Noise Budget: a daily limit for distressing news

Endless scrolling has a cost, and heavy news is the most expensive kind. Noise Budget gives you a way to spend your attention on purpose.

How it works

You pick a daily number of distressing stories. As you read, FactsLane counts the cards that are marked as tense or negative. A story counts once you actually open it or spend a few seconds on it, not when it merely passes by on screen.

When you reach your limit, the app shows a short, calm message. It does not lock you out. It offers to switch to Zen Mode, which keeps only constructive and quiet stories, until the end of the day. You can accept, or carry on if today is a day you need to know more.

The counter resets at midnight, local time. Tomorrow starts with a full budget.

Why we built it

Zen Mode is a filter you turn on. Auto Zen is a schedule. Noise Budget is different: it reacts to what you actually read. Some days the news is quiet and you will never notice the limit. On heavy days it works like a friend who says, "That's enough for now."

Seeing a number such as "8 of 20 left today" also brings a sense of control, which is the opposite of how most feeds feel.

How to try it

Update to FactsLane 1.6 on iOS or Android and open the calm settings. Set your daily limit there. You can change it or turn it off at any time.