Block the apps that eat your day.
AppBlocker is a free iOS and Android app that blocks the apps you choose, on the schedule you set, with everything kept on your phone.
Free on the App Store and Google Play.
What can AppBlocker do?
Block Now
Pick a duration, 5m, 10m, 15m, 20m, 30m, 45m or 1h, then tap Choose Apps to Block. The chosen apps stay shut for that stretch.
Scheduled Blocks
Pick the apps that take the most from you and the hours they should stay shut, such as work mornings or evenings. During those hours iOS stops them from opening, using Apple's own Screen Time controls.
Doomscroll Protection
Pick the apps that are time sinks, and AppBlocker stops you after 15 minutes of use to break the dopamine cycle.
Manual Block
For the apps you are truly done with, a firm wall you set yourself. You turn it off deliberately, not mid-craving. The Blocked Apps row on the home screen shows what you have blocked.
Focus Streak
The home screen shows your current streak, a check for each day of the week, and your best streak.
Screen-Time Stats
A daily screen-time goal with the time remaining, today's screen time, Today, This Week and 2 Weeks views, an hourly usage chart, usage by category, and your top apps. It all stays on your iPhone.
How does it work?
Download
Get AppBlocker from the App Store. There is no sign-up.
Pick a Duration
Choose a Block Now duration from 5m to 1h, or set the hours apps should stay shut.
Choose Your Apps
Tap Choose Apps to Block. Apple's app picker keeps your selection private to your device.
Get Stopped
Reach for a blocked app and you get a block screen instead of a feed.
Free, no sign-up, and your data stays on your phone
AppBlocker is free, with no subscription and no paywall on the blocking. It is supported by ads.
There is no sign-up, and there are no servers or cloud storage. The apps you choose to block and the screen-time data behind the blocking stay on your iPhone, and deleting the app removes them.
The iOS app shows ads through Unity Ads and Google AdMob. The Android app shows ads through Google AdMob. On iOS, the ad providers collect advertising identifiers when an ad is shown. You are asked for permission first through the App Tracking Transparency prompt, and you can decline. That is the only thing that leaves the device. The iOS app shows a Google consent form and the App Tracking Transparency prompt. This describes the iOS app. The Android app's data practices are described in its Google Play listing.
How does AppBlocker compare to iPhone Screen Time?
| iPhone Screen Time | AppBlocker | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, built into iOS | Free, supported by ads |
| Setup | Already on your iPhone, in Settings | Download from the App Store, no sign-up |
| Blocking on a schedule | Downtime blocks every app except your Always Allowed list | Scheduled Blocks cover only the apps you pick |
| Block right now | Set up through App Limits or Downtime in Settings | Block Now, with durations from 5m to 1h |
| Limiting time in an app | App Limits give an app a daily allowance | Doomscroll Protection stops you after 15 minutes in the apps you mark as time sinks |
| Getting past a block | One tap on Ignore Limit unless a Screen Time passcode is set | A Manual Block you turn off deliberately |
| Usage stats | Built-in Screen Time reports | Daily goal with time remaining, usage by category, top apps, Today, This Week and 2 Weeks views |
| Managing a child's device | Yes, with Family Sharing | No, built for your own iPhone |
What Screen Time does well: it costs nothing, there is nothing to install, and with a passcode someone else chooses, App Limits and Downtime can work. It is also the right tool for parents. AppBlocker uses the same Apple technology underneath and is for people who want to block apps now or on a schedule, a 15 minute stop in the apps that eat their time, and a firm Manual Block, without building it in Settings. For the built-in steps, see how to block apps on iPhone.
Questions about AppBlocker
What is AppBlocker?
AppBlocker is a free app blocker for iPhone. You choose which apps to block and when, and iOS stops them from opening. It includes Block Now, Scheduled Blocks, Doomscroll Protection, a Manual Block, a Focus Streak, and screen-time stats.
What is Doomscroll Protection?
You pick the apps that are time sinks, and AppBlocker stops you after 15 minutes of use to break the dopamine cycle.
Is AppBlocker free?
Yes. AppBlocker is free with no subscription and no paywall on the blocking. It is supported by ads.
Does AppBlocker need an account?
No. AppBlocker needs no sign-up and has no servers or cloud storage. There is nothing to sign up for.
Does AppBlocker send my data anywhere?
Your app selections and screen-time data stay on your iPhone. The iOS app shows ads through Unity Ads and Google AdMob. The Android app shows ads through Google AdMob. On iOS, the only thing that leaves the device is the advertising identifier the ad providers collect when an ad is shown, after you are asked for permission through the App Tracking Transparency prompt. The iOS app shows a Google consent form and the App Tracking Transparency prompt. This describes the iOS app. The Android app's data practices are described in its Google Play listing.
What devices does AppBlocker work on?
AppBlocker is available on iPhone and Android, on the App Store and Google Play.
How is AppBlocker different from iPhone Screen Time?
Screen Time is built into iOS and free, with App Limits and Downtime. AppBlocker uses the same Apple technology but lets you block apps now for a set duration or on a schedule, stops you after 15 minutes in the apps you mark as time sinks, and adds a Manual Block that stays on until you turn it off.
Can AppBlocker block apps right now for a short time?
Yes. Block Now blocks the apps you choose for a duration you pick: 5m, 10m, 15m, 20m, 30m, 45m or 1h. Scheduled Blocks cover set hours, such as work mornings or evenings.
Can I block an app until I decide to unblock it?
Yes. The Manual Block keeps the apps you choose shut until you deliberately turn it off.
Can I use AppBlocker as parental controls?
No. AppBlocker is built for your own self-control on your own iPhone, not for managing someone else's device. Apple's Screen Time with Family Sharing is the built-in option for parents.
Guides and use cases
Get Your Day Back
Download AppBlocker, pick your apps, and set the hours. Free. Available on iPhone and Android.
Download on the App Store Get it on Google PlayMore from DogearHQ
The other apps we make.