# Return: Screen Time & Focus — Pause with your own words

> Personalized reminders to pause before opening selected apps. (iPhone/iPad app by HO HIN LO.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/return-screen-time-and-focus/id6804269652 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [HO HIN LO](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804269654)
- Category: Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 26.5 · 70 MB
- Languages: American English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified, China), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan)
- Released: 2026-10-10
- Data updated: 2026-10-31
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases

## What is Return?

Pause before you scroll, with a reminder you wrote.

Choose the apps you tend to open without thinking. Write a few words you want to remember. Return brings your reminder back when you go to open one of those apps, giving you a moment to decide what happens next.

For example: "I'd rather read a few pages than keep scrolling."

We call these reminders Echoes: words from your past self, brought back when a little perspective can help.

BEFORE APPS
See an Echo you've saved for that moment. Choose to continue, or return to something you'd rather do. No scores. No streaks. Opening an app is a choice, not a failure.

WHAT I’D RATHER DO
Read a few pages. Step outside. Call someone you miss. Save your own ideas for time away from your phone, ready when you want another choice.

WHILE USING
If you choose to continue, keep your reminder within reach. View your Echo on the Lock Screen or in the expanded Live Activity, with optional usage check-ins during your session. The timer measures your Return session, not exact time spent inside another app.

DURING THE DAY
Your Echoes aren't only about screen time. Save a thought you want to carry into your day, and bring it back with optional notifications. Choose how often they arrive and set quiet hours.

TRY RETURN FOR 72 HOURS
Try Return for 72 hours after first completing setup. No subscription starts automatically, and you won't be charged unless you choose to subscribe.

After 72 hours, you can still keep your selected apps locked, choose to continue, and have them re-lock without a membership. You can also read your saved Echoes and ideas.

A monthly or yearly auto-renewing membership brings your personal Echoes and ideas back into the pause, enables personal Echo reminders, and lets you create, edit or delete saved content.

SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS
Prices and billing periods are shown in the app for your App Store region before you purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm. Membership renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account subscription settings. The initial 72-hour experience is not an App Store subscription free trial.

PERMISSIONS & PRIVACY
Screen Time permission is needed to pause the apps you individually select. Notifications require separate permission. iOS controls notification timing and Live Activity presentation; exact delivery times and Dynamic Island visibility are not guaranteed. Return does not read what you view inside other apps.

Privacy: https://hinhjnn.github.io/return-support/privacy/
Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Support: https://hinhjnn.github.io/return-support/support/

## Key features

- Customizable app pausing
- Personalized reminder messages (Echoes)
- Lock Screen and Live Activity integration
- Optional usage check-ins
- Daily thought reminders
- Free 72-hour trial

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Return Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Return Monthly | $6.99 | per month |


## Is Return safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Return.

## Is Return legit?

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


## Frequently asked questions about Return

### What is Return's main purpose?

Return aims to help users pause before opening distracting apps by displaying personalized reminders called Echoes. This provides a moment to decide whether to proceed or engage in a more intentional activity.

### How does Return work with apps?

You select apps you tend to open without thinking. When you go to open one of these apps, Return displays your saved reminder, giving you a chance to reconsider your action.

### Does Return have ads?

No, Return does not contain advertisements. The app is free to use with optional in-app purchases for full functionality.

### What are the subscription options for Return?

Return offers a monthly subscription for $6.99 and a yearly subscription for $39.99. These memberships unlock personal Echoes, reminders, and content creation/editing features.

### Is there a free trial for Return?

Yes, Return offers a 72-hour free trial after completing the initial setup. No subscription starts automatically, and you won't be charged unless you choose to subscribe.

### Can I still use Return after the trial without subscribing?

Yes, after the 72-hour trial, you can still keep selected apps locked, choose to continue, and have them re-lock without a membership. You can also read saved Echoes and ideas.

### What permissions does Return require?

Return requires Screen Time permission to pause selected apps and separate permission for notifications. iOS controls notification timing and Live Activity presentation.

### Does Return track my activity within other apps?

No, Return does not read what you view inside other apps. It focuses on providing a pause before you open them and offers optional usage check-ins during a session.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.1.1 — 2026-10-25

Refined Home and Settings spacing and reminder summaries. Made the return action clearer and centered the Echo deletion confirmation. New users now see Light widgets and written dates by default; existing choices are preserved.

### 1.1.0 — 2026-10-22

Added interface language options for Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong), Traditional Chinese (Taiwan), Simplified Chinese and Japanese.

Improved localized onboarding text and layouts.

Refined the Home button in the session screen.

### 1.0.2 — 2026-10-19

Bring selected Echoes to your Home Screen and Lock Screen with the new Echo rotation widget.

Go back to your Echoes without ending your current app session.

Refined Settings spacing and app-switching guidance, with an improved post-purchase thank-you flow.

### 1.0.1 — 2026-10-14

- Improved membership purchase and restore handling.
- A smoother transition from purchase confirmation to the thank-you screen.
- Clearer guidance when your experience or membership ends.
- Improvements to revisiting and editing choices during setup.

### 1.0 — 2026-10-10

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 2026-10-31.*