Guide · 7 min read
How to choose an app blocker
Comparing blockers by feature lists is a waste of time — almost all of them block apps. What separates them is what happensat the moment you want to give in. These seven questions predict that better than any star rating.
1Can you uninstall it while it's active?
This is the single question that predicts whether a blocker will still be installed in three weeks. If uninstalling is one long-press away, the block ends the first time you really want it to.
What good looks like: Uninstalling is blocked while a session is running.
2What happens when the timer ends — is there a 'snooze'?
A '15 more minutes' button converts a limit into a suggestion. It gets pressed exactly when the limit matters most.
What good looks like: No instant extension; ending early costs a defined wait.
3Can the phone's clock be changed to skip the wait?
Many timer-based tools trust the system clock. Moving the date forward ends the session instantly — a bypass most people find within a week.
What good looks like: Changing date & time is restricted, or timing is server-checked.
4Are blocked apps reachable through search, the assistant, or notifications?
Hiding an icon isn't blocking. If a notification or a voice command still opens the app, the front door is locked and the back door is open.
What good looks like: The app can't be launched by any route while blocked.
5Does blocking apps also cover the browser?
Closing Instagram's app while its website loads fine moves the habit rather than reducing it.
What good looks like: Site-level filtering (DNS or similar) alongside app blocking.
6Is there a safe way out if life changes?
A tool with no exit creates panic — and panic ends in factory resets. You want a delay, not a cage.
What good looks like: You can always leave; it just takes a wait you set in advance.
7What permissions does it ask for — and what does it collect?
Blocking an app doesn't require reading messages, tracking location, or logging browsing. If a tool asks for those, that's scope creep, not a feature.
What good looks like: Minimum permissions, no message/location/screen access, no browsing logs.
A quick self-test
Before installing anything, ask: "If I wanted to undo this at 1 a.m., how many seconds would it take?" If the answer is under a minute, you already know how the story ends — because it's the same story as last time.
This isn't about buying the strictest tool available. It's about matching the strength of the method to the strength of the habit. Mild drifting genuinely can be handled by your phone's built-in focus mode. A habit that has already survived several attempts needs something that doesn't depend on you being strong at the wrong hour.
StillPhone was built around these seven answers: it can't be uninstalled while active, there's no snooze button, the system clock is protected, blocked apps can't be opened by any route, the browser side is filtered too — and leaving is always possible, it just takes the delay you chose. It asks for no access to your messages, location or screen.
Android 9+ · setup takes about 10 minutes from your computer