> Support
1
Open the Setup Guide
On the Select Apps screen, tap the 'Setup Guide' button at the bottom. This opens the visual tutorial right inside the app with step-by-step instructions.
2
Open Shortcuts App
You can open the Shortcuts app in two ways:
From SlapMyHand
Tap the blue 'Open Shortcuts App' button on the Setup Guide screen.
OR
Manually
Find and tap the Shortcuts app on your home screen.
3
Go to Automation Tab
Tap 'Automation' at the bottom, then tap 'New Automation' to get started.
4
Select 'App' Trigger
Scroll down and tap 'App'. This lets the automation run when you open a specific app.
5
Configure Trigger
Select 'Is Opened' and 'Run Immediately'. Turn off 'Notify When Run'.
6
Choose Your App
Tap 'Choose' and select the app you want to pause (e.g., Instagram).
7
Verify and Continue
Check that your app name is shown, then tap 'Next' to continue.
8
Search 'Trigger Pause Check'
In the actions search bar, type 'pause' or 'trigger' and tap 'Trigger Pause Check' from the results.
9
Select Your App
Tap the App field and select the same app you chose as the trigger (e.g., Facebook).
10
Add 'Open URLs' Action
Search for 'Open URLs' in the actions search bar and tap it to add it below.
11
Verify Both Actions
You should see 'Trigger Pause Check' with your app selected, and 'Open' showing 'Trigger Pause Check' as its input.
12
You're All Set!
Your automation is saved. Repeat for each app you want to pause.
13
Verify Your Setup
Go back to the SlapMyHand home screen. Open each paused app once so the shortcut can activate. Here's what it looks like before and after:
Before
Apps show "Open app once or set up Shortcut"
→
After
Apps show "Pause active"
1
Select Your Apps
Choose the apps you want to pause, then tap 'Setup Guide' at the bottom.
2
Setup Guide Screen
You'll see this screen with the accessibility setup instructions and privacy disclosure.
3
Agree to Proceed
Tap 'Agree' on the disclosure dialog to open your phone's accessibility settings.
4
Find Installed Apps
In Accessibility settings, look for 'Installed apps' or 'Downloaded apps'. This screen may look different depending on your phone brand (Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, etc.) but the key step is the same — find the list of installed accessibility apps.
5
Select Slap My Hand
Find and tap 'SlapMyHand' in the list of installed accessibility services.
6
Allow Permission
Tap 'Allow' on the permission dialog to grant accessibility access.
7
Verify It's On
Confirm the toggle shows 'On' for SlapMyHand on the accessibility page.
8
All Set!
Return to the app — the card should now turn green showing 'Accessibility Enabled'.
9
Home Screen
If setup succeeded, your apps show 'Pause active' (left). If not, you'll see the setup prompt (right).
✓ Success
Pause active
vs
✗ Not set up
Setup prompt shown
Slap My Hand creates a mindful pause before you open distracting apps. When you open a selected app, a short breathing exercise, quote, or reflection prompt appears first — giving you a moment to decide if you really want to scroll.
Yes — the free plan includes 3 apps and 3 pause types (4-7-8 Breathing, Inspirational Quote, and 15-Second Delay). Premium unlocks unlimited apps, 4 additional pause types, scheduled pauses, activity heatmap, and detailed analytics.
Free: 4-7-8 Calm Breathing, Inspirational Quote, 15-Second Delay.
Premium adds: Box Breathing (used by Navy SEALs), Intention Setting, 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding, and Gratitude Practice.
Premium adds: Box Breathing (used by Navy SEALs), Intention Setting, 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding, and Gratitude Practice.
No. All your usage data (pause history, session stats, reflections) is stored locally on your device only. Slap My Hand has no user accounts, no cloud sync, and no backend servers collecting your data. The only network calls are: (1) Firebase Analytics for anonymous, aggregated usage events (only from official app store installs), and (2) gift card redemption if you use one.
No. The advertising ID permission is explicitly removed from the app, even though Firebase SDK tries to add it. We do not track you for advertising purposes.
English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Hindi.
Not currently. All data is stored locally on your device. If you uninstall the app, your data will be lost.
Yes. All pause features, analytics, and tracking work entirely offline. An internet connection is only needed for purchasing a subscription or redeeming a gift card.
Three plans: Monthly ($2.99/month with a 15-day free trial), Yearly ($19.99/year — 44% savings), and Lifetime ($39.99 one-time purchase).
Yes — the Monthly plan includes a 15-day free trial. You won't be charged until the trial ends. The Yearly and Lifetime plans do not have a trial.
You must cancel through your device's subscription settings — Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). The app provides a direct link under Settings > Manage Subscription. You must cancel at least 24 hours before your current period ends to avoid being charged for the next period.
Your premium features remain active until the end of your current billing period. After that, you'll revert to the free plan (3 apps, 3 pause types). Your usage data and history are NOT deleted — you just lose access to premium features like the heatmap and advanced analytics.
