Locklandia
Best app blockers for iPhone
Last updated November 5, 2026
The best iPhone app blocker depends on how you tend to give in. Apple Screen Time is the free built-in start, Opal and Jomo are full apps with sessions and rules, Brick adds a physical device, and Locklandia is free to block and adds friends, a growing kingdom and stop rules that make quitting early harder.
| App | Approach | Stopping early | Cost model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Screen Time | Built into iOS: app limits, downtime, content restrictions | Override with one tap, or a Screen Time passcode you set | Free, included with iOS |
| Opal | Focus sessions and scheduled blocking | See Opal's site | Free tier and paid plans; see Opal's site |
| Jomo | Rules reached from one Start blocking button, with Shortcuts actions | See Jomo's site | Free tier and paid plans; see Jomo's site |
| Brick | A physical device you tap to start and stop | Tap the device | One-time device purchase plus a free app (about $59 when we last checked) |
| Locklandia | Timer, Rounds and automatic rules, plus friends and a kingdom that grows with blocked time | Anytime, write why, ask someone, or tap an NFC card | Free to block. Optional Plus subscription for server features |
How to choose
Ask what happens at the moment you want to quit. If a one-tap override is enough friction, Screen Time works. If you give in anyway, pick a blocker that adds a cost to stopping: a typed reason, a person you have to ask, or a physical object you have to fetch.
None of these makes an iPhone impossible to use. You can always delete an app or turn off Screen Time. What they change is how easy it is to quit on impulse.
Where Locklandia fits
Locklandia is free to download and block, with unlimited setups, schedules and every stop rule. You choose how hard it is to stop early: stop anytime, do a task (write why, retype a sentence, wait it out), ask someone who holds a rotating code, or tap an optional NFC card. Locklandia never sees which apps you block, because you pick them in Apple's Screen Time picker. Friends can see that you are focusing, and for how long, but not which apps. Locklandia Plus is an optional subscription for features that need a server, such as approvals from more than one partner and private leaderboards.
How this comparison was made
This page describes each product's approach in general terms as of November 2026. Prices and features change, so check each app's own page before you decide. Locklandia is our product, and we have tried to describe the others fairly.
Questions
What is the best free app blocker for iPhone?
Apple's built-in Screen Time is free, and Locklandia is free to download and block, including unlimited setups, schedules and every stop rule. Locklandia Plus is optional.
Can an app blocker stop me from quitting a block early?
Only partly. You can always delete the app or turn off Screen Time. Blockers add friction instead: Locklandia lets you require a typed reason, a keyholder's rotating code, or an NFC card tap before a block ends early.
Do app blockers see which apps I block?
On iPhone, apps that use Apple's Screen Time picker, as Locklandia does, do not see which apps you chose. Check each app's privacy policy for what else it collects.
Is there an app blocker I can use with friends?
Yes. Locklandia shows when friends are focusing, lets you join their timer or group rounds, and has a weekly leaderboard. Friends never see which apps you blocked.
Get Locklandia
Locklandia is a free app blocker and focus timer for iPhone and Android, made by JPX Software. Download it or see what it does.