Apple Screen Time vs an app blocker

Screen Time is Apple's built-in tool: App Limits set a daily time budget and Downtime schedules quiet hours. An app blocker like FocusPass uses the same Apple frameworks but changes the moment you open a blocked app. Instead of a one-tap Ignore Limit, you choose GO BACK or a short timed Pass that ends on its own.

Updated

Interactive demo: tap a protected app, then choose Go Back or Use a Pass and watch the Pass expire and relock. Nothing on your phone is blocked.

Built-in Screen Time

  • Free and already on your iPhone.
  • App Limits: a daily time budget per app or category.
  • Downtime: a schedule when only allowed apps work.
  • When a limit hits, Ignore Limit can extend it for a minute, 15 minutes or the rest of the day.
  • Reports show how much time you spent in apps.

FocusPass

  • Uses Apple's Family Controls, Managed Settings and Device Activity frameworks, the same system Screen Time uses.
  • A shield with two choices: GO BACK, or USE A PASS for a set number of minutes.
  • A daily number of Passes instead of a time budget, with automatic relocking.
  • Focus Zones for scheduled protection and Deep Focus sessions of 25 to 90 minutes.
  • Counts each Go Back as a Focus Save. It doesn't estimate minutes it can't measure.
  • Free to start. FocusPass Pro adds more Wallets, Zones and custom rules.

Which one should you use?

If a daily budget works for you and you rarely tap Ignore Limit, built-in Screen Time is enough. If you find yourself opening the same apps on autopilot, or dismissing the limit screen without thinking, a deliberate choice with a timed end can fit better.

You can use both. If a parent or organization manages Screen Time on the device, their settings take priority.

Common questions

Is an app blocker better than Screen Time?

Neither is better for everyone. Screen Time is a time budget. An app blocker like FocusPass adds a moment of choice and timed access with an automatic end. Pick the one that matches where you get stuck.

Does FocusPass replace Screen Time?

No. It's built on Apple's Screen Time frameworks. FocusPass asks for Screen Time access the first time you set it up, and Apple asks you to confirm.

Can I use Screen Time App Limits and FocusPass together?

Yes. They work side by side. To keep things simple, avoid putting the same app under two different rules.

Get FocusPass free on the App Store

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