Finally there’s an app that helped me stop doom scrolling and be more productive in life!!!
My screen time was 6h20m a day. It’s down to about 2h40m now, and most of that is maps and music.
I work hybrid, so my phone sits right next to my laptop all day. Instagram and TikTok used to win that fight every single time. What made this one stick is that there’s no way out mid-session. No pause, no snooze, no “five more minutes.” You set the timer and that’s the deal. If you genuinely need out early, you have to sit through a short exercise first, and by the time that’s done, the urge has passed and I just put the phone down.
The schedules do most of the work now. 9 to 12 is blocked on office days, so I finish real work before lunch. 7 to 9 is blocked at home, so evenings go to my family instead of a feed. Reels and X have a daily cap, so they shut themselves off.
During emergencies, the important apps for communication still works!
It also doesn’t guilt you with minutes. It tracks stillness, restraint, discipline, grounding and breath. Watching restraint climb felt like actual progress.
More exercise screens would be nice to see in future enhancements. But for a doom scroller like me, this one works great.
I work hybrid, so my phone sits right next to my laptop all day. Instagram and TikTok used to win that fight every single time. What made this one stick is that there’s no way out mid-session. No pause, no snooze, no “five more minutes.” You set the timer and that’s the deal. If you genuinely need out early, you have to sit through a short exercise first, and by the time that’s done, the urge has passed and I just put the phone down.
The schedules do most of the work now. 9 to 12 is blocked on office days, so I finish real work before lunch. 7 to 9 is blocked at home, so evenings go to my family instead of a feed. Reels and X have a daily cap, so they shut themselves off.
During emergencies, the important apps for communication still works!
It also doesn’t guilt you with minutes. It tracks stillness, restraint, discipline, grounding and breath. Watching restraint climb felt like actual progress.
More exercise screens would be nice to see in future enhancements. But for a doom scroller like me, this one works great.
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Best focus & screen time app for real. Themes 😍
I've deleted about five focus apps before this one, because every single one had a skip button. I'd tap it and be back on Reels in a second. Sanctum has no skip. Pick a duration, press start, and that's it. No pause, no snooze.
I still get the urge. That part hasn't gone away, and I still reach for the phone without thinking. But instead of the app opening, Sanctum shows a block screen that makes you stop and do one short thing first. Most times, by the end of it, I don't want to open the app anymore.
The part I didn't expect to like is that Sanctum doesn't count minutes. It tracks five things: stillness, restraint, discipline, grounding and breath. So instead of feeling bad about my screen time, I can see restraint going up, because I wanted the phone and didn't grab it. That framing worked on me.
The themes are beautiful too. They move, and the whole app changes colour with them, so the phone just sits there looking like a nice clock.
I'd like more block screens, and the lifetime price feels steep. Everything else is solid. Three weeks with Sanctum and still using it.
I still get the urge. That part hasn't gone away, and I still reach for the phone without thinking. But instead of the app opening, Sanctum shows a block screen that makes you stop and do one short thing first. Most times, by the end of it, I don't want to open the app anymore.
The part I didn't expect to like is that Sanctum doesn't count minutes. It tracks five things: stillness, restraint, discipline, grounding and breath. So instead of feeling bad about my screen time, I can see restraint going up, because I wanted the phone and didn't grab it. That framing worked on me.
The themes are beautiful too. They move, and the whole app changes colour with them, so the phone just sits there looking like a nice clock.
I'd like more block screens, and the lifetime price feels steep. Everything else is solid. Three weeks with Sanctum and still using it.
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Finally, an app that actually helps me focus
I’ve been using this app to cut down on my screen time, and honestly, it has made a bigger difference than I expected. My biggest problem wasn’t really knowing that I was spending too much time on my phone — it was actually stopping myself once I started scrolling.
What I like about this app is that it takes that decision out of my hands. I can block the apps and websites that usually distract me for a set amount of time, especially when I’m working. Once the focus session starts, all those unnecessary distractions are simply unavailable, which makes it much easier to stay focused on what I actually need to get done.
The best part is that I don’t have to constantly fight the temptation to check Instagram, YouTube, or other distracting apps. After a few minutes, I just get into the work instead of thinking about what I might be missing on my phone.
It’s simple, practical, and actually helps build better habits. If you’re someone who keeps picking up your phone while working and then wondering where the last hour went, I’d definitely recommend giving this app a try. It has genuinely helped me get more focused work done and spend less time mindlessly staring at my screen.
What I like about this app is that it takes that decision out of my hands. I can block the apps and websites that usually distract me for a set amount of time, especially when I’m working. Once the focus session starts, all those unnecessary distractions are simply unavailable, which makes it much easier to stay focused on what I actually need to get done.
The best part is that I don’t have to constantly fight the temptation to check Instagram, YouTube, or other distracting apps. After a few minutes, I just get into the work instead of thinking about what I might be missing on my phone.
It’s simple, practical, and actually helps build better habits. If you’re someone who keeps picking up your phone while working and then wondering where the last hour went, I’d definitely recommend giving this app a try. It has genuinely helped me get more focused work done and spend less time mindlessly staring at my screen.
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