# Pawl: App Blocker With a Key — Screen Time Limit, Quit Habits

> Habit blocker using physical friction and security keys to enforce commitments. (iPhone/iPad app by JASON EVAN PAGE.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawl-app-blocker-with-a-key/id6783119309 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [JASON EVAN PAGE](https://appshunter.io/developer/6777743485)
- Category: Productivity, Health & Fitness
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.0 · 3 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-06-29
- Data updated: 2026-10-24
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawl-app-blocker-with-a-key/id6783119309/reviews.md

## What is Pawl?

Most blockers can be turned off by the same person who set them up, in about thirty seconds, at the exact moment they most want to. Pawl is built for that moment.

Pawl blocks the apps and websites you choose. Social feeds, games, shopping, news, adult sites, betting, anything. It uses Apple's Screen Time. The block screen has no unlock button. To open anything, you need your key.

HOW IT WORKS
- Pick what to block. Choose apps in Apple's own Screen Time picker, type in websites, or turn on a website category.
- Pair a security key. Plug in a physical FIDO2 security key once. Then put it somewhere hard to reach.
- To unblock, you need the key. Then you wait 15 minutes before anything opens. After that, the block comes back on by itself.
- You can make the wait longer at any time. Making it shorter is delayed too.

YOUR KEY IS YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY
Whoever holds your key decides when Pawl can open. Give it to a sister or friend across town, put it in a time lock box, a bank safe deposit box, or your desk at work. They don't need to install anything.

A real example: it is 1am and you open the app you told yourself you were done with. You see Pawl's block screen. Your key is at your sister's place across town. By the time you could get it and wait out the 15 minutes, the urge has usually passed. That is the whole idea.

FOR THE HARD MOMENTS
- An "I'm tempted" button: a ten-minute wait, your own notes from past moments, how many times you have resisted, and a one-tap call to someone you trust. It never leads to an unblock.
- A streak that survives deleting the app. It lives in your iCloud.
- A private log. Slips are part of changing a habit, and nothing in Pawl scolds you for one.

WHILE PAWL IS PROTECTING YOU
- Pawl turns on Screen Time's block on deleting apps, so deleting Pawl is not a quick way out.
- Pawl asks Screen Time to require automatic date and time, which is meant to stop you from moving the clock ahead to skip the wait.

PAWL PRO
- Scheduled sets: a Work set that blocks social apps 9 to 5 on weekdays, or an Evenings set for after 8pm. When a set's hours end, its apps open on their own. Up to ten sets. Making a set block less needs your key and the wait.
- The weekly report: the days Pawl was on, hours back, blocked attempts, urges resisted, the time of day that was hardest, and your own words from the week. It never scores or grades you.

HONEST ABOUT THE LIMITS
Pawl adds friction. It is not a cage.
- iOS lets the owner of a phone turn Screen Time off. No app can stop that. Pawl notices the next time it runs and says so. For a firmer lock, ask someone you trust to set your Screen Time passcode in person and keep it.
- No blocklist is complete. The optional gambling list has 167 sites, and new ones appear all the time.
- Someone set on it can still use another phone or a computer. Pawl makes the 1am version slow, not impossible.

PRIVACY
Pawl collects no data. There is no account and no Pawl server. Screen Time gives Pawl only anonymous tokens, so Pawl never learns which apps you picked. Your streak, your sets, your typed sites and your logs stay on your phone and in your own iCloud. No ads. No tracking.

OPEN SOURCE
Pawl's code is public under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, so anyone can read how the key check and the block work: github.com/jasonepage/Pawl. No independent security audit has been done yet.

FREE CORE, OPTIONAL PRO
Blocking, the key unlock, the 15-minute wait, your streak, the "I'm tempted" tools and the private log are all free. Pawl Pro adds new scheduled sets and the weekly report. Sets you made before Pro keep working for free. Pro costs $29.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $3.99 a month, and renews until you cancel.

WHAT YOU NEED
An iPhone or iPad on iOS 18 or later, and a FIDO2 security key. Any standard security key with a USB-C plug works.

Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy Policy: https://getpawl.com/privacy

## Key features

- Block distracting apps and websites
- Requires physical security key to unlock
- 15-minute cool-off period before unblocking
- Clean-day streak tracking
- Optional sponsor for accountability
- Relapse log for pattern analysis

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pawl Pro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Pawl Pro (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |


## Is Pawl safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Pawl.

## Is Pawl legit?

Pawl: App Blocker With a Key appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Pawl is 65 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (1 of 1)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawl-app-blocker-with-a-key/id6783119309/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Love the idea!

*2026-07-06*

Love human validation VHP

**Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback!

## Frequently asked questions about Pawl

### What is Pawl?

Pawl is a commitment device designed to help users break unwanted habits by blocking access to distracting apps and websites. It uses a physical security key and a mandatory cool-off period to create friction, making it harder to give in to impulses.

### How does Pawl work?

Pawl shields selected apps and sites using Apple's Screen Time and requires a physical USB-C security key for unblocking. It also enforces a 15-minute cool-off period before access is restored, and automatically re-locks afterward.

### Is Pawl free to use?

The core features of Pawl, including blocking, security-key unlock, cool-off periods, and streak tracking, are free. An optional subscription, Pawl Pro, adds an accountability layer with sponsor approval for unlocks and alerts.

### What are the costs associated with Pawl Pro?

Pawl Pro is available via subscription for $29.99 per year or $3.99 per month, with a 7-day free trial. These subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled.

### Does Pawl require a physical security key?

Yes, to unlock blocked content, a physical USB-C security key (FIDO2) is required. This key needs to be stored out of immediate reach to be effective.

### Can I add a sponsor to Pawl?

Yes, you can add a trusted person as your sponsor. They can approve your unlock requests and will be alerted if your protection settings are ever dropped.

