Guide · 8 min read
What StillPhone actually does
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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 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: not a lock, a wait
A rigid system eventually traps someone; a loose one doesn't stand up to an urge. StillPhone doesn't lock the door — it puts time in front of it. You can ask to leave at any moment; it just doesn't happen instantly.
- The first 2 hours are completely 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.
- After that, leaving takes the wait you chose. During setup you answer the question "when I want to leave, how long should I wait?" — 2, 24 or 72 hours. You start the request, and when the time is up the phone returns to normal on its own. You don't ask anyone's permission — the wait simply separates an urge from a decision.
- You can cancel from the phone while the wait runs.The request is dropped and nothing changes. This isn't the system distrusting you: it's so a decision made at midnight can be reconsidered in the morning.
The same logic applies to the list: closing an app happens instantly, opening one takes the wait. Messaging and video-call apps are the exception — you can always add those right away. The only thing that waits is what the detox is actually about: social media, video and games.
Re-running setup does not reset the wait. If it did, the wait would be a rule that cancels itself.
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.
StillPhone doesn't take your phone away — it keeps your decision for you. Your apps stay, your data stays, the phone is yours. The only change: a weak moment can't undo it in two seconds.