NodeXit

Tap an NFC tag to lock yourself out of distracting apps. Tap it again to unlock.

NodeXit is a self-discipline app blocker that uses a physical NFC tag as the only key. You pick apps to block, scan the tag to lock, scan again to unlock. The physical scan is intentional friction — you can't impulse-bypass yourself by tapping a button.

Built with React Native + Expo as a cross-platform app with native modules per platform.

Platform	Blocking mechanism	Picker UX	Custom block screen
Android	`AccessibilityService` — overlay over blocked apps	Real app list with icons	✅ Custom (emoji + timer)
iOS	`FamilyControls` + `ManagedSettings.shield` (iOS 16+)	Apple `FamilyActivityPicker`	⚠️ Apple default shield

Repo: https://github.com/autonomous-ai/NodeXit

Features

🧱 NFC cube — any passive NTAG213/215 sticker (~$0.50)
🎯 Modes — named sets of blocked apps (Deep Work, Sleep, …)
🔒 OS-level blocking — selected apps cannot be opened until unlock
⏱ Live timer on Home + Mode detail
📊 30-day stats — bar chart, per-day breakdown, top blocked apps
🔔 Persistent notification (Android) — status bar shows active Mode + chronometer
📱 Bottom-tab nav: Home / Stats / Settings
🧠 Mode detail screen — preview apps + scan to lock
🔁 Scan-required unpair — can't remove cube binding without scanning it
💾 Local-first — no backend, no account, all state in AsyncStorage + native preferences

Quickstart

Prerequisites

Node.js 20+, npm 10+
Watchman (recommended on macOS): brew install watchman
For Android: Android Studio + device, or just EAS Build cloud
For iOS local build: Xcode 16+, CocoaPods, Apple Developer Program ($99/yr), iPhone with iOS 16+
For iOS EAS Build: Apple Developer Program only

Setup

git clone https://github.com/autonomous-ai/NodeXit
cd NodeXit
npm install

Web preview (UI only, no NFC, no real blocking)

npx expo start --web

Open http://localhost:8081 → use the "DEV: Simulate cube tap" buttons to walk through the flow.

Android device

EAS cloud (no Android Studio needed):

eas build --platform android --profile preview
# install APK from the link on the phone

Local with Android Studio installed:

npm run android

iOS Simulator

npx expo prebuild --platform ios --clean
cd ios && pod install && cd ..
npm run ios

On Simulator NFC and FamilyActivityPicker are blocked by Apple, so the app auto-falls-back to a mock app list and the DEV simulate cube button.

iPhone via USB

# 1. Plug iPhone, trust the Mac
# 2. Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode → ON (iPhone restarts)
# 3. Xcode → Settings → Accounts → sign in Apple ID dev
# 4. Open ios/NodeXit.xcworkspace, set Team in Signing & Capabilities
npm run ios -- --device

First launch: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management → Trust developer profile.

iPhone via EAS Build cloud

npm install -g eas-cli
eas login
eas build --platform ios --profile preview
# open IPA link in Safari on the iPhone

App walkthrough

1. Pair cube (one-time)

Open NodeXit → "Pair your cube" screen
Tap an NTAG213 sticker to the back of the phone (NFC area)
Tag UID is stored as the cube key

2. Create a Mode

Home tab → + New Mode
Enter a name, pick an emoji
Pick apps:
- Android: full list of installed apps with real icons
- iOS: tap "Pick apps" → Apple's system sheet → tick apps/categories → Done
Save

3. Lock

Home → tap a Mode card → ModeDetail
Tap "Scan cube to lock" → tap NFC tag → locked
Home shows big timer; Android also gets a persistent notification

4. Try to open a blocked app

Android: custom block screen with Mode name, emoji, and live timer
iOS: Apple's default shield UI (lock icon + "App is Restricted")
Back/Home buttons cannot bypass

5. Unlock

Open NodeXit → scan cube → all apps accessible again
Session is recorded in 30-day stats