### What devices does Pawl support?

Pawl is available on iPhone and iPad devices.

### How often is Pawl updated?

The latest version of Pawl, version 2.0, was last updated on July 12, 2026. The app was initially released on June 29, 2026.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.3 — 2026-10-21

Your key is your accountability now.
- The ally feature and Pawl's server are gone. Whoever holds your key decides when Pawl can open. Give it to someone across town, or put it in a time lock box or a bank safe deposit box.
- No sign-in, no account, no notifications. Pawl now collects no data. Everything stays on your phone and in your own iCloud.
- If you had an ally linked, unlocking and removing a block now need only your key and the wait.

A clearer Home
- "This week" shows each day as a dot, with a number for the urges you resisted that day.
- With Pawl Pro, it also shows hours back, blocked attempts, the time of day that was hardest, and your own words from the week.
- What's blocked shows simple chips, and Recent is shorter. Press and hold an entry to remove it.

Simpler Settings
- Four plain groups: what's blocked, unlocking, when you're tempted, and Pawl. Every row says what it is and how it's set right now.
- Website categories are switches. Scheduled sets are one tap away.

Also new
- Setup suggests places to keep your key.
- The gambling site list is built into the app (167 sites).
- Plainer words throughout: "I'm tempted," "Resisted," and "Log a slip."

Pawl Pro
Pro now covers making new scheduled sets and the weekly report. Sets you already made keep working without Pro. If you subscribed for the ally feature and no longer want Pro, you can cancel in Settings, then your name, then Subscriptions.

### 2.2 — 2026-10-16

Pawl 2.2 is a bigger, friendlier Pawl. The key, the 15 minute wait and the sponsor flow work the same as before.

• Block sets on a schedule. In Settings > What's blocked, add a named set with its own apps and a weekly schedule, like a Work set from 9 to 5. When its hours end, its apps open on their own. Up to ten sets.
• Type in websites to block, during setup or later in Settings.
• A new Home. Your day count sits in a ring that fills toward your next milestone, with one plain line under it that says where you stand. Tap "What's blocked" to go straight to your blocks.
• A "This week" card: days protected, attempts blocked, urges logged, and the hours you kept.
• A new tough-moment screen. A ten-minute wait, your own notes from past moments, your numbers, then the log and the call button. The breathing circle is gone.
• Logging a slip is now one question at a time, and you can pick the day it happened. History shows the moments you rode out next to the slips, and you can remove any entry.
• Setup is shorter and clearer, with a grid of choices on the first screen and a summary before you lock in.
• When Screen Time access is off, Home and the Unlock tab now say so instead of claiming apps are blocked.
• Sound and haptics are gone, along with their Settings toggle. The "Rate Pawl" row is gone too. Pawl only asks at earned moments.
• Any change that blocks less, including shrinking or deleting a set or removing a typed site, needs your key, your sponsor if linked, and the wait.

### 2.1 — 2026-10-13

Pawl 2.1 makes the lock harder to get around. Your screens, the 15 minute wait, and the sponsor flow work the same as before.

• Stronger key check. Pawl now checks your security key's full answer on your phone, so an old answer can't be reused.
• If you paired your key on 2.0, it still works. Pair it again to turn on the full check.
• Your paired key is now stored in your phone's Keychain, on this device only.
• While Pawl is protecting you, the clock can't be moved ahead to skip the wait. Screen Time now requires automatic date and time.
• The shortest relock window is now 15 minutes. If the relock can't be set, Pawl stays locked.
• Signing out, going offline, or switching accounts no longer skips your sponsor.
• Running setup again can only add protection. It keeps your key, your blocks, and your streak.
• Pairing a key on a new phone during a commitment now has the same wait as pairing it again.
• The automatic relock now uses your current block list, including apps you added later.
• You can no longer remove an active sponsor from your side. Your sponsor can step down in their app, or you can email support@getpawl.com.
• Closed several ways the sponsor check could be skipped on the server.
• Check-ins with your sponsor now run in the background as they should.
• The buttons on the block screen now work on iOS 18 through iOS 26.4.

### 2.0 — 2026-07-12

Pawl 2.0 introduces Pawl Pro — the part you can't do alone.
— Link your own sponsor: a trusted person approves your unlocks, so the impulsive choice at 1am isn't yours alone.
— Protection-drop alerts: your sponsor is notified the moment your protection is removed or your phone goes quiet.
— Try it free for 7 days with the yearly plan.
Everything you already use stays free: blocking apps and websites, the security-key unlock, the cooling-off timer, your streak and relapse log, the tough-moment tools — and sponsoring someone else is always free.
Already had a sponsor linked before 2.0? Accountability stays free for you. You were here first.
Also in this release: support for more devices (iOS 18 and newer), plus fixes and polish.

### 1.1 — 2026-07-02

Thanks for using Pawl.

This update makes the lock steadier and the whole experience smoother:
- More reliable cooling-off timer
- Easier-to-share sponsor invite code
- New support and privacy pages at getpawl.com
- Behind-the-scenes fixes and polish

Pawl is friction, not a cage — and it stays honest about that. The right friction makes quitting possible.

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## More apps by JASON EVAN PAGE

- [Wick: Daily Secret Word Races](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wick-daily-secret-word-races/id6777743483)
- [Seal: Password Legacy Vault](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seal-password-legacy-vault/id6779471126)
- [Progressive Gin Rummy Cards](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/progressive-gin-rummy-cards/id6779775743)
- [Makmak: Save Any Recipe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/makmak-save-any-recipe/id6782430587)
- [Stargazer: Push Box Puzzles](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stargazer-push-box-puzzles/id6784056264)

All apps by JASON EVAN PAGE: https://appshunter.io/developer/6777743485

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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 2026-10-24.*