Complete list of screen time apps and phone hacks
When willpower and motivation just won't cut it anymore.
Sometimes habit-breaking needs an assist. When willpower and motivation won’t do the job, you have to get a bit creative. Doom scrolling, subconsciously opening apps, mindlessly scrolling on your phone — these are all hard habits to break. Fortunately, there’s an abundance of app blocking apps, website blocking apps, and screen time management apps that will help you block distractions, be productive, and take back control of your phone habits.
If you’re already overwhelmed by making changes to your habits, finding the best app blocking app or hack might take your stress to another level. I compiled a top-level guide to all the phone hacks and screen time apps that can help you take back the control and start reducing your screen time on your iPhone or Android.
Phone hacks & settings
Before diving into our full app directory, here are a few simple hacks you can make on your own.
Time limit settings
Both iPhone and Androids have introduced time limit settings in recent years.
iPhone
Open the Settings app
Select Screen Time
Tap App Limits
Tap Add Limit
Select one or more app categories. To set limit for individual apps, tap the category name to see all the apps in that category, then select the apps you want to limit.
You can also play around with the Focus and Downtime settings to customize when and where certain apps are blocked.
Android
Open the Settings app
Select Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls
Select the app you want to set a time limit for
Tap Set timer
Choose the desired time limit and tap OK
Grayscale
Colorful phone are stimulating. Make your phone boring and change it to grayscale. Some people swear by this trick, claiming the black and white screen reminds them to spend more time in the colorful real world.
iPhone
Open the Settings app
Select Accessibility
Tap Display & Text Size
Turn on Color Filters
Select the Grayscale Filter
Android
Open the Settings app
Select Accessibility
Tap Color and Motion
Tap Color Correction
Select the Grayscale Filter
More phone hacks
Delete all apps from your home screen. Both iPhone and Android give you the ability to remove the clutter and take apps off your home screen. They’ll still be available on your phone, but they won’t tempting you in plain sight.
Change your background to something insanely simple - think black, gray, or white solid background. You want your phone to be as boring as possible.
If you haven’t already, turn off your notifications. Seriously.
Screen time apps
Below is a comprehensive list of all the reputable time blocking apps, digital minimalism apps, or screen time tracking apps that I was able to find. The majority of these do cost money, but some have free features or free trials.
There’s a lot of options out there, so I hope seeing this list with all of them in one place will be helpful for you. You might gravitate to a different UI or maybe you have a strict budget. Maybe you want to gamify your habits or maybe you want something inherently simple. The good news is there truly is an app blocking app for everyone.
As for me? For a few weeks I was managing my screen time by using the free version of Jomo. I actually quite liked the app, but because it’s the free version, I only had access to one rule. I used my free rule to block most apps in the morning when I compulsively grab my phone as soon as I wake up. Honestly, it was a game changer for my morning routine.
When compiling this list, Screen Zen really stood out to me as an alternative I wanted to try. It’s free (although, I did tip), so I can set up unlimited rules, and I really like the way it has you pause before opening selected apps. I also love that in the data tracking feature, you can create exceptions. I play Spotify in the car, I use Google Maps, once a week I spend an hour on my Cooking and Grocery apps getting food for the week — I don’t want those things going towards my “screen time total.” I felt like with these tools included, it was skewing the data.
Then, on a whim, I tried out DumbPhone. I mention it later in this article, but at first, I felt like I made a big mistake reworking my home screen. Two days later, and I am starting to warm up to it. After over a decade of tapping little app icons, it’s been an adjustment to have such a simple interface, but there is no denying that more than ever my phone is truly functioning as a tool.
I’d love to know what works for you, please add a comment if you use and love one of these!
AppBlock
Available on iPhone, Android, and Desktop.
AppBlock is an (you guessed it) app-blocking app that allows you to block apps as well as specific websites or phrases in your browser. It offers options like Quick Block (just press start and instantly start a block session), Scheduled Blocking, and Strict Mode.
Apple app store rating: 4.5 (3k ratings)
Android app store rating: 4.6 (145K ratings)
Cost: 7-day free trial; Monthly subscription $4.99, Annual subscription $29.99, Lifetime subscription $89.99.
Attentive
Available on iPhone.
Attentive is an app-blocker that also aims to help you build better habits. You can create blockers for different occasions, learn psychology-based techniques to support your habit-building, and the app also features interactive widgets that can help you sustain your journey.
Apple app store rating: 4.4 (63 ratings)
Cost: 7-day free trial; Monthly subscription $9.99, Annual subscription $35.99
BePresent
Available on iPhone, Waitlist for Android.
BePresent aims to take app-blocking a step further by layering in gamification and social competition. It’s a somewhat novel approach compared to other app blockers on the market. You work to maintain streaks, compete with friends and family, and you can even earn rewards like a Headspace subscription or work out classes through ClassPass.
Apple app store rating: 4.7 (1k ratings)
Cost: 7-day free trial; Monthly subscription $6.99, Annual subscription $24.99.
Blank Spaces
Available on iPhone.
Blank Spaces is a minimal home screen launcher that utilizes widgets to simplify your home screen and eliminate visual distraction.
