# Helpfl: Habits That Stick — Follow-through, one tag away > Habit-building app that locks distracting apps until tasks are completed via NFC tags. (iPhone/iPad app by Helpfl, LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helpfl-habits-that-stick/id6763947356 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Helpfl, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895568575) - Category: Health & Fitness, Productivity - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 8 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 18.0 · 11 MB - Released: 2026-08-16 - Data updated: 2026-10-07 - Monetization: freemium - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helpfl-habits-that-stick/id6763947356/reviews.md ## What is Helpfl? Your apps stay locked until you actually do it. HOW IT WORKS Tag it. Scan an NFC tag or sticker once to register it in Helpfl, give it a name, then leave it where the habit actually happens — on the mirror, the pill bottle, the gym bag. They're passive, so there's no battery and nothing to charge. Set the rule. Pick a time and choose which apps to block — Instagram, TikTok, the news, whatever you reach for instead. Tap to unlock. Your apps shield themselves at the due time and stay that way until you walk over and scan. Then they're yours again. YOUR TAG CAN ARRIVE LATER You don't have to wait on your tags to arrive. Set up your first habit the day you install Helpfl and finish it with a button for five days — the blocking is real the whole time, only the key is different. Register your tag when it turns up and it takes over the habit you already built. If the five days run out first, that habit pauses instead, and your streak is kept. REAL BLOCKING, NOT A REMINDER Helpfl uses Apple's own Screen Time framework, so a blocked app is genuinely blocked — not a notification you can swipe away. Everything runs on your device. Helpfl never sees which apps you open. BUILT FOR THE DAYS YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT A 60-minute head start — the hour before a routine is due, everything stays open. Finish early and nothing ever locks. Streak freezes — one bad day shouldn't erase two months. Spend a freeze and the streak survives, honestly labelled. Time Extenders — stuck in a meeting when the lock lands? Buy yourself ten more minutes without breaking the habit. Live Activities — the countdown lives on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, so the deadline is never a surprise. Apple Watch — the countdown, the freeze and the Time Extender all live on your wrist. Your phone still does the enforcing. Cloud sync — streaks, tags and history back themselves up, so a new iPhone doesn't cost you your record. HABITS AND ONE-OFF TASKS Recurring routines get streaks and freezes. One-time tasks get a deadline. Both can lock your apps — or you can leave a task unarmed and let it behave like an ordinary reminder. A TAG FOR EVERY HABIT Name each tag, give it a colour and an icon, and that colour follows the habit everywhere — the home screen, the streak grid, the charts. One glance tells you which part of your day slipped. SEE THE HOURS YOU WIN BACK Every lock that held is time you spent somewhere else. Helpfl adds it up — by day, by habit, by tag — so the payoff is a number and not a feeling. CAN'T YOU JUST CHEAT IT? You can, and deliberately not easily. The emergency bypass makes you type out a paragraph acknowledging what you're doing, then records the routine as bypassed rather than done. It's there for the day you're genuinely stuck, not the day you don't feel like it. TAGS Any standard NFC tag or sticker works — a sticker for the flat surfaces, a tag for everywhere else. Helpfl links to a pack from inside the app if you'd rather not go looking. Scanning one in Helpfl is all it takes to link it to a routine. Put it somewhere you have to walk to — that's the whole point. PRICING The blocking is free, forever. Unlimited habits and tasks, app blocking, NFC unlocking, streaks, freezes, the 60-minute head start, Live Activities, Apple Watch and insights — all free, plus three Time Extenders to get you started. Helpfl Pro adds Vacation Mode (pause every habit at once, or just the ones you pick), advanced scheduling, unlimited Time Extenders, bonus freezes every month, and secure cloud backup across your devices. $4/month, or $36/year with a free month — about 25% cheaper. Requires iOS 18 or later and an iPhone with NFC. Apple Watch companion included. Questions: support@helpfl.io Privacy Policy: https://helpfl.io/privacy Terms of Use: https://helpfl.io/terms ## Key features - NFC tag integration for habit completion - App blocking via Apple's Screen Time framework - Streak freezes and time extenders - Live Activities and Apple Watch support - Detailed habit tracking and analytics - One-time task management - Emergency bypass with acknowledgment ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Helpfl Pro | $4.00 | per month | | Helpfl Pro | $36.00 | per year | ## Recent user reviews (3 of 3) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helpfl-habits-that-stick/id6763947356/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Alright fresh approach *2026-09-20* I appreciate this approach to behavioral change. Functionally the app is clean and well designed. The paywall features are worth the money IMO. ### 5/5 — Life changing *2026-09-15* This truly has transformed the way I run my life and household. Being an ADHD mom to a toddler and a newborn, I find myself struggling with executive dysfunction and keeping a solid routine, and following through with tasks without appropriate accountability. I’m so glad I found this app. I’ve been using it for two months now