Autonomous has launched a $9 physical device called Autonomous Key, an NFC keyfob designed to help people curb compulsive smartphone use by locking distracting apps behind a physical scan. Unlike conventional screen-time tools, which rely on users tapping through their own notifications or timers, the key forces a deliberate action to regain access, and users can boost its effectiveness by leaving it somewhere inconvenient, such as another room or their workplace, so that reopening apps like Instagram or TikTok requires genuine effort rather than a mindless tap.

Each unlock session lasts up to 60 minutes before the target apps lock again automatically, and one key can be linked to multiple phones, suiting shared or family use. At $9, it undercuts rivals such as Blok, Unpluq and Brick, though it lacks some of Brick's extras like Sleep Mode and in-app purchase blocking. The companion app, compatible with Android 8.0/iOS 15 and later, adds AI-generated, deliberately sardonic insights into usage habits, and needs no subscription. Reviewers noted the NFC scan sometimes needed several attempts and that losing the key currently requires reinstalling the app as a workaround, with a proper backup-unlock feature still in development. The device is shipping now in beta following a Kickstarter campaign, in five colours.