New Touch Grass app makes you literally step outside before scrolling

We live in a world where our phones can either drain us or empower us. One minute, you’re checking an email; the next, you’ve spiraled into an hour of mindless scrolling.

While wellness apps won’t magically fix everything, the right ones can help you feel better, stay productive and even break free from your screen. According to Dr. Rafael Grossman, a surgeon at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire, technology has evolved into a powerful ecosystem of apps, smartphones, wearables and AI algorithms — all designed to support better health habits through more personalized recommendations, WebMD reported.

So if you’re ready to ditch doomscrolling or just crave a daily dose of positivity, these three wellness apps are here to upgrade your screen time for a healthier, happier you.

Touch Grass

Touch Grass is here to snap you out of your scrolling spiral. Created by software engineer Rhys Kentish, this app literally makes you go outside before unlocking your most distracting social media apps.

“I was sick and tired of my reflex in the morning being to reach for my phone and scroll for upwards of an hour,” Kentish told Fast Company. “It didn’t feel good, and I wasn’t getting anything out of it.”

While it’s not available for download until March 14, here’s how it works: Select the apps you want to limit. Before you can access them, you have to step outside, take a photo of your hand touching grass and upload it. The app verifies your outdoor time before letting you back into your digital world. Think of it as a little nudge to swap screen time for fresh air.

Finch

If checking things off your to-do list feels like a drag, Finch turns self-care into a game. This app lets you nurture a virtual bird (yes, you even get to name it) by completing your own wellness-focused tasks like drinking water, exercising or journaling. Every checkmark helps your Finch grow, unlocking cute outfits and fun adventures.

Fun fact: The app’s name comes from Atticus Finch, a fictional character out of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The creators also discovered real-life finch birds have uplifting personalities that seem to align with mental wellness — so the name stuck.

Manifest: 24/7 Wellness

Looking to cultivate a more positive mindset? Manifest is your go-to for daily affirmations, guided meditations and personalized wellness check-ins to help you track your emotional well-being.

Its chat-based, AI-powered format makes affirmations feel more like a heart-to-heart with a friend than just another generic notification. And with its soft, airy design, focusing on wellness has never felt more inviting.

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