense effort, he eventually developed a personalised protocol that worked. Recognising that many others likely faced similar struggles, he approached Killian Fjellbakk Chiao, and together they developed, Zario.
Zario is an app helping individuals reduce their screen time on phones when mindlessly scrolling through social media or other non-productive apps and websites.
Our approach in reducing screen time is different, Žák said. “We do block apps, but with a twist. If a user attempts to access a blocked app, we offer them the option to use it, but only for a brief period, typically around 5 minutes.”
The Zario app onboarding process involves a series of questions designed to personify the programme for each user, according to Killian Fjellbakk Chiao, the co-founder of Zario.
According to him, the app requires information about the life aspects the user wishes to prioritise, such as improving focus, saving time, enhancing productivity, and more. And also which areas of life they want to concentrate on, whether it’s their career/studies, relationships, health, hobbies, among others.
Chiao said this information allows us to offer tailored articles and challenge suggestions that align with their goals and interests.
“While this approach proves effective for many individuals, we recognise that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution in life. Some users may require a more robust approach, which, unfortunately, we cannot currently provide,” he added.
Zario is currently present in the USA, India, Germany, the UK, and Switzerland. These regions represent the company’s largest user base.
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Since its launch in May 2022, Zario has garnered 50,000 downloads and maintained 300 daily active users.
The app has also been recognised for its impact and innovation, including being ranked as the No.1 product of the day on Product Hunt and featured in the Best of Google Play 2023 for the “App for Good” category.
One of our major achievements was winning first place at the EU Startups Summit, the CEO said.
He said, “Zario has also faced significant challenges. Ensuring reliable performance on all Android phones has been a major hurdle. The app utilises background monitoring of user activities, which has faced obstacles due to Android’s restrictions on background processes.”
Žák added that another challenge has been promoting Zario, as the company aim to avoid supporting platforms that contribute to phone addiction, such as Meta (formerly Facebook) or TikTok.
He further stated that the company will expand to Nigeria in the coming month to extensively reduce screen time spent on social media, averaging around 4 hours and 7 minutes daily.
According to a 2021 study, Nigeria is nearing an average of 10 hours and 13 minutes of screen time per day among its younger generations.
This figure is particularly noteworthy as it is close to that of South Africa, which holds the title for the highest screen time usage in the entire African continent, averaging 10 hours and 46 minutes per day.
On the company’s future plans, the founders said, “We are aiming to integrate AI technology into Zario to serve as a personal mentor for users, providing highly personalised assistance in changing their habits.”
“Our goal is to create a tailored approach that guides individuals through their journey of habit transformation. Additionally, we plan to develop a dedicated product specifically designed for children.”
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According to the founders, this product will leverage coaching and gamification techniques rather than relying solely on blocking features.
“By combining these elements, we aim to provide a supportive and engaging platform that helps children develop healthy technology habits in a fun and interactive way,” they added.
