# Pull to Refresh: Screen Time — App blocker: do reps to unlock

> Exercise to unlock app screen time by performing physical reps counted by your phone's camera. (iPhone/iPad app by Ivan Chernoknizhnikov.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pull-to-refresh-screen-time/id6809189842 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ivan Chernoknizhnikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1702245524)
- Category: Productivity, Health & Fitness
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 8 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 5 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Russian, European Spanish, Ukrainian
- Released: 2026-09-12
- Data updated: 2026-10-02
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pull-to-refresh-screen-time/id6809189842/reviews.md

## What is Pull to Refresh?

Pull to refresh. Actually pull.

Pick the apps that eat your day, give them an allowance, and when it runs out
they lock. To get back in, you do reps. The camera counts them on your phone.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Choose the apps. Instagram, TikTok, X, games — whatever you actually lose
   hours to.
2. Set the allowance. So many minutes a day, a few minutes an hour, or nothing
   at all.
3. Run out, and they shut.
4. Do a set. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, pull-ups or jumping jacks.
5. Spend what you earned, on whichever app you were reaching for.

THE COUNTING IS HONEST

Reps are scored from your body's joint positions, not from your phone shaking
in a pocket. A rep only counts on a full movement — down to depth and back —
so half-reps score nothing, and the app tells you why instead of leaving you
guessing. Shaking the phone pays exactly zero.

Time is measured in real use of those apps, not on a clock. Put the phone down
mid-scroll and the minutes you paid for are still there.

NOTHING LEAVES YOUR PHONE

Pose detection runs on the device. No video is recorded, stored or uploaded,
and there is no account to make. iOS hands the app opaque tokens rather than
names, so it can tell that you picked an app — never what you do inside it.

IT COUNTS TWICE

Finished sets can be saved to Health as workouts, so reps done here go to your
Move ring and show up in Fitness with everything else.

RACE SOMEONE

Put your reps on a public board and chase a friend. Opt-in, under any name you
like, and leaving deletes your row.

PRO

Free covers a whole working loop: one group of apps on a daily allowance, every
exercise, rep counting, Health and the leaderboard. Forever.

Pro makes the lock harder — it never makes it softer:

- Strict mode. A rule you cannot switch off the moment you want to. Changing it
  costs a cooling-off period first, which is exactly when you would have caved.
- Minutes per hour. Short check-ins instead of one long sitting.
- As many rules as you like, with different limits for different apps.
- Your whole history, with streaks.

Money never buys screen time here. Only reps do that.

Pro is a subscription, renewing until cancelled, or a one-off payment for good.
Manage or cancel any time in Settings.

WORTH KNOWING

Blocking uses Apple's Screen Time. You will be asked to grant it on first
launch, and the camera when you do your first set. Deleting the app removes
every lock, whatever you have bought — this is a speed bump you chose, not a
cage.

Privacy Policy - https://ef03b566.pull-to-refresh.pages.dev/privacy

EULA - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Key features

- App time allowance setting
- Exercise-based rep counting
- Pose detection for accurate reps
- Health app integration
- Optional public leaderboard
- Strict mode for enhanced blocking

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly | $44.99 | per year |
| Monthly | $12.99 | per month |


## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pull-to-refresh-screen-time/id6809189842/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Finally, something that works

*2026-09-23*

I've tried a bunch of screen time apps but this one is different. The way it locks apps after your allowance and makes you do exercises to get more time is pretty clever. I appreciate the effort the developers put into the rep detection - it doesn’t cheat you out of a proper workout. Keeps me moving and off the endless scroll. Hope they keep improving it!

### 5/5 — Gotta hand it to the devs

*2026-09-23*

This app really flips the script on screen time management. I love how you actually have to do reps to earn more minutes – it’s like a workout and a time-out all in one. The devs put some real thought into not just locking apps but making it honest with the rep counting. Props to them for creating something that keeps me honest and active!

## Frequently asked questions about Pull to Refresh

### How does Pull to Refresh count my exercises?

Pull to Refresh uses your phone's camera and pose detection to count reps based on your body's joint positions. It ensures a full movement for each rep and does not count half-reps or phone shaking.

### Can I use Pull to Refresh offline?

Pose detection runs on the device, meaning no video is recorded or uploaded. This allows for offline use of the core exercise counting and app locking features.

### What are the Pro features in Pull to Refresh?

Pro offers features like Strict mode, minutes per hour settings, unlimited app rules with different limits, and access to your full history with streaks. These enhance the app's blocking capabilities.

### How do I cancel my Pull to Refresh subscription?

You can manage or cancel your Pro subscription at any time through your device's Settings. The subscription renews until cancelled.

### Does Pull to Refresh have ads?

No, Pull to Refresh does not contain advertisements. The free version covers a full working loop of features, and Pro offers enhanced functionality.

### What devices does Pull to Refresh support?

Pull to Refresh is currently supported on iPhone devices. It utilizes iOS Screen Time functionality for blocking.

### How often is Pull to Refresh updated?

The app was last updated on September 12, 2026, with version 1.0. Further updates will be released to improve functionality and add features.

### What is the age rating for Pull to Refresh?

Pull to Refresh has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for a wide range of users, including children, for its exercise and app management features.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.4 — 2026-09-26

Steps can buy minutes now, if you want them to. Choose easy mode and 1,000 steps are worth three minutes, up to thirty a day. Reps have no cap, and they are still the only way past it.

The screen stays awake while the camera is counting. A set used to end because the phone locked itself mid-push-up.

Every exercise opens on the front camera, and switching between them is instant.

Built for iOS 26: the icon, the buttons and the tab bar are made of Liquid Glass. A rule on Today now opens for editing from there, the paywall shows its prices without scrolling, and a subscription can be managed from inside the app.

### 1.3 — 2026-09-21

Rules on a schedule. Slack and Teams shut at six and stay shut until morning — or the feed locked only while you are meant to be working.

Choose an exercise the way Camera chooses a mode, and every set now opens on the front camera.

Every set ends by saying what it earned, what it opened, or why nothing counted.

### 1.2 — 2026-09-17

- improvements

### 1.1 — 2026-09-14

- ui improvements

### 1.0 — 2026-09-12

No release notes.

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## More apps by Ivan Chernoknizhnikov

- [AI Chatbot - Daily Helper](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-chatbot-daily-helper/id6478244906)
- [Easy Find Parking Europe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/easy-find-parking-europe/id6502238318)
- [Feel Flow](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feel-flow/id6503190049)
- [MealMate: AI Calorie Counter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mealmate-ai-calorie-counter/id6680196823)
- [PawVault: Pet Health Records](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawvault-pet-health-records/id6779953779)
- [Reset: Quit Weed & Cannabis](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reset-quit-weed-and-cannabis/id6783851544)

All apps by Ivan Chernoknizhnikov: https://appshunter.io/developer/1702245524

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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 2026-10-02.*