# Precursor: Screen Time Limit — App blocker that resets hourly

> Hourly app limits that reset automatically to manage screen time sustainably. (iPhone/iPad app by Precursor Labs.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/precursor-screen-time-limit/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: 4.90/5 from 14 App Store ratings · 6 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.6 · 17 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Chinese (Simplified, China) and 5 more
- Released: 2026-07-31
- Data updated: 2026-10-31
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/precursor-screen-time-limit/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, other reset windows, longer limits, scheduled active hours, and Deep Focus sessions. Available as 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 reset
- Customizable daily limits
- Friction to prevent impulsive overrides
- Privacy-focused design
- Optional premium features

## 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 |


## Is Precursor safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Precursor.

## Is Precursor legit?

Precursor: Screen Time Limit has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Precursor is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (6 of 6)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/precursor-screen-time-limit/id6791403654/reviews.md

### 5/5 — I kicked my habit in two weeks!!!

*2026-10-29*

This is the first app I have ever WANTED to write a review for. I had a hopeless TikTok doomscrolling addiction. I simply could not stop endlessly depressing myself with hours and hours of bad news and various forms of brain rot. I downloaded this and set it to 10 minutes per hour. Idk what the science is, but not only had this stymied my screen time, my addiction is almost non existent now!!! I used to instinctively grab my phone and swipe to tiktok like a chain smoker grabs cigarettes from his two packs a day. Now there are days when I FORGET to look at tiktok!!! Now I only use it when it’s meant to be used: when I’m waiting for something with absolutely nothing to do. Waiting for my pizza rolls to heat up. Waiting for the subway. Waiting in line at the bank. I feel so much better!!!! Thank you Precursor!!! 😭🙏🏻

### 5/5 — I’ve been waiting for this

*2026-10-04*

Like everyone else I’ve struggled with scrolling endlessly on social media and news. Being able to set HOURLY limits is what I needed.

5 minutes every hour on all social media/ news scratches the itch till I can make it once a day. All the best to the dev and users of this app.

edit: Can we add an inverse time window? So instead of setting hours to run the schedule (8-5) we set a limit where we set free time for certain hours or windows (noon for an hours five minutes) or within an evening window (6-8 5 minute intervals)

Creating app groups or the ability to duplicate existing schedules also makes it easier to further customize time. 

Also any way to automatically toggle color filters so the screen goes black and white when five minute is over? Further reinforcing limitations?

Big thanks from a lifetime subscriber!

**Developer response:** I am so glad Precursor has helped you better manage your screen time habits. Truly that is my goal with this app, to just help people take back their time! Your support and kind words mean a lot!

### 4/5 — Great Idea, but still a few bugs to iron out

*2026-09-27*

Its a great idea and very well implemented. However, i did run into a bug where I am not able to modify the limits once set. The app asks me to input a reason but the button to proceed never gets enabled even after entering the reason

**Developer response:** Thank you for the valuable feedback and I am glad that Precursor is useful to you! 

The bug you described might just be the need to hit a character limit for the reason. In general on normal limits mode the journal entry requires about 1 sentence for the reason, while on hard limits mode it requires about 2-3 sentences. 

If that doesn't solve the issue please reach out to support@precursorlabs.info with a screenshot so I can investigate further! 

Again, thanks a ton for the support!

### 4/5 — Add minute variation please

*2026-09-12*

Works well but would be nice if instead of screentime minutes being allotted in 5’s you could set them to more specific numbers like 8 or 22

**Developer response:** Hi, thank you so much for the feedback!

The minute level granularity is definitely something I am always looking at implementing. While technically possible, the app would be way more prone to misfires and block users out of their apps prematurely. For now the 5 minute increments is the sweet spot I was able to find where Apple's screentime framework (which underlies Precursor) works reliably.

Despite the limitation, I will continue to look for solutions because I agree, more fine tuned control would be nice to have!

### 5/5 — Bien

*2026-09-08*

Buena app y excelente uso.

**Developer response:** Muchas Gracias!

### 5/5 — Such a game changer

*2026-08-19*

This app has been super helpful at navigating screen time limits, I love how aesthetic & cute it is, how positive the idea is & am so thankful I caught it in time for the free lifetime trial ! My new favorite time limit app!! Totally recommend !!!!!!!

**Developer response:** Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. I originally developed Precursor out of personal need and I am just so grateful that others like yourself are able to benefit from this unique approach to screen time limits! I also appreciate you noticing the subtle design choices, I think user experience is just as important as the function of the app!

