# ScrollBuddy: Screen Time — App blocker meets to do list

> App to break addictive scrolling habits with scheduled limits and friction. (iPhone/iPad app by Aaron Vinod.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scrollbuddy-screen-time/id6749676786 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Aaron Vinod](https://appshunter.io/developer/1809840522)
- Category: Productivity, Health & Fitness
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.90/5 from 8 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 26.4 · 12 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2025-08-23
- Data updated: 2026-09-18
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scrollbuddy-screen-time/id6749676786/reviews.md

## What is ScrollBuddy?

Your apps start the day shut. You write up to three tasks, and finishing one earns thirty minutes with them.

That is the whole loop. The apps you named are blocked from midnight, before you have to decide anything. Willpower at seven in the morning is a bad plan. A choice you already made is a good one.

Then you write the day. One to three tasks, no more. SB, the buddy in the app, helps you turn a vague intention into something you can start, and asks about the one that is too big to begin. Once the page is sealed, that is the day.

Finishing a task mints a pass: thirty minutes with your apps, and then they close again. Before a task counts as done, SB asks one honest question about it. "Done, really? What did the gym session actually look like?" Nobody checks your answer. That is the point.

Passes bank, up to five. Spending one takes a moment. SB asks what it is for, the apps open for thirty minutes, and they shut again quietly when the time is up. An unspent pass is a good day.

In the evening the bell rings at the hour you chose. SB tells the day back to you in your own words: what got done, what you said about it, what did not happen, and how much closer you are to this month's goal. Then he asks what tomorrow is for, and you write the next page before you sleep.

The month has one goal, with a finish line you can count. Twelve gym sessions. Four chapters. Ten applications sent. Tasks either serve it or they do not, and the book keeps the tally.

ScrollBuddy was built by one person. Your first full day is on the house: plan it, live it, finish it, and write tomorrow. After that it costs money to keep going: a small subscription, monthly or yearly, or a single purchase that keeps it for good. The prices are shown in the app before you decide. If it does not help, walk away free, no hard feelings.

There is no account and no login. Your goal, your tasks, your honest answers and your day count live on your phone and nowhere else. There is no partner to disappoint, no leaderboard, and nobody reading your day but you.

Blocking uses Apple's Screen Time permission. ScrollBuddy never sees which apps you open or what you do inside them.

## Key features

- Scheduled time windows for app usage
- Daily time budgets for apps
- Kind block screens when time is up
- Limit multiple social apps in one place
- Micro-escape timers for breaks
- Optional buddy accountability
- Smart nudges and warnings

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Weekly Premium | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| ScrollBuddy Annual Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| ScrollBuddy Monthly Premium | $12.99 | per month |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Good buddy | $4.99 | one-time |
| Great buddy | $9.99 | one-time |
| Best buddy | $17.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $49.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (1 of 1)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scrollbuddy-screen-time/id6749676786/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Good app but some major bugs

*2026-02-03*

The concept could work but I cannot use it properly because of the bug: Stays blocked after end of schedule. I setup a 7am-5pm block. At 5pm, I expect it to get unblocked but it does not.
  Also, I should be able to choose days of the week when creating block schedules. I dont want all schedules to be every day of the week

**Developer response:** Hi there! 

I'm really sorry to hear that you were experiencing these kind of bugs. As a solo-developer, I am iterating fast with my early users but this can lead to some issues. 

I have released a new version which I hope has solved a lot of these previous issues! Thank you so much for testing the app and I would love to know if the new version has fixed a lot of the issues you were experiencing!

Sincerely,
Aaron founder of scrollbuddy

## Frequently asked questions about ScrollBuddy

### How does ScrollBuddy help with doomscrolling?

ScrollBuddy breaks the delete-reinstall cycle by adding friction. It allows you to set scheduled time windows or daily budgets for your apps, and a kind block screen appears when your time is up, preventing mindless scrolling.

### What apps can I limit with ScrollBuddy?

ScrollBuddy can limit popular social apps such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit, allowing you to manage your usage of multiple platforms in one central location.

### Does ScrollBuddy have ads?

No, ScrollBuddy is ad-free. The app is built on Apple Screen Time APIs and prioritizes user privacy, ensuring no ads or creepy tracking.

