# Used Claude to make a screen time app that let's me exclude certain apps

> Source: <https://github.com/DaanyaalSobani/truescreentime>
> Published: 2026-08-03 20:58:19+00:00

A minimal Android app (Kotlin + XML layouts, no Compose) that reads device
usage statistics and lets you build a **custom screen time total** by
including/excluding individual apps.

**Accurate foreground time**— reconstructed from`UsageEvents`

(`MOVE_TO_FOREGROUND`

/`MOVE_TO_BACKGROUND`

/`ACTIVITY_STOPPED`

) rather than the pre-bucketed`queryUsageStats()`

totals.**Wellbeing-style charts**— a donut chart of your included apps with the filtered total in the center (Today/Custom), and a weekly bar chart with hour gridlines and a tappable day selector (This Week). Both are small custom`View`

s — no chart library.**Date ranges**— Today, This Week (Monday-based), or a custom start/end date picked from calendar dialogs.** Filterable app list**— every app with usage in the range is listed with its icon, name, and time, sorted descending. A checkbox on each row includes/excludes it from the big total, which updates live.**Exclusion list**— unchecking an app hides it from the list and leaves it out of the total. A dedicated** Excluded**screen lists everything you have excluded so you can restore apps individually or all at once, and a "Show excluded apps" toggle brings them back inline.**Persistent filters**— inclusion choices and the "show system apps" / "show excluded apps" toggles are stored in`SharedPreferences`

.**System app toggle**— system apps and the launcher are hidden by default to reduce clutter.** Usage access flow**— if`PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS`

isn't granted, the app shows an explanation and a**Grant Access** button that deep-links to`Settings.ACTION_USAGE_ACCESS_SETTINGS`

.

`./gradlew testDebugUnitTest`

— everything runs on the JVM in about a
minute; no device or emulator involved. GitHub Actions runs this job on
every push, and the APK is only built if it passes.

| Layer | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Pure logic | `ForegroundSessionReplay` (session reconstruction from usage events), `WeekNavigator` (day/week stepping), `AppListFilter` (system/excluded filtering and totals), `DateRange` (midnight and week boundaries) |
| Robolectric | `FilterStore` against real `SharedPreferences` , and a smoke test that launches every activity to catch inflation or view-binding failures the compiler cannot see |

The pattern is deliberate: logic that used to live inside the activities is extracted into plain Kotlin objects, so the interesting behaviour is testable without an emulator and the activities stay thin.

Requirements: JDK 17+ and an Android SDK (compileSdk 35). Setting up from
scratch on WSL2? See [BUILDING.md](/DaanyaalSobani/truescreentime/blob/claude/android-screentime-tracker-x58u19/BUILDING.md) for the exact commands.

```
./gradlew assembleDebug
# output: app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
```

Or grab the debug APK from the [Releases](/DaanyaalSobani/truescreentime/blob/releases) page — it is built
by the GitHub Actions workflow in `.github/workflows/build.yml`

.

```
adb install app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
```

Then open the app and tap **Grant Access** to enable Usage Access.

Because the app is sideloaded, Android gates Usage Access behind "restricted settings" and the first attempt is denied. The full flow:

| 1. Tap Grant Access | 2. First attempt is denied | 3. Allow restricted settings | 4. Turn the toggle on |
|---|---|---|---|

Step by step:

- Open TrueScreenTime and tap
**Grant Access**— it deep-links to the Usage Access settings, but the toggle is blocked at first ("App was denied access"). - Go to
**Settings → Apps → TrueScreenTime**, open the**⋮** overflow menu in the top-right, and tap**Allow restricted settings**(you may be asked to authenticate). - Return to the app, tap
**Grant Access** again, and enable**Permit access to app usage data**.

The grant is remembered until the app is uninstalled. The app never leaves the device with this data — everything stays local.

- minSdk 24 (Android 7.0), targetSdk/compileSdk 35 (Android 15)
- Dependencies: AndroidX core/appcompat/recyclerview/lifecycle, Material Components, Kotlin coroutines — nothing else.