Apple app store rating: 3.9 (<500 ratings)
Cost: 7-day free trial; Monthly subscription $3.99; Annual subscription $13.99; Lifetime subscription $22.99
Burnout Buddy
Available on iPhone.
Burnout Buddy offers quite a few different ways to block apps on your phone including schedule-based, usage-based, location-based, and Siri-based, but one of the best features is the ability to block some apps indefinitely. They also have a Strict Mode which makes it a lot harder to “snooze” your time settings.
Apple app store rating: 4.9 (<250 ratings)
Cost: Some features are available for free. Monthly subscription $9.99.
Clarymind
Available on iPhone.
Clarymind’s mission is to take app blocking to a level of mindfulness. On top of blocking apps (when you try to bypass the controls, you have to answer your purpose for using the app), it layers in personalized guided meditation (with the help of AI), breath work, sleep music, and daily affirmations.
Apple app store rating: 5.0 (4 ratings)
Cost: Some features are available for free. Monthly subscription $12.99; 6-month subscription $29.99; Annual subscription $34.99.
ClearSpace
Available on iPhone, Android, and Desktop.
A popular contender, ClearSpace aims to help you with your phone usage by redirecting your impulse clicks and helping to pull you out of doomscroll sessions. Before entering an app, you’re directed to complete a centering exercise of your choice - like breathing, squats, or push ups, which the app verifies. You choose how long you’ll be able to spend on that app, and at the end of the session, ClearSpace pulls you out.
Apple app store rating: 4.8 (5.2k ratings)
Android app store rating: 4.4 (<200 ratings
Cost: 7-day free trial; Annual subscription $49.99
Dumb Phone
Available on iPhone.
Dumb Phone is another minimalist widget app that helps you to create your own version of, well, a dumb phone. Simplify your phone and eliminate distractions. Sometimes, that’s all there is to it.
Apple app store rating: 4.5 (<250 ratings)
Cost: Monthly subscription $3.99; Annual subscription $12.99; Lifetime subscription $29.99.
Freedom
Available on iPhone, Android, and Desktop.
With a reported >1 Million users, Freedom is surely a popular choice. The app is an app blocker, but what makes it unique is its features sync across all of your devices. Block apps and websites or the whole internet if you’re in the mood. Freedom also offers productivity tools like scheduling and focus sounds.
Apple app store rating: 4.3 (3.3k ratings)
Android app store rating: 4.5 (6.06k ratings)
Cost: 7-day free trial; Monthly subscription $8.99, Annual subscription $39.99, Lifetime subscription $99.50.
Jomo
Available on iPhone and Desktop (Mac only).
Jomo is one of the app blockers I’ve tried and enjoyed. It includes the standard website and app-blockers, which you can override for a short period of time by explaining why you want to override. You can schedule your sessions, journal how you feel about your daily usage, compete with friends and family, and my favorite feature (though it’s a paid one) – unlock app usage by walking, running, or meditating.
Apple app store rating: 4.8 (<300 ratings)
Cost: Some features are available for free; Monthly subscription $5.99; Annual subscription $29.99; Lifetime subscription $99.99)
Ochi
Available on iPhone and Desktop (Mac only).
Created by the same developers as Dumb Phone, Ochi is a fairly standard app-blocker. You can block apps and websites, filter websites by category, apply filters and rules, and limit how often filters can be suspended. It’s a nice bonus that you can sync the filters between iPhone, iPad, and Mac, so there’s really no cheating!
Apple app store rating: 4.3 (<150 ratings)
Cost: Some features are available for free; Monthly subscription $3.99; Annual subscription $19.99; Lifetime subscription $49.99)
OffScreen: Screen Time
Available on iPhone and Android.
Offscreen is primarily focused on tracking your phone usage with more granular data than your typical phone settings. You can see your pick-ups, average usage, usage while walking vs. while stationary, last pick up, first pick up, and more. You can block apps, and it has a nice focus mode that supports Pomodoro, countdown, or time accumulation, which is a handy feature when trying to get something done.
Apple app store rating: 4.5 (2000 ratings)
Android app store rating: 3.6 (<500 ratings)
Cost: 7-day free trial; Monthly subscription $0.99, Annual subscription $4.49, Lifetime subscription $9.99.
Olauncher minimal
Available on Android.
Olauncher Minimal is a minimalist launcher for Android. You can adapt your phone to have a clean home screen without distractions, similar to Dumb Phone for iPhone. Olauncher has a ridiculously high rating with 1M+ downloads, and the best part — it’s completely free. If you have Android, downloading this app appears to be a no-brainer.
Android app store rating: 4.9 (39.4K ratings)
Cost: Free
OneSec
Available on iPhone, Android, and Desktop.
OneSec forces you to take a deep breath whenever you open your doomscroll apps so you can make a conscious decision – “Do I want to be here?” You can fully block the apps (and websites) and you can set intentions and intention reminders, plus it will offer up healthy alternatives to your scrolling habits.
Apple app store rating: 4.5 (<200 ratings)
Android app store rating: 4.6 (26.7K ratings)
Cost: Some features are available for free. Monthly subscription $2.99; Annual subscription $19.99; Lifetime subscription $49.99 (Family plans also available).
