Make Obsidian the front door to your phone.
Your notes first. Distractions on purpose.
Obelisk is an independent Android launcher that opens Home into your Daily Note. Keep every app you need, then add a purpose and time limit before the ones you tend to open automatically.
Built independently for Obsidian users. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Obsidian.
## Morning intention
08:30Obelisk, plan tomorrow's launch
Start an intention
Plan tomorrow's launch
- CCalendar
- BBrowser
- Messages
Illustrative workflow using current product behaviour
Intentionality Ledger summary
- 01Write
Capture your intention in your own words.
- 02Choose
Pick the apps and time that support it.
- 03Notice
Meet an unplanned app with one calm decision.
- 04Reflect
Return the session to your Daily Note.
Your Daily Note becomes Home.
Obelisk acts as the Android HOME app and routes Home to your configured Obsidian Daily Note. Instead of beginning at an app grid, you begin with the notes, tasks, and current work you chose.
An active session stays intact. When you finish, its summary and reflection return to the note you can edit, link, and keep.
Follow the complete workflow## Obelisk Sessions
Calendar · Browser · Messages
Outlined the launch. Ready to review tomorrow.
A deliberate loop, not a loading screen.
A fixed delay is easy to ignore. Obelisk gives the pause somewhere useful to lead: write, choose, notice, then return the session to your own notes.
- 1
Write what you mean to do.
Your intention begins in the Daily Note you already own. One sentence gives the session a purpose before an app opens.
Daily Note ## Morning intention
08:30Obelisk, plan tomorrow's launch
- 2
Choose what supports it.
Select the apps and time the intention needs. Obelisk grants a bounded session instead of asking you to rely on memory alone.
Plan tomorrow's launch CCalendarSelectedBBrowserSelectedMMessagesSelectedHow much time will this take?00:45:00 - 3
Notice the detour.
When another managed app appears, Obelisk creates one calm decision point. Add a reason, return to the session, or go home.
Unplanned app Why do you need this app?
This app is not part of “Plan tomorrow's launch”.
Check the launch referenceAdd to sessionReturn - 4
Return and reflect.
Finish in Obsidian. The completed session and reflection return to the Daily Note as part of a journal you can read and edit.
How did that session feel? 
Outlined the launch. Ready to review tomorrow.Daily Note updatedSession · Plan tomorrow's launch
A boundary you can inspect.
The private beta asks for powerful Android capabilities. The site explains those capabilities plainly because reliability and restraint are part of the product.
- Your words stay yours.
- Intentions, reflections, and completed session summaries return to user-editable Markdown in your Obsidian vault. Vault-owned
- Android observation is narrow.
- The accessibility service observes foreground-package changes so Obelisk can apply the app rules you configure. Package changes only
- Your screen is not the input.
- Obelisk does not read or record screen content, and it does not capture or store third-party application imagery. No screen capture
- You remain in control.
- Obelisk is a self-control aid, not a security boundary. Permissions, app rules, recovery, and HOME behaviour stay visible and reversible. Inspectable
Keep the smartphone. Change the route into distraction.
Most app blockers begin with a schedule or a prohibition. Obelisk begins with your sentence: what are you doing, which apps support it, and how long should it take?
A detour becomes a question rather than a punishment. A completed session becomes a journal entry rather than another score on a dashboard.
That connection—reflection before, guidance during, and reflection after—is why Obelisk is an Obsidian-first launcher, not another minimalist blocker.
Screen-time limits count minutes. Obelisk records why they mattered.
An ordinary screen time limit app can make usage visible or unavailable. Obelisk adds context around the limit: the intention before an app opens, the boundary while it is open, and the reflection after it closes.
See the Android and Obsidian workflow- Before
- Name the session.Write what you are opening your phone to do, in your own words.
- During
- Keep access relevant.Choose the apps and time that support the intention; meet detours with a calm decision.
- After
- Keep the meaning.Return the completed session and reflection to your Obsidian Daily Note.
Questions before you hand your phone a new Home.
Obelisk asks for meaningful Android permissions and a change in routine. These are the practical boundaries to understand before joining the private beta.
Is Obelisk an Android app blocker?
Yes. Obelisk limits managed apps to an intentional, timed session, but begins with a written purpose rather than only a schedule or prohibition. The aim is deliberate opening, not an unbreakable lock.
Is it a screen time limit app?
Obelisk includes bounded session time and foreground usage awareness. Its difference is the surrounding ritual: intention in Obsidian, relevant app access on Android, and a reflection returned to your Daily Note.
Does Obelisk work without Obsidian?
The current private MVP is built around Obsidian mobile. Intentions begin in a Daily Note and completed sessions return there as user-editable Markdown, so Obsidian is part of the product rather than an optional export.
What does the Android accessibility service see?
It observes foreground-package changes so Obelisk can apply the app rules you configure. It does not read or record screen content. Read the full privacy boundaries.
Which Android devices are supported?
The MVP targets Android 13–16 and has been validated first on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Android permissions, protected windows, and OEM process management vary, so broader compatibility is not yet promised.
Help shape the private beta.
Obelisk is being validated first with Android users who already use—or want to begin using—Obsidian as a daily journal.