No. All your pause history, session data, reflections, and analytics remain on your device. You simply lose access to premium-only views (heatmap, detailed insights, extra pause types). If you resubscribe later, everything is still there.
Refunds are handled by Apple (iOS) or Google (Android) through their standard refund policies. Slap My Hand does not process refunds directly — you'll need to request one through the App Store or Google Play.
Go to the Premium screen and tap "Restore Purchases." This checks your Apple or Google account for existing subscriptions and reactivates premium automatically. Note: your local usage data does not transfer between devices.
Slap My Hand gift cards come in three tiers — Spark (3 months), Blaze (1 year), and Eternal (lifetime). To redeem, go to Subscription > Redeem Gift Card, enter your code and your name (plus email or phone). Gift cards do not auto-renew.
Monthly and Yearly plans auto-renew unless you cancel. Lifetime is a one-time purchase and never renews. Gift cards do not auto-renew.
On Android, Accessibility permission is the only way to detect when you open an app and show a pause screen. Without it, the app cannot function. This permission is used solely to detect app launches — nothing else.
Only two things: (1) app launch events — detecting when you open an app on your selected list, and (2) package names — identifying which app was opened. It explicitly CANNOT read your screen content, text you type, passwords, messages, or browsing history. This is enforced at the system level with
canRetrieveWindowContent="false".The Accessibility Service receives system events for all app switches (this is how Android works), but Slap My Hand only acts on apps you've explicitly selected. It ignores everything else.
Yes. Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, OnePlus, and other manufacturers customize the Accessibility settings interface. The steps may look different, but the goal is the same — find "Installed apps" or "Downloaded apps," select Slap My Hand, and toggle it on. Our visual tutorial shows the general flow.
Yes, at any time. Go to your device Settings > Accessibility > Installed Apps > Slap My Hand and toggle it off. The app will stop detecting app launches immediately.
Hibernation Mode (Premium, Android only) temporarily disables all pause screens while keeping usage tracking active. Useful when you need uninterrupted access to your apps — like during a work session — without permanently removing them from your list.
Scheduled Pauses use Android's alarm system to send you a notification at your chosen time, triggering a pause exercise. They require notification permission (Android 13+) and work independently of app usage — they're time-based reminders.
Only for Scheduled Pauses. If you don't use scheduled pauses, the app works fine without notification permission. On Android 13+, the system requires you to explicitly grant this permission.
Yes. The app uses a boot-completed receiver to automatically reschedule all your alarms after your phone restarts.
Apple doesn't allow apps to monitor which apps you open (unlike Android's Accessibility Service). The only way is through the Shortcuts app's "App Opened" automation trigger. This is an Apple platform limitation, not a choice by Slap My Hand.
Yes. Each app needs its own Shortcuts automation with the trigger "When [App] is opened." Our visual tutorial walks you through the 11-step process, and once you've done one, the rest take under a minute each.
Pauses will stop for that app. You'll need to recreate the automation in the Shortcuts app. Your pause history and data are not affected.
Absolutely not. On iOS, Slap My Hand only knows that a Shortcuts automation was triggered — it receives the app name and nothing else. It cannot see your screen, read messages, or access any content within other apps.
Apple restricts background app monitoring for privacy. On iOS, usage time is only tracked from when you tap "Continue to App" until you return to Slap My Hand. Android can track full foreground time because of the Accessibility Service. This means iOS analytics may show shorter session times.
No. Hibernation Mode relies on Android's Accessibility Service. On iOS, you can achieve a similar effect by disabling your Shortcuts automations temporarily.
They use local notifications. At your chosen time, you'll receive a notification that opens a pause exercise when tapped. No background processing or location tracking is involved.
Yes. If you don't enable "Run without asking," iOS will show a confirmation dialog every time before running the automation, which defeats the purpose of an automatic pause.
No. There are no accounts, no logins, no email collection (except optionally for gift cards), and no passwords. The app works entirely on-device.
Only from official App Store / Play Store installs: anonymous events like "pause completed," "app added," and "subscription started." No personal data, no screen content, and no data from apps you haven't selected. Analytics are completely disabled for sideloaded or development builds.
Everything is stored locally on your device in an encrypted local database. Nothing is sent to our servers. If you uninstall the app, all data is permanently deleted.
Your data is stored forever on your device — we never delete it automatically. Your full history of pauses, streaks, and reflections stays available so you can track your long-term progress.
No. SlapMyHand only detects when a paused app is opened — nothing else. We do not monitor which websites you visit, what you type, what videos you watch, or any content within your apps. The app has zero access to your screen content or activity inside other apps.
Yes. Uninstalling the app removes all data. You can also reset within the app via Settings.
Yes, the service runs in the background to detect app launches. However, it only processes events for your selected apps and uses minimal battery. You can disable it at any time in your device's Accessibility settings.
No. Your intention reflections, gratitude entries, and grounding responses are stored locally and never leave your device. They're only used to show you your own patterns in the analytics section.