Opal: Screen Time for focus
Available on iPhone and Desktop (Mac only).
Opal is another popular choice for iPhone users. You can set block sessions and set focus difficulties (aka make it harder to override Opal’s controls) or create app limits instead of outright blocking an app. Opal does seem to have more sophisticated progress tracking than the iPhone standard, and it’s hard to ignore the 4.8 star rating from over 30K users.
Apple app store rating: 4.8 (32.2K ratings)
Cost: Some features are available for free. Monthly subscription $19.99, Annual subscription $99.99, Lifetime subscription $399. (Teams subscriptions also available)
ScreenTime+
Available on iPhone.
ScreenTime+ utilizes the existing Focus modes in your iPhone settings to block existing apps, so everything works seamlessly together. You can also use the Pomodoro timer in the app to set focus sessions where you can get work done without distractions.
Apple app store rating: 4.5 (15 ratings)
Cost: 7-day free trial; Annual subscription $9.99
Screen Zen
Available on iPhone, Android, and Desktop (Mac only).
Screen Zen aims to tackle those mindless pickups by asking you “is this important” before you open a specified app. When you are doom scrolling, the app will interrupt you so you don’t get sucked in. There’s a strict block mode, streaks, and breathing exercises. One feature I quite like: Screen Zen doesn’t bloat your screen time data tracking with utility apps like Google Maps. When you’re focused on getting that daily screen time # down, it can be annoying when these utilities run up your total.
Apple app store rating: 4.8 (<200 ratings)
Android app store rating: 4.8 (4.57k ratings)
Cost: Currently free, but they are considering a paid version in the future. If you give a complimentary tip of $5, $10, or $20, you can unlock lifetime access.
StepBloc
Available on iPhone.
StepBloc makes app blocking a bit more interesting. Block the apps you want to avoid. If you want to unlock them, you’ve got to complete exercise challenges: go for a walk, do some squats, complete some push ups. Maybe once you’ve got those endorphins coursing through your body, you won’t even crave that dopamine hit? Worth a try.
Apple app store rating: 4.4 (<200 ratings)
Cost: Some features are available for free. Monthly subscription $3.99; Annual subscription $14.99; Lifetime subscription $19.99.
Superhappy.ai
Available on iPhone.
Superhappy takes a novel approach – to unlock your apps, you have to chat with an AI “coach” first. Can AI change the focus game?
Apple app store rating: 4.8 (<200 ratings)
Cost: 7-day free trial; Monthly subscription $14.99, Annual subscription $74.99.
YourHour
Available on Android.
YourHour touts detailed usage reports, curated challenges, a daily phone routine, and the “floating timer” that appears on all apps so you can see in real time how much of your day you are really letting slip away.
Android app store rating: 4.2 (75.9k ratings)
Cost: Some features are available for free. Premium upgrades available.
Tips for choosing the best app-blocking or screen time app
To be honest, at first, I balked at the idea of downloading one of these apps. It felt overwhelming to rework the way I’m using my phone — like I would be putting a lot of effort into something that might not even work. But like any habit change, you have to put that effort in.
One thing that’s particularly unique about the digital minimalism space is that how every individual ends up using technology will be completely personalized to their experience. Reading books has been such a gift to me as I move away from social media, so I don’t beat myself up about time spent looking for the next book to add to my Libby list. However, I read recently about a woman who was struggling to go to work or study for her exams because she was constantly reading or thinking about her books. Reading is healthy for me, not healthy for this woman. Spotify and Podcasts might be healthy for you, but they might be a slippery slope for others.
What I’m trying to say is this — it should take you a little time to come up with the right system for you. That’s because there is no one-size fits all approach. Here’s some things to keep in mind:
Be prepared to spend some time setting up the app you choose. You’ll need to really think about what apps are problematic and what apps are daily tools.
Be adaptable. Maybe you set a rule, but you find you keep overriding it. Is there a stricter app that might work better for you? Or do you merely need to shift your rules around? It’s okay to tinker around until you come up with a system that works.
Stick with it. This isn’t a magic bullet. It will feel uncomfortable for a few days. I’d recommend trying it for three weeks, but I understand a lot of these apps have only 7 day trials so at least give it the 7 days to see if this new system can work for you. I tried DumbPhone and within 30 minutes, I thought “This was a mistake.” Two days later, I’m starting to see things differently.
Remember, every step forward is a step. You are choosing to spend more time in the real world. That is such a gift. You are doing great.
Note: I tried to be exhaustive of all apps available for iPhone and Android phones. If you use an app or you’re an app developer and feel there’s a helpful app missing from this list, please message me or comment here and I’ll take a look.
Hi! Thanks for this list. Would you consider updating on your own set up in the future? Curious to know if you're still using dumb phone and screen zen. Thanks!
Wow! So many choices! I just set up Dumb Phone after reading this and I think it's the next step that I need. I've been without socials since Nov 7th and I've reduced my screen time by a lot, but I still sometimes click around on random apps to fill the void of filling time by scrolling. I think this will help a lot!