# Oratio: Pray & Pause — Pray & pause before you scroll

> Pray & pause before you scroll (iPhone/iPad app by Darren James Ang So.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oratio-pray-and-pause/id6760630677 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Darren James Ang So](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885415984)
- Category: Reference, Lifestyle
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 66 MB
- Released: 2026-05-31
- Data updated: 2026-08-03
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oratio-pray-and-pause/id6760630677/reviews.md

## What is Oratio?

Oratio is a Christian prayer and faith accountability app that helps you start your day with God before opening your phone.

Pick the apps you want to pause, like social media or games, and Oratio gently blocks them until you complete your daily prayer. No guilt. No pressure. Just a quiet moment before the noise.

Every day, Oratio generates a personalized prayer based on how you're feeling, paired with a Bible verse and a short devotional. You can also name something specific you want to surrender to God before you pray.

Meet Emmanuel, your AI-powered Biblical companion. Ask him anything on your heart and he'll meet you with Scripture, context, and wisdom that actually connects to what you're going through. He's not a chatbot. He's a friend who knows the Bible deeply and listens without judgment.

Features:

Daily personalized prayer powered by AI
App accountability using Screen Time
Bible verse and devotional tailored to your emotional state
Emmanuel, your personal Biblical guidance companion
Prayer streaks to build a consistent habit

Oratio has in-app purchases included to be able to fully use the app
Beautiful design that changes with the time of day
Oratio is for anyone who wants to pray more consistently, not out of obligation, but out of desire.

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Oratio Sanctuary | $12.99 | per month |
| Oratio Sanctuary | $69.99 | per year |



## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.5 — 2026-07-31

Read today's Word. Not feeling the words? Choose a short reading instead: two verses and a devotional, and your apps unlock the same way.

A calmer finish. Completing a prayer or reading now closes with a quiet moment before returning to your day.

Steadier locking. Your app lock now checks itself three times a day instead of once, so it re-engages on its own even if your phone was busy.

Lock Health. A new screen in your profile shows whether app blocking is active, so you can check it at a glance.

Plus a clearer lock screen in Light Mode and easier-to-tap settings.

### 1.0.4 — 2026-07-19

1.0.4

Fixes an issue where app locking could stop working in the background until you opened Oratio. Your lock now re-arms itself every day.

Also: the confirmation sheet after "Bypass today" now closes on its own, the lock screen is easier to read in Light Mode, settings are easier to tap, and prayers carry a more reverent voice.

### 1.0.3 — 2026-07-02

Three verses a day. The verse on your home screen now changes from morning to noon to night, each chosen to fit the part of the day you're in.

Pray your own way. After holding to pray, choose between a guided prayer and a quiet 60-second space to pray in your own words.

Bypass for today. When you genuinely can't stop right now, you can unlock the rest of the day from the lock screen. Your streak won't count, but you can get back to what you need to do.

Oratio now respects your iOS Larger Text setting on the screens where it matters most: the verse, your prayer, and Emmanuel.

Cleaner prayers. The generated prayers are a little fuller, more varied across days, and read more naturally.

### 1.0.1 — 2026-06-07

What's new in 1.0.1:

• Background app blocking now works reliably at scheduled times, even if Oratio isn't open
• Sign in and onboarding flow polished for better readability
• Larger, easier-to-read text throughout the onboarding experience
• Fixed visibility issues on the home screen and Pray gate across morning, afternoon, and evening views
• Various stability fixes and refinements

Thank you for praying with us.

### 1.0 — 2026-05-31

No release notes.

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*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 2026-08-03.*