(For Livingroom App) Suggestions
Spencer Timothy
I propose the following suggestions for the Livingroom app on IOS (if feasible):
- automatically begin recording anytime the internet is accessed outside of the allowed apps (without having to switch tabs/select "start recording", etc.)
- Allow for disabling the ability to take screenshots while the screen is being recorded
- Allow the photos app to be recorded
- Allow for the option to disable internet access outside of allowed apps for a set amount of time (5,10,15,30,60 minutes, etc.) after it catches inappropriate content
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Christopher Woolfe
Another question: Are you using (or considering using) LivingRoom with an accountability partner or solo?
C
Christopher Woolfe
Great ideas! Thank you. Quick question: What makes you say the Photos app needs to be allowed to be recorded? It will be required to be recorded as long as it is not set to "Always Allowed" in Screen Time.
Spencer Timothy
Christopher Woolfe Thanks for the responses. I am using it solo.
It appears that the apple photos app has special protections to where you cannot remove it from always allowed. However, on second thought, this is probably for the best (1.) for the sake of privacy and (2.) if the app were to hypothetically redirect the user away from the photos app when seeing an inappropriate image, it would be very cumbersome for the user to delete the photo off the device due to repeated interruptions from LivingRoom.
A feature to disable screenshots while recording would suffice - The key here is there is still a time window between the app's screenshots/content detection for the user to capture images for future reference.
Alternatively, an option to disable screenshots for a set amount of time (15, 20, 30 mins, etc.) after inappropriate content is detected could be nearly as useful while still allowing more freedom (only ~5 seconds before it is detected will there be a window to take screenshots).
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Christopher Woolfe
Spencer Timothy Thanks for your thoughtful considerations! There are two places there the always-allowed concept is managed: in Screen Time Settings AND on admin.livingroomapp.com. It is true that it is allowed as far as admin.livingroomapp.com is concerned, but you can still set it allowed or not via Screen Time. You can lock-in this setting with a PIN that you don't know via Screen Time.
As for disabling screenshots, I'd love to be able to do this but unfortunately there's nothing Apple gives us to do it. In that case, at least the accountability partner ("parent") would be notified if it happens. We are built on top of that idea; there's only so far you'll get using it solo. 🙏�
Spencer Timothy
Christopher Woolfe Ok good to know. Thanks!
An additional suggestion: I think that automatically closing the tab that contained the explicit content would also be very useful - that way it is less convenient to access again and/or does not trigger interruptions from livingroomapp when trying to go back in and manually close it.
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Christopher Woolfe
Spencer Timothy Unfortunately, no app has the power to do that, but we are blocking on a couple different levels to help that situation. As a user, the best thing you can do is kill the app using the iOS task switcher.
Spencer Timothy
Christopher Woolfe Ok good to know, thanks!
Do you know how feasible the other ideas might be? i.e. timeouts and automatic recording.
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Christopher Woolfe
Spencer Timothy I'm looking into some methods to shave a couple seconds off of the time it takes to initiate the recording, since that helps every single person. And yes the timeouts are possible but not likely to be done soon as we have other things that are higher priority for our small dev team. The goal is that LR is used with accountability and in that case it wouldn't be an automated 5,10,15,30,60 minute restriction, it would be a hard conversation with somebody you know and trust, who loves you and wants to walk with you into greater freedom. Maybe even someone who can block that site/app completely for some days/weeks to allow a cooldown period before trying again. Thank you so much for your feedback! It is really important and helps shape the future of the app.