6. Stats

Stats tab → total focus time, today, 30-day bar chart
Tap any bar → per-app breakdown for that day
"Most blocked apps" list with real icons (Android) or placeholder (iOS)

7. Unpair

Settings tab → Unpair cube → confirm → scan the cube → unpaired
You can't unpair without holding the physical cube

Android: first run

Install APK. Google Play Protect will warn; tap Install anyway.
Restricted settings (Android 13+): in-app Settings shows a 3-step wizard:
1. Open Accessibility → tap the service → see the "Restricted setting" warning, come back
2. Open Apps list → tap NodeXit → ⋮ menu → "Allow restricted settings"
3. Open Accessibility → toggle ON → confirm "Allow full control"
After this, blocking works. Repeat step 2 each sideload update.

Skip the dance by installing via adb install -r path/to.apk instead of opening the link directly — Android marks those as "trusted source".

iOS: first run + Apple constraints

Install via TestFlight / EAS link / Xcode-over-USB.
Trust developer: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management → Trust.
Screen Time must be ON: Settings → Screen Time → Turn On Screen Time. Family Controls API only works when Screen Time is enabled.
Family Controls authorization prompt appears once at first lock. Tap Allow.

Family Controls entitlement gotcha

Apple's com.apple.developer.family-controls entitlement, even the Development flavor, requires team approval via Apple's contact form for newer developer accounts:

https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution

Without approval, ad-hoc/TestFlight/App Store builds reject the entitlement. Xcode + USB development builds can bypass because Xcode-managed Development profiles can include the capability the same day you tick it on the App ID.

iOS limitation: app identities are hidden

Apple's FamilyActivityPicker returns opaque ApplicationTokens, not bundle IDs. NodeXit cannot show app names or icons for the selected apps — the JS layer only sees a count. ModeDetail on iOS shows a single "N apps selected via Apple's picker" card. Editing reopens the picker pre-ticked with the previous selection.

By design from Apple.

File map

App.tsx                          navigation root with error boundary
index.ts                         Expo entry
app.json                         Expo config — bundle ID, entitlements, icon, plugins
eas.json                         EAS build profiles
assets/
  icon.png                       app icon (orange + brick silhouette)
  adaptive-icon.png              Android adaptive foreground

src/
  types.ts                       Mode, Cube, LockState, Stats, route params
  theme.ts                       colors / radius / spacing
  store.ts                       Zustand + AsyncStorage + 30-day stats
  nfc/nfcService.ts              scanCube / cancelScan / simulateScan
  blocker/blockerService.ts     JS bridge to native blocker (Android + iOS)
  data/installedApps.ts          native + mock app list source
  navigation/MainTabs.tsx        bottom-tab navigator (Home, Stats, Settings)
  components/
    Button.tsx, ModeCard.tsx, ErrorBoundary.tsx
  screens/
    HomeScreen.tsx               Mode list + big timer
    ModeEditorScreen.tsx         name + emoji + app picker
    ModeDetailScreen.tsx         per-Mode detail + scan to lock
    PairCubeScreen.tsx           first NFC pair
    ScanScreen.tsx               lock / unlock / unpair flow
    BlockPreviewScreen.tsx       in-app preview of block UI
    SettingsScreen.tsx           cube info + blocker setup wizard
    StatsScreen.tsx              30-day chart + top apps

modules/installed-apps/          local Expo native module
  android/                         PackageManager-based real app list
  ios/                             FamilyActivityPicker + UserDefaults persistence

modules/blocker/                 local Expo native module
  android/                         AccessibilityService, BlockScreenActivity,
                                   BlockerNotification, BlocklistStore
  ios/                             FamilyControls + ManagedSettings.shield bridge

