Ripple
Hooked on Short Drama Apps: Limits for Yourself and for Your Kids
Each episode is a minute or two and always stops at a cliffhanger, so the next one starts before you think about it. Plenty of people mean to watch for ten minutes at night and are still going after midnight, buying coins to unlock more episodes. Kids do the same after school, and the coins come out of whatever payment is on the phone. The first part below is for adults setting limits on their own phone. The second part is for parents setting them on a child's phone.
Adults setting limits on their own phone
Android: a small daily allowance
Give short drama apps a daily limit such as 30 minutes. When it runs out the app stays closed for the day.
Android: closed at night
Add a schedule from 11 PM to 7 AM so you cannot keep watching in bed.
iPhone: start with a schedule
On iOS 16 and later you can block short drama apps after 11 PM. The iPhone version has no daily limits yet. They will come in a later version.
Let someone else hold the code
Give the unlock code to a partner or friend. Without it you wait through a 15 minute cooldown, and the urge usually passes.
Parents setting limits on a child's phone
Android: after school and bedtime
For example short drama apps closed after 7 PM on school days and 30 minutes a day on weekends.
iPhone: block on a schedule
The system blocks the apps in the background even if Ripple is closed. See the iPhone page.
Clock changes and uninstalling do nothing
On Android time is counted from device uptime, see the clock change page. Turn on uninstall protection on Android and the block on deleting apps on iPhone.
Lock down payments too
Require a password for every App Store or Google Play purchase so episode coins cannot be bought freely.
Setup steps
Install Ripple
On Android install the APK and turn on the accessibility service. On iPhone you need iOS 16 or later and Screen Time permission.
Choose short drama apps
Add ReelShort, DramaBox and other short drama apps, plus TikTok if you need it.
Set a schedule, and on Android a daily limit
For example closed from 11 PM to 7 AM, and on Android 30 minutes a day.
Give the unlock code to someone else
A partner or friend when it is your own phone, a parent when it is a child's phone.
Turn on uninstall protection
On Android enable the on-device uninstall guard. On iPhone enable the block on deleting apps.
FAQ
Which short drama apps can I add?
ReelShort, DramaBox, ShortMax, GoodShort and similar apps can all go on the list. A lot of short dramas also play inside TikTok, so add TikTok too if you want to cover them.
Can I give myself 30 minutes a day?
On Android you can give a single app a daily limit, for example 30 minutes. When it runs out the app stays closed for the rest of the day. The iPhone version currently limits apps by schedule only, for example no short drama apps after 11 PM. Daily limits on iPhone will come in a later version.
What if I just turn my own limit off?
Turning off or loosening a limit starts a 15 minute cooldown first. You can also hand the unlock code to a partner or friend so you cannot switch it off yourself.
Can my child change the clock or uninstall Ripple?
On Android time is counted from device uptime, so changing the clock does not help, and uninstall protection can be turned on right on the phone. On iPhone the block on deleting apps stops long press removal.
Does Ripple stop in app purchases for episodes?
No. Ripple controls whether an app can open. For payments, require a password for every purchase in the App Store or Google Play and remove saved cards from a child's phone.