When I was trying to use my phone less, I tried Apple's Screen Time first and then a few paid blockers, including Opal and one sec. Many blockers cost between about $20 and $100 a year. This post answers a simple question: which blockers are actually useful without paying?
Disclosure: I make YourPriority, one of the apps on this list. I've tried to be fair, and I say where another app is a better fit. Prices, free plans and ratings below were checked on the US App Store and each company's website on 9 October 2026.
What does "free" mean for an app blocker?
Most blockers are "free to download", but that can mean very different things:
- Completely free: every feature is free, sometimes with optional tips. ScreenZen and Foqos work this way.
- Free blocking, paid extras: blocking is free, and you pay for something else. YourPriority is free except iCloud Sync between iPhone and Mac.
- Free plan with tight limits: you get one app, one rule or short sessions for free, and the rest is paid. one sec, Opal, Jomo, AppBlock and Freedom work this way.
Almost every app blocker on iPhone uses Apple's Screen Time system to do the actual blocking. So free apps aren't weaker at blocking. The difference is in how the block feels, how hard it is to skip, and what's left after the free limits.
The best free app blockers for iPhone, compared
| App | What's free | How it blocks | Hard to skip? | Mac app |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScreenZen | Everything (optional tips) | A pause before opening, limits, strict blocks | Yes, with strict block and settings lock | Yes |
| YourPriority | All blocking and to-do features (Pro adds sync only) | Blocks by schedule or daily limit, Doom Scroll Breaks, priorities on the block screen | No ignore button; 20-second wait to remove a block | Yes (blocks websites) |
| Foqos | Everything (optional tips) | Start and stop blocking with an NFC tag, QR code or timer | Yes, if unlocking needs your tag | On GitHub |
| one sec | 1 app | A breathing pause before the app opens | Strict blocks are Pro | Yes |
| Apple Screen Time | Everything (built in) | Limits and schedules | Only if someone else sets your passcode | Built in |
| Flora | Focus sessions | Blocks apps while a focus timer runs | During a session | Not checked |
1. ScreenZen: the best completely free blocker
Best for: anyone who wants a full-featured blocker and doesn't want to pay anything.
ScreenZen is free and supported by donations. It's one of the best-rated blockers on the App Store, with 4.86 stars from more than 51,000 ratings. Before a chosen app opens, ScreenZen makes you wait, and the wait can get longer each time. You can also set limits by day and time, use strict blocks, and lock your settings with an accountability partner.
In September 2026, ScreenZen added a "Minimal" mode that it says shows Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Reddit without Reels, Shorts or endless feeds. I haven't tested it myself.
Keep in mind: a pause works well at first, If a pause alone isn't enough for you, use its strict block or limits as well.
2. YourPriority: the best for replacing the feed with your priorities
Best for: people who want their phone to show them what to do instead of scrolling.
This is my app, so please keep that in mind as you read this part. I built YourPriority because the blockers I tried only blocked apps. I wanted the block screen to remind me of my priorities. Everything below is free:
- Blocks: lock any app all day, at certain hours, or after a daily limit (5 minutes to 3 hours), on the days you choose.
- Doom Scroll Breaks: after you scroll your chosen apps for 15 to 60 minutes in total, they lock for a 5 to 60 minute break, then open again by themselves.
- Your priorities on the block screen, with "Review Priorities" and "Go back" buttons and no "Ignore Limit".
- A daily to-do list with your most important task on top, plus notes and planning reminders.
- One 10-minute urgent break a day per block, if you allow it.
- No account, no ads and no tracking. Pro ($4.99 a month or $29.99 a year) only adds iCloud Sync between iPhone and Mac.
Keep in mind: on iPhone, YourPriority blocks apps but not websites yet, so you'd use Screen Time to block a site in Safari. Each block is for one app, which takes a little longer to set up if you block many apps. The free Mac app blocks websites in Safari, Chrome, Arc, Brave and Edge.
3. Foqos: the best free option with a physical tag
Best for: people who like the idea of Brick, but don't want to pay $59 for a device.
Foqos is free and open source, with "no account, no tracking, no ads, no subscription", according to its developer. It has 4.92 stars from more than 5,000 ratings. You start a block with an NFC tag, a QR code, a timer or a tap, and you can require the same tag to unlock it. Leave the tag at home or at work, and you can't stop the block when you feel the urge to scroll. For the tag mode, you need an NFC tag.
Keep in mind: some recent reviews say schedules have been unreliable since iOS 27.
4. one sec: the best free pause for one app
Best for: people whose problem is mostly one app.
one sec shows a short breathing pause before an app opens, so you notice the habit before you start scrolling. It has 4.83 stars from more than 23,000 ratings, and I've used it myself. There's research behind it: in a 2023 study published in PNAS, one sec users opened their chosen apps 57% less often after six weeks. The study had no control group, and one of its authors built the app, so treat the number with some care.
The free version covers one app. Pro costs $6.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $99.99 once, and adds more apps and strict block sessions.
Keep in mind: setup uses an iPhone Shortcuts automation, which some people find hard to set up.
5. Apple Screen Time: free and built in, but easy to ignore
Best for: people who have someone they trust to set their Screen Time passcode.
Screen Time costs nothing and needs no download. It has daily limits (called Time Allowances in iOS 27), schedules (Downtime, or Screen Time Schedule in iOS 27), and a website block list. But Apple's own guide says that "by default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached." I found my Screen Time limits very easy to skip.
It becomes much stronger when someone else sets your Screen Time passcode. Here's how to make your own limits stick.
6. Flora: the best free focus timer that blocks apps
Best for: studying or work sessions.
Flora is a free focus timer with 4.76 stars from more than 82,000 ratings. While a session runs, it can block distracting apps. It's not a full-day blocker, but it's good for an hour of homework or deep work.
What about Opal, Jomo, Freedom and AppBlock?
They're good apps, but their free plans are small:
- Opal: the free plan includes app blocking and one rule. Hard Mode, which stops you cancelling a session, is in Pro ($19.99 a month, $99.99 a year or $399 once). See Free Opal Alternatives.
- Jomo: one session, one action or limit, and one screen time budget for free. Strict Mode is paid ($5.99 a month or $29.99 a year).
- Freedom: the free plan allows instant sessions of up to 2 hours, with no repeating schedules and no Locked Mode. It requires an account.
- AppBlock: the free plan has 2 schedules, blocks for up to one day, and allows usage limits of up to 30 minutes.
And Brick isn't free: it's a $59 NFC device, with no subscription.
How do I choose a free app blocker?
- You want everything free and lots of settings: ScreenZen.
- You want to see your priorities instead of the feed, and stop long scrolling sessions: YourPriority.
- You want a block you physically can't cancel: Foqos with an NFC tag.
- Your problem is mainly one app: one sec.
- You don't want to install anything: Screen Time, with someone else's passcode.
- You need help during study sessions: Flora.
Whichever you choose, start with one or two apps you scroll the most, not everything at once. A small rule you keep works better than a big one you skip.
YourPriority: blocks, Doom Scroll Breaks and your priorities, all free. No account, no ads, no tracking. Pro only adds iCloud Sync between iPhone and Mac.
Download free on the App Store