and can’t imagine life without it ### 5/5 — Tap the tag. Habit cleared. *2026-08-17* 24 hours in and already hooked Set up my first habit last night, brushing my teeth, and stuck a tag where it actually happens. Tap the phone to it and the habit clears. That's the whole difference from every other tracker I've tried, where the checkbox is right there and you can lie to it from bed. I'm a data guy, so the stats side is what has me the most interested. One day in there isn't much to look at yet, but seeing time and completion broken out by habit and tag is exactly the payoff I want from something like this. ## Frequently asked questions about Helpfl ### How does Helpfl help build habits? Helpfl locks distracting apps until you complete a designated task, which can be triggered by scanning an NFC tag. This real blocking mechanism, powered by Apple's Screen Time framework, ensures you engage with the task rather than just receiving a reminder. ### Can I start using Helpfl without NFC tags? Yes, you can set up your first habit immediately upon installation using a button for five days. Once your NFC tags arrive, you can register them to take over the habit, ensuring continuity in your progress. ### What happens if I miss a habit with Helpfl? Helpfl offers streak freezes, allowing you to spend a freeze to preserve your streak even after a missed day. This feature helps prevent one bad day from erasing months of progress. ### Does Helpfl have ads? No, Helpfl does not contain advertisements. The app is designed to be ad-free, focusing on providing a distraction-free experience for habit building. ### What are the subscription options for Helpfl? Helpfl offers a Pro subscription at $4.00 per month or $36.00 per year. The annual plan includes a one-month free trial. ### How does Helpfl handle genuine emergencies or unavoidable delays? Helpfl includes an emergency bypass feature. This requires you to type out a paragraph acknowledging your action, and it records the routine as bypassed rather than completed, intended for truly stuck situations. ### What devices does Helpfl support? Helpfl is available on Apple Watch and iPhone. Features like the countdown, freeze, and time extender are accessible on your Apple Watch, while the phone handles the enforcement. ### How often is Helpfl updated? The latest version of Helpfl is 1.1.1, which was last updated on September 22, 2026. Updates typically occur to introduce new features, improve performance, and fix bugs. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.1.1 — 2026-09-22 Taking a break no longer costs you your streak. • Days covered by Vacation Mode now always count as paused. Once a vacation ended, those days could be treated as missed the next time you finished a habit — resetting your streak or using up your freezes. Your completion rate in Insights no longer shifts depending on which screen you'd opened, either. • The streak calendar marks vacation days as paused instead of missed. • You can now sign in with Google as well as Apple. If you do, your Google profile photo shows on the Me tab. • Fixed a case where habits and presets could lose the apps you'd chosen after your phone restarted. • Report an Issue now opens an email in whichever mail app you use, not only Apple Mail. If no mail app is set up, it shows you the address to write to. • Long steps when creating a habit or a tag scroll cleanly under the progress dots and the Next button instead of being cut off. ### 1.1.0 — 2026-09-09 You no longer have to wait for your NFC tags to start. • Set up your first habit the day you install Helpfl, even if your NFC tag hasn't arrived. Your apps lock for real — you finish with a button instead of a scan, for five days. Register your tag when it arrives and it takes over the habit you already built. • If the five days run out first, that habit is paused rather than left locking your apps with no way to unlock them. Your streak is kept, and one tap picks it back up once you register a tag. • Setting up a tag now suggests names for the habit you have in mind — Pill Bottle, Gym Bag, Shoe Rack — with icons to match. • The first-run tour is shorter, and says up front that Helpfl needs an NFC tag, so the hardware isn't a surprise at the end of it. • Reminders, countdowns and the lock screen now agree with each other. If a habit hasn't got a tag yet, nothing tells you to scan one. ### 1.0.2 — 2026-09-01 Fixes, plus two things that now speak up when they should. • Reinstalling no longer looks like starting from scratch. While your routines sync back from your account, Helpfl tells you they're on the way instead of showing you the first-run screen. • The reminder before a free trial converts to a paid subscription now always arrives. Reopening the app could previously clear it. • If a streak of a week or more ends, Helpfl asks whether something here got in the way — a shield that wouldn't lift, a tag that wouldn't scan. Rarely, and never again once you've answered. It goes straight to the person who reads it. • A couple of reminders if you've installed Helpfl but haven't set up a tag or a routine yet. They stop for good the moment you build one. • "Rate Helpfl" in your profile now opens the App Store review sheet properly. ### 1.0.1 — 2026-08-21 - bug fixes for dynamic island. - custom date when editing a habit has changed to vacation dates and is now correctly gated. ### 1.0.0 — 2026-08-16 No release notes. ## More apps by Helpfl, LLC - [Helpfl Family: Chore Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helpfl-family-chore-tracker/id6790622793) All apps by Helpfl, LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1895568575 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-07.*