# Precursor: Hourly Screen Time — App limits per hour, not daily > Hourly app limits with automatic resets for sustainable screen time management. (iPhone/iPad app by Precursor Labs.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/precursor-hourly-screen-time/id6791403654 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Precursor Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791403656) - Category: Productivity, Health & Fitness - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.6 · 13 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-07-31 - Data updated: 2026-08-18 - Monetization: freemium - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/precursor-hourly-screen-time/id6791403654/reviews.md ## What is Precursor? Most screen time solutions give you one daily limit. Often we spend the whole limit by late morning, leaving us locked out of our apps for the rest of the day and feeling stranded; all it takes is one vulnerable moment and we hit that tempting "Ignore Limit For Today" button. That one impulsive moment costs you not only your time, but also the motivation to keep working on whatever it is you meant to do. PRECURSOR BREAKS THE CYCLE With Precursor you can finally set an hourly app limit. For example, you allot yourself five minutes of social media scrolling per hour, and you can trust that Precursor will reset that limit at the top of the next hour. Every hour, all day, automatically. You get the brainrot break you needed, but the scroll ends right before it turns into a mindless habit. Your brain doesn't panic because you know you'll get more time to scroll in just a short hour. So you never have to feel guilty for ignoring a limit ever again. No streaks. No guilt. No shame. Just a sustainable screen time solution your day can lean on. HOW IT WORKS - Pick the apps (or group of apps) that you'd like to limit and give them an hourly allowance: 5, 10, or 15 minutes (Precursor+ extends limits up to 30). - Pick the specific days you want your limits to run (for example, on weekdays you can set stricter limits and on weekends you can set more lenient limits). - When the allowance is spent, those apps get blocked. - At the top of the next hour, your limit resets. - You set your limits once and that screen time rhythm repeats every hour, all day, automatically; so you never have to think about them again. - Precursor also allows you to stop your limits, for whatever reason, but we add some friction to help you in those impulsive moments: 1) Before stopping your limits Precursor will prompt you to write a short reflection on why you need to in this moment. 2) You can add a passcode to lock in your limit (consider allowing a trusted person in your life to set it for you if you know you'll likely bypass it). 3) Unlike other screen time solutions that give you an "ignore limit" prompt right there in the blocked app screen, Precursor requires that you intentionally open the Precursor app to stop your limits. Restrictions and punishments don't work. They never have. Precursor is built on one principle: Real change comes from one's own ability to be honest and accountable. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Precursor is built on Apple's Screen Time technology. Your app choices are opaque tokens: we never see which apps you pick, and neither can anyone else. Your usage history stays on your phone, and Insights are computed on-device. There are no accounts and no ads. Optional, anonymous usage analytics are off unless you turn them on, and they still never include which apps you choose. HONEST BY DEFAULT Precursor is free to use, with an optional Precursor+ upgrade for more groups, shorter windows, longer limits, and scheduled active hours, including a one-time Lifetime purchase if you prefer to own your productivity tools rather than subscribe. Monthly and Yearly both start with one month free. No subscription is required to keep the core, and the terms are spelled out plainly before anything renews. Please note: Deleting Precursor removes every limit. Precursor is an independently developed app by a one-person studio, Precursor Labs. Precursor+ Monthly and Yearly are auto-renewable subscriptions. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends, and you can manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Lifetime is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://precursorlabs.studio/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Apple's Terms and Policies: http://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services ## Key features - Set hourly app limits - Automatic hourly limit resets - Customizable limits by day - Friction to prevent impulsive overrides - Private by design, on-device processing - Optional Precursor+ upgrade ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly | $4.99 | per month | | Yearly | $49.99 | per year | **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time | ## Frequently asked questions about Precursor ### What is Precursor's hourly limit system? Precursor allows you to set specific hourly allowances for apps, such as 5 minutes per hour. These limits automatically reset at the beginning of each new hour, providing a consistent rhythm for managing screen time without the frustration of hitting a daily limit early. ### How does Precursor help prevent impulsive overrides? Precursor adds friction to stopping limits by prompting a written reflection, offering optional passcode locks, and requiring users to intentionally open the Precursor app to disable limits, rather than offering an immediate 'ignore' button within blocked apps. ### Is Precursor private and secure? Yes, Precursor is built on Apple's Screen Time technology and is private by design. App choices are opaque tokens, usage history stays on your phone, and insights are computed on-device. There are no accounts and no ads. ### What are the benefits of Precursor+? The optional Precursor+ upgrade offers extended functionality, including more app groups, shorter time windows, and longer hourly limits, with options for up to 30 minutes per hour. A one-time Lifetime purchase option is also available. ### What devices does Precursor support? Precursor is available for iPhone and iPad devices, leveraging Apple's native Screen Time framework for its functionality. ### How often is Precursor updated? The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on August 6, 2026, indicating recent development activity. Updates are crucial for maintaining compatibility and introducing new features. ### What is the pricing for Precursor's subscription plans? Precursor offers monthly and yearly subscription plans. The monthly plan is $4.99/month and the yearly plan is $49.99/year, both including a 1-month free trial. ### Does Precursor have ads? No, Precursor is ad-free. The description explicitly states that there are no ads, contributing to a focused user experience. ## Version history (last 3 releases) ### 1.1.0 — 2026-08-10 More control with limit modes: - Easy mode notifies you when you have reached your limit, and you can dismiss the block right from the block screen. - Normal mode lets you ask for more time without stopping your limits entirely. Every ask costs a longer hold. - Hard mode removes the ability to ask for more time and lets you stop your limits to edit them only once every 24 hours. Added time-of-day scheduling: - You can now specify each group to only run on the days you choose and only during the hours you choose. - For example, set one group to run weekdays 8 AM to 5 PM, another to run evenings only, and another all day, every day. - Each group keeps its own schedule and its own allowance. Parent Mode and uninstall protection for extra support: - You can now turn on Parent Mode to help lock down settings in Precursor. If the passcode is forgotten, resetting it takes your recovery answer instead of the standard 24 hour wait. - There are no accounts, so Precursor support cannot reset your passcode or your recovery answer for you. Save both somewhere safe. - Uninstall protection prevents Precursor from being deleted. Please note that while this setting is on, all apps cannot be deleted, not just Precursor. Ask for more time, and automatic restarts: - In Normal mode you can ask for a few more minutes instead of stopping your limits entirely, however each ask costs a longer hold than the last. - No more forgetting to turn your limits back on. When you stop your limits to edit them, Precursor restarts them for you. Also in this update: a tutorials button on the dashboard so you can replay helpful walkthroughs and answer common questions in app, on device storage of the reasons you stop your limits so you can reflect on them later via the insights page, and a long list of fixes to timing, notifications, and accessibility. ### 1.0.1 — 2026-08-06 - Just a minor bug fix and a gift for beta testers. Thanks for being here early! ### 1.0 — 2026-08-01 No release notes. ## Related topics [screen time widget](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/screen-time-widget) --- *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 2026-08-18.*