Guide · 8 min read

What StillPhone actually does

Whether a restriction tool works comes down to one question:who keeps the decision? Below is exactly what happens under the hood — including the things we deliberately don't do.

The problem first: why most apps don't hold

Most screen-time apps run on the same layer as the apps they restrict: both are ordinary apps. To your phone there's no difference in authority between Instagram and "the app that blocks Instagram."

You know the result: when the urge comes, you open settings, flip the switch, and it's gone in two seconds. So there was never really a restriction — only an intention that had to be renewed constantly. And you lose intentions precisely when you need them most.

Our approach: one layer down

During setup StillPhone takes the device owner role on the phone — the same Android mechanism companies use to manage work devices. Your decision is then held at the operating-system layer rather than the app layer.

Willpower can dip in a moment; the system doesn't. Undoing the decision no longer means flipping a switch — it means going through the process you defined yourself.

Exactly which restrictions are applied

Full transparency — these are the restrictions set on the phone, each with a concrete reason:

This list is deliberately short. It only closes escape routes — nothing restricts the phone generally. Your notifications, lock screen, quick settings, camera, banking app: all yours.

Are apps deleted? No.

The apps you choose are not deleted — access is closed. Your data, accounts and chat history stay put. While closed they don't appear on the home screen and can't be opened via search, the voice assistant or a notification — there's no back door.

The moment you end Detox mode, everything returns exactly as it was. Removing the fear of losing something is a big part of why this works: nothing is lost, access is simply paused.

The browser side: a DNS layer

Blocking an app doesn't stop you reaching the same content in a browser. So StillPhone also works at the phone's name-resolution (DNS)layer, filtering out most distracting sites — roughly 90% of web traffic — before a connection is even made. Changing that setting by hand is one of the restrictions above; otherwise it would be a two-tap bypass.

What keeps the decision: 24 hours + your own delay

1. The first 24 hours are free. Edit your list as much as you like, or leave immediately with no waiting. Nobody picks the right list on the first try, and fixing a wrong choice shouldn't cost anything.
2. After that, exiting takes the delay you chose. During setup you answer the question "if I change my mind, how long should it take?" When you ask to stop, the clock starts and the phone returns to normal on its own. You don't ask anyone's permission — the delay simply separates an urge from a decision.

During the free trial none of this is binding: you can turn Detox mode on and off freely. Commitment starts only if you buy.

What we don't do (the more important part)

• We don't see your messages, photos or location — we never request those permissions.
• We don't monitor or record your screen.
• Remote wipe, password reset and screen lock capabilities are never used.
• We don't collect browsing history.
• All we know: which apps are installed, and the list you chose. The minimum required to enforce your own decision.

Android shows a "device management" notice on every phone with this role, listing what an administrator could do. Those are capabilities, not our actions. You can verify what's actually applied on your own phone under Show policies — we'd rather give you something checkable than ask for trust.

Why setup runs from a computer

For security reasons Android doesn't let an app grant itself this role. So setup runs through a small wizard on your computer: connect the phone by cable or wirelessly and it handles the rest. About10 minutes, no technical knowledge needed.

That "inconvenience" is why the product works at all: the thing that makes setup deliberate is the same thing that stops an impulse from undoing it.

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