If you ever have feedback or feature requests please feel free to share them via the Precursor forum, available in the in app settings menu!

## Frequently asked questions about Precursor

### What is Precursor's primary function?

Precursor's primary function is to help users manage their screen time by setting specific hourly limits for applications. This approach aims to break the cycle of exceeding daily limits and encourages more sustainable digital habits.

### How does Precursor differ from other screen time apps?

Unlike many screen time solutions that offer a single daily limit, Precursor allows you to set an hourly allowance. This hourly reset mechanism is designed to prevent the feeling of being completely locked out of apps and reduces the temptation to ignore limits.

### Can I customize my limits with Precursor?

Yes, you can pick the apps you want to limit and assign them an hourly allowance of 5, 10, or 15 minutes (up to 30 minutes with Precursor+). You can also select specific days for these limits to be active, allowing for stricter limits on weekdays and more lenient ones on weekends.

### What happens when my hourly allowance is spent?

When your allowance for a specific app or group of apps is spent, those apps will be blocked. Your limit then automatically resets at the top of the next hour, allowing you to use them again.

### Does Precursor have ads?

No, Precursor is ad-free. The app is built on Apple's Screen Time technology and is designed to be private by design, with no accounts and no advertisements.

### What are the benefits of the Precursor+ upgrade?

The optional Precursor+ upgrade offers additional features such as more app groups, different reset windows, longer limits (up to 30 minutes per hour), scheduled active hours, and Deep Focus sessions.

### How does Precursor handle impulsive moments of wanting to bypass limits?

Precursor adds friction to prevent impulsive overrides. Before stopping limits, it prompts a reflection, allows for a passcode lock, and requires intentionally opening the Precursor app to stop limits, rather than offering an immediate 'ignore' option.

### Is Precursor available on multiple devices?

Precursor is available on iPhone and iPad, leveraging Apple's Screen Time technology for its functionality.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.2.2 — 2026-10-29

- 2 and 3 hour reset windows (Precursor+) now stay set, even after you close Precursor. If yours shows 1 hour, pick it again once.
- If your limits stop while Precursor is closed, the dashboard says so and offers Restart limits.
- Write your reason in Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Turkish or Vietnamese. The empty box now says how much to write and works as intended.
- Asking for More time no longer asks for your passcode. Parent Mode still does.
- Translation and layout fixes in German, French, Russian, Vietnamese and Arabic.
- Fixed a crash when opening Insights.

### 1.2.0 — 2026-08-19

Deep Focus sessions (Precursor+)
- Pick the groups you want locked down, pick a length from 30 minutes to 8 hours, and hold the button to start. Those apps stay blocked for the whole session. No stopping and no editing until it ends.
- One 5 minute emergency break per session, for the moments you truly need it.
- Groups you leave out of the session keep their normal hourly limits.

Reset every 2 or 3 hours (Precursor+)
- Your limits can now reset every 2 or 3 hours instead of every hour. Minutes you do not spend carry across the hours inside the window, so the limit means the same thing whichever length you pick.
- The hourly reset stays free, and it is still the default.

Shortcuts and Siri
- Start your limits, or check where they stand, from the Shortcuts app or by asking Siri.
- Your limits cannot be turned off from Shortcuts while your apps are blocked.

Precursor now speaks 14 more languages
- Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Also in this update: the block holds through heavy use instead of giving up after eight retries, the block screen no longer flashes at the top of the hour when your limits restart, a clearer reset window picker, simpler group cards, and fixes to Shortcuts and reset times on the longer windows.

### 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.

## Apps similar to Precursor

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Intenty: Intention Journal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/intenty-intention-journal/id6780071655) | 4.6 (9) | Free | Productivity |
| [Breakin': Shift Work Planner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/breakin-shift-work-planner/id6786577313) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Productivity |
| [Lunbi: Habit Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lunbi-habit-tracker/id6796928746) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [ReadySet: Visual Routine Timer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readyset-visual-routine-timer/id6757413273) | 4.8 (9) | Free | Productivity |
| [Ideon: Scroll Your Own Ideas](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ideon-scroll-your-own-ideas/id6783103263) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Productivity |
| [Blocker+ Adult Content Blocker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blocker-plus-adult-content-blocker/id6755668356) | 4.3 (23) | Free | Productivity |

## Related topics

[phone screen time](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/phone-screen-time)

---

*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 2026-10-31.*