Say 'You're Being Rude' From Your Apple Watch

There’s an egregious social etiquette crime that’s being committed more and more frequently. You’re with a friend or loved one, in the middle of a conversation, when suddenly he or she pulls out a mobile device and starts ignoring you. You’re being “phubbed,” and it’s both frustrating and humiliating. With You’re Being Rude, though, you have a fun and effective way to hopefully bring politeness back to social interactions.

When You’re Phubbed, a Way to Say ‘You’re Being Rude’

With this app on your Apple Watch, you’ll have a vocal way to say “You’re being rude” without actually uttering the words. Just launch the app from your wrist, and a timer begins. A very loud, ticking timer. Just let it go for the entire time your so-called friend is focused on phubbing you.

When he or she turns attention back to you, you can choose to pardon that friend or loved one. Or, if you’re really perturbed, you can punish them. Tap “Pardon” to show some grace, or tap “Punish” to lay down the hurt.

When you tap “Punish,” a new timer begins. This one counts down the length of time you were ignored. Simply ignore your friend or loved one for the duration of this timer, and wait for the bell to ring. Then resume normal conversation, perhaps explaining what you were doing and why.

The App Works From Your iPhone, too

If you really want to fight fire with fire, you could run the app from your iPhone. It features the same timer, counting up for the time you’re being ignored and then down through the duration of time you should disregard your companion. It lacks the “Pardon” and “Punish” buttons, but you can tripe-tap the app to accomplish the same thing.

This is a fun and often effective way to let people know how you feel about their mobile device usage when you’re spending time with them. However, You’re Being Rude does include a disclaimer that you “may have to get new friends after using this app.” Not everyone will see the humor in it, so be discerning about whom you use it on.

Getting the App

You’re Being Rude is a free download on the App Store, and takes up very little space on your iPhone or your Apple Watch. There are no in-app purchases, and I’ve yet to be disturbed by advertisements.