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
• Enable, edit, and delete limits
• Full-screen blocking overlay with a return-home action
• Guided setup for usage access, overlays, notifications, and battery optimisation
• Foreground blocking service that restarts after boot and app updates

SerenSync deliberately has no accounts, analytics, backend, accessibility service, uninstall protection, or non-Android platform support.

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/  permission setup and blocking-service controls
  settings/    settings navigation

The main product logic lives in lib/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.

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

Usage data stays on the device.