### What are the subscription options for ScrollBuddy Premium?

ScrollBuddy Premium offers monthly and annual subscription plans, with prices varying by region. There is also a free 7-day trial available for the yearly premium plan.

### How do I cancel my ScrollBuddy subscription?

Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime within ScrollBuddy Settings or through your device's Apple ID subscriptions.

### Is ScrollBuddy available on all Apple devices?

Yes, ScrollBuddy is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod, leveraging Apple's Screen Time APIs for its functionality.

### How often is ScrollBuddy updated?

The latest version of ScrollBuddy is 1.0.5, and it was last updated on February 19, 2026. This indicates regular updates to improve the app's functionality and reliability.

### What is the age rating for ScrollBuddy?

ScrollBuddy has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users looking to manage their digital habits.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0.5 — 2026-09-15

Minutes, not passes. Finishing a task now mints thirty minutes, and you spend them in passes of two, five, ten, fifteen or thirty. Nothing you earned is lost when you change your apps. Late at night SB says no to a pass that could not close cleanly before midnight, and tells you why. Task two no longer flashes task one while SB reads it back. The evening recap remembers it was read, so the morning does not ask twice. On a morning with nothing written, SB sends one line at nine: Today's page is still empty. A crash report now carries none of your words, only the shape of what went wrong. SB speaks for the store: no signal, a quiet store, a purchase that did not finish, each in his own words. The yearly plan is chosen for you with its saving shown. A discount redeemed outside the app is noticed the moment you return. SB says your name at the peaks of the day, and a finished day is celebrated. Tell Aaron what is wrong from the gear; he reads every one.

### 2.0.3 — 2026-09-14

SB now speaks for the store: no signal, a quiet store, a purchase that did not finish, each in his own words, and the plans come back by themselves when your connection does. The yearly plan is chosen for you with its saving shown. A discount redeemed outside the app is noticed the moment you return. SB says your name at the peaks of the day, and a finished day is celebrated. A note to his maker: tell Aaron what is wrong from the gear, and he reads every one. Faster first frame, and fewer things reported that were never faults.

### 2.0.1 — 2026-09-12

Smoother everywhere. SB moves between screens in one motion, the keyboard no longer fights the buttons, and every change is quicker. Your name is in the book now. After the free day the book stays readable, and every tap asks for a plan. Small fixes to onboarding.

### 2.0 — 2026-09-07

ScrollBuddy is rebuilt. It is the same idea with a different spine: your day starts blocked, one to three tasks are the key, and finishing one earns thirty minutes with your apps.

What is gone. There is no account and no sign in. There is no accountability partner, no unlock request sent to another person, and no shared streak or streak repair. The whole app now runs on your phone, with nothing on a server, so there is nothing to log into and nothing to lose when you change devices.

What replaces it. SB asks the honest question himself, at the moment you tap a task done, and reads the day back to you in the evening. The day count is still there, kept on the phone, next to the tasks you finished.

If you bought ScrollBuddy for life, you keep it. Restore Purchases in the gear brings it back.

Everyone else gets a first full day free: plan it, live it, and write tomorrow before you decide whether to pay.

The old app needed an account, so its data does not travel. Set the new one up once and it is yours.

### 1.0.6 — 2026-07-13

Your asks just got more convincing: attach a photo to an unblock request so
your buddy sees why you need the time.

Also in this update:
- Redesigned blocker cards with bigger, clearer progress rings
- Your buddy now sees the moment Screen Time gets switched off
- Weekday schedules: lock apps only on the days you choose
- Website blocking that covers Safari, plus an adult-site filter
- Faster tab switching and a large batch of reliability fixes

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| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Huzzle – Student Careers](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/huzzle-student-careers/id1558715481) | 5.0 (4) | Free | Productivity |
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| [StopScroll Screen Time Control](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stopscroll-screen-time-control/id6738006979) | 4.3 (15) | Free | Productivity |
| [Habi - Habit Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/habi-habit-tracker/id1613680751) | 4.5 (2) | Free | Productivity |

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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 2026-09-18.*