Kinai
Personal project · iOS · 2026
I built Kinai because most wellness apps make me feel worse, not better. They run on streaks, scores, and guilt. Miss a day and you’ve broken a 47-day streak, so why bother coming back. That’s the opposite of what self-care should feel like.
Kinai is a small companion who lives in your phone. The more you take care of yourself, the more your bond with them grows. There are no streaks to lose and no numbers to chase; if you skip a day nothing breaks, and Kin is just glad to see you when you come back.
Demo
Features
A quiet daily check-in
Three taps, no journaling required. A way to notice how you're doing without anyone asking why.
Tiny quests, no streaks
A short list of doable things: a 5-minute walk, phone in another room, texting someone who gets you. Pick what fits the day, skip the rest. Nothing breaks if you do.
Reasons, not rules
Each quest comes with a small note explaining why it might help, in Kin's voice rather than a clinician's. The intent is to make the act feel inviting, not assigned.
Walks that grow the bond
Take Kin on a walk and your route, steps, distance, and time show up in your journal. Time spent moving deepens the bond, which is the only number the app cares about.
The bond is the only number
Most wellness apps stack metrics on top of the user. Kinai keeps one: the bond level with Kin. Tap the bond pill and you can see exactly what’s growing it; no mystery formula, no upsell. The rest of the app stays on your phone. Conversations and check-ins never leave the device.