Lock data flow

ScanScreen
  ├─ scanCube() reads NFC UID
  ├─ verify UID === pairedCube.id
  ├─ blocker.applyShield({ appIds, iosSelectionToken, modeName, modeEmoji, lockedAt })
  │   ├─ Android: writes blocklist + meta to SharedPreferences,
  │   │           posts persistent notification with chronometer
  │   └─ iOS:     reads selection from UserDefaults by token,
  │               writes ApplicationTokens into ManagedSettingsStore.shield
  └─ store.lockWithMode(modeId) → JS state updates

When a blocked app is opened:
  Android: BlockerAccessibilityService → BlockScreenActivity (custom UI)
  iOS:     ManagedSettings shows Apple's default shield (lock icon)

Hardware

v1 uses a passive NFC tag — no battery, no electronics. Any NTAG213/215/216 sticker or coin works. Stick it on a wood block, coin, whatever. The phone reads the tag's factory-burned UID; that UID is the key.

A smart cube using ESP32-C3 + PN532 in card-emulation mode (rotating UID for anti-clone, LED feedback on scan) is described in the spec but not built.

Limitations

iOS Family Controls entitlement needs Apple's contact-form approval for sideload distribution paths (TestFlight / Ad-Hoc / App Store). Local Xcode + USB builds can bypass.
iOS custom block screen UI with mode emoji + live timer needs a ShieldConfigurationDataSource extension target — Expo prebuild can't generate that automatically. iOS currently uses Apple's default shield.
iOS persistent notification with timer would require a Live Activity (WidgetKit + ActivityKit) extension target — same constraint.
Android AccessibilityService permission can't be auto-granted; users must enable manually.
Google Play Protect warning on first install of any sideloaded app using AccessibilityService.
Restricted settings dance on Android 13+ for sideload installs — wizard guides through it.
NFC tag UID can be cloned by someone with a few seconds of physical access. Fine for personal self-discipline, not security.

Scripts

Command	What it does
`npm run setup`	one-shot bootstrap (install + prebuild + pods)
`npm start`	Metro dev server
`npm run android`	local Android build + install
`npm run ios`	local iOS Simulator build + install
`npm run ios -- --device`	local iOS build to USB-connected iPhone
`npm run prebuild`	regenerate `ios/` and `android/`
`npm run prebuild:clean`	wipe and regenerate
`npm run typecheck`	TypeScript
`npm run lint`	ESLint
`npm test`	Jest
`npm run build:android`	EAS preview APK build
`npm run clean`	wipe `node_modules`, `ios`, `android`, `.expo`

License

MIT.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 2 Commits
__mocks__		__mocks__
assets		assets
modules		modules
scripts		scripts
src		src
.eslintrc.js		.eslintrc.js
.gitignore		.gitignore
App.tsx		App.tsx
README.md		README.md
SPEC.md		SPEC.md
app.json		app.json
babel.config.js		babel.config.js
eas.json		eas.json
index.ts		index.ts
jest.setup.ts		jest.setup.ts
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

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Repository files navigation

NodeXit

Features

Quickstart

Prerequisites

Setup

Web preview (UI only, no NFC, no real blocking)

Android device

iOS Simulator

iPhone via USB

iPhone via EAS Build cloud

App walkthrough

1. Pair cube (one-time)

2. Create a Mode

3. Lock

4. Try to open a blocked app

5. Unlock

6. Stats

7. Unpair

Android: first run

iOS: first run + Apple constraints

Family Controls entitlement gotcha

iOS limitation: app identities are hidden

File map

Lock data flow

Hardware

Limitations

Scripts

License

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Repository files navigation

NodeXit

Features

Quickstart

Prerequisites

Setup

Web preview (UI only, no NFC, no real blocking)

Android device

iOS Simulator

iPhone via USB

iPhone via EAS Build cloud

App walkthrough

1. Pair cube (one-time)

2. Create a Mode

3. Lock

4. Try to open a blocked app

5. Unlock

6. Stats

7. Unpair

Android: first run

iOS: first run + Apple constraints

Family Controls entitlement gotcha

iOS limitation: app identities are hidden

File map

Lock data flow

Hardware

Limitations

Scripts

License

About

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