Refocus: App & Website Blocker 4+

I used to just use screen time and have my boyfriend set my passcode but it was still too easy to ask for more time—I would just click “Ask for more time” and hand my phone over and my boyfriend would just put in the passcode. Now I use the free version of refocus to add an additional blocker on addicting apps and screen time my access to those apps AND refocus after 9pm to prevent late night doom scrolling. In order to access Instagram or tik tok I now have to ask my boyfriend to unblock refocus and then ask him to unblock the app itself from screen time, finally making it sufficiently annoying enough to make me think twice about using the apps. I don’t have screen time after 9pm on weekends but I still have refocus with a moderate time limit on extra addicting apps like Instagram and tik tok. This helps me live my life better by giving me more control over my ability to sleep and be present, and as an added bonus it gets me away from fixating on bizarre insecurities like “neck lines” that tend to get shoveled onto my algorithm in the name of selling more beauty products. If you don’t have a boyfriend who lives with you and you have impulse control as bad as mine (ADHD), I would guess that the premium version is worth a try or maybe ask a family member.

Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review :) Appreciate the support & glad to hear that the app is helping 🙌

Refocus is probably my favorite app on my phone, no joke. I needed something beyond the standard time limit on my phone, so it’s scheduling feature blocking apps during certain time durations is amazing, as well as the mindful prompt when you do unblock an app to remind you if it’s really what you want to be doing now. I opted for almost all barriers to unblocking an app (short of choosing the app to not allow me to unblock, which I’m very glad that feature is there) and it’s helped me limit my social media distraction so much while I’m trying to do other things, and now when I do go on social media for a short time every day, I actually enjoy it instead of doom scrolling. Highly highly recommend this app, just try it for a week and see the changes in how you use your time. Also, I’ve experienced only extremely minor bugs after using this app for months, so it seems to be very well managed and thank you to the developers!!

Thank you for the in-depth review and the support 🙏 There definitely are issues that are difficult to work around but I'm trying my best to make sure you don't see them - always feel welcome to email [email protected] about any issues/feedback

I’ve been looking around for the best website/app-blocking app, and I’ve found it. I’ve only used it for about an hour so far, but I am absolutely impressed. Just a few of the features that I am loving so far:
- Highly customizable with the ability to make scheduled blocking periods to fit your own personal schedule
- Can block both apps AND websites. So many of the other apps only can block apps
- Works on Chrome. This is huge for me, as I use Chrome for my main browser. A lot of the other apps only work on Safari
- It just works. A lot of the other apps I’ve tried simply don’t work or have bugs, glitches, etc. that hamper their effectiveness. This app is seamless
- You get all of these amazing features for free. Even though the free features are more than enough for me, I think I’m going to subscribe just to support the developers and the company for making such an awesome app

I know this review makes me sound like a shill or something, but I rarely write reviews. It’s just that it’s so hard to find a good app/website blocking app, and this app really seems to do it all. 5/5 for me

Thank you for the detailed review, and thank you for your support :) 🙌🙏