A free, open source desktop app that detects nail biting in real time using your computer's camera - no video is recorded, stored, or sent anywhere.
Uses your computer's camera to detect nail biting the moment it happens, so the habit is interrupted immediately - not minutes later.
When nail biting is detected, the app alerts you right away (visual and/or sound), helping you notice the habit and stop it in the moment.
Designed to run while you use your computer - working, browsing the web, or watching videos. It focuses on the situations where nail biting most often happens.
No video is recorded. No images are saved. Nothing is uploaded or sent anywhere. All detection runs locally on your computer.
StopBitingNails does one thing: help you notice and stop nail biting. No accounts, no dashboards, no unnecessary features.
The entire codebase is open source, so anyone can see how it works. No hidden tracking, no surprises.
A simple, privacy-first way to stop nail biting during everyday computer use
When the app is open, it uses your computer's camera while you work, browse the web, or watch videos - the moments when nail biting most often happens.
The app looks for the specific hand-to-mouth movement pattern associated with nail biting. It doesn't identify you - it only reacts to the behavior.
As soon as nail biting is detected, you're notified right away, helping you notice the habit and stop it in the moment.
Most nail-biting solutions fail because the habit is automatic. This app interrupts it in the moment - while you're on your computer.
If you've tried to stop biting your nails, you've probably tried at least one of these:
It sounds simple, but in real life it's messy and easy to outgrow:
Streaks are motivating after you've stopped - but nail biting often happens before you notice. By the time you log it, the bite already happened. Tracking helps with reflection, but it doesn't reliably stop the behavior in the moment.
Some devices try to "punish" the habit with vibration or electric shock. They can be expensive, uncomfortable, and have a mixed reputation - plus many people don't want to wear hardware all day.
They can reduce nail biting for some people, but they're not for everyone, can be costly/maintenance-heavy, and don't solve related behaviors like biting the skin around the nails.
Nail biting is often compulsive. The only thing that reliably helps is awareness at the exact moment it happens. That's also why habit-reversal approaches work well - because they focus on recognizing and interrupting the behavior in real time.
StopBitingNails does that automatically while you're at your computer:
This app is effective at interrupting nail biting while you're using your computer - working, browsing, watching YouTube - because it can catch the behavior and react instantly.
But it can't help in situations where your computer isn't involved (driving, reading a book, walking, etc.). It's a focused tool for the place many people bite their nails the most: at the computer.
Download StopBitingNails today and start your journey to healthier, beautiful nails. It's absolutely free.
Windows displays a warning for apps from new or unknown publishers. This doesn't mean the app is unsafe - it means it hasn't yet built up reputation with Microsoft's SmartScreen system.
We're working on official code signing so the warning will disappear in a future release. For now, you can safely proceed with installation, or build the app yourself from source if you prefer.
On macOS, apps must be signed and notarized by Apple to open without warnings.
This initial release isn't notarized yet, so macOS may block it or require an extra confirmation step. We're actively working on Apple notarization, which will remove this warning in an upcoming version.
Yes.
The warnings are about publisher verification - not about malicious behavior.
Yes. If you're comfortable with development tools, you can build the app yourself from source on GitHub.
This avoids OS warnings entirely and lets you inspect exactly what runs on your machine.
If you're unsure or want more details before installing, feel free to reach out.
Email: hello@stopbitingnails.app
We're happy to explain how it works, what's coming next, or help you decide if it's right for you.
Yes. Both Windows code signing and macOS notarization are planned and will be added in the near future to make installation seamless and warning-free.
No. The app processes your camera feed in real time on your device. No video or images are ever recorded, saved, or sent anywhere. You can verify this yourself - the code is open source.
The app uses machine learning to detect hand-to-mouth movements associated with nail biting. It works well in normal lighting conditions. It may occasionally miss a bite or trigger a false positive, but it catches most instances reliably.
The app is designed to be lightweight. It runs efficiently in the background while you work. You can adjust settings or pause detection if needed.
Currently, the app is available for Windows and macOS (Apple Silicon). More platforms may be added in the future.
Yes, completely free. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no hidden costs. The project is open source and maintained by volunteers.
Absolutely! The project is on GitHub. You can report issues, suggest features, or contribute code.