# The Commons: Students — Lets disconnect to reconnect > Student focus app that blocks distractions during school hours without locking the phone. (iPhone/iPad app by The Commons, Inc..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-commons-students/id6746174591 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [The Commons, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1815629327) - Category: Education, Productivity - Price: Free - Rating: 1.30/5 from 230 App Store ratings · 77 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.6 · 60 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2025-07-15 - Data updated: 2026-09-02 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-commons-students/id6746174591/reviews.md ## What is The Commons? The Commons™ – Airplane Mode For Schools Let’s be real phones are amazing. But at School? They can be a total distraction. The Commons helps students stay focused during the school day without giving up their phones. No pouches. No locks. Just fewer distractions. Built with privacy first, The Commons automatically pauses access to distracting apps like social media, games, and other non-academic content during school hours while keeping school-approved, medical, and essential communication apps available. The result? More focus. Better learning. Stronger habits. Features • Automatically activates when you arrive at school • Restricts distracting apps during school hours • Keeps approved educational and essential apps available per your school's phone policy • Automatically turns off when the school day ends Privacy First Your privacy matters. The Commons never accesses your messages, browsing history, photos, social media content, or location history. Learn more about our privacy commitment: the-commons.app/privacy-policy ## Key features - Automatic focus activation at school - Blocks distracting apps during school hours - Keeps essential academic apps accessible - Privacy-first with no tracking - Builds stronger tech habits ## What do users think of The Commons? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 💡 Helps students focus on school work **Cons** - 🚫 Blocks access to social media and communication apps - 🔒 Privacy concerns with VPN and data tracking - 🐛 Causes issues with phone functionality - 🤬 Perceived as an unnecessary and intrusive app **Commonly reported bugs** - VPN doesn't work properly when traveling - Slows down messaging and other apps **Most requested features** - Allow access to certain apps during school hours - Improve VPN functionality when traveling - Provide more transparency on data collection and usage ## Recent user reviews (10 of 77) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-commons-students/id6746174591/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Bad app *2026-08-15, version 1.1.9* They say they can’t see ur location but ask for location perms. ### 1/5 — Poorly made, controlling *2026-07-29, version 1.1.8* This app just doesn’t work well at all, bans every app on my phone INCLUDING the weather app and my clock. The geofence system doesn’t seem to work so great either, since when I drive by my school it will shut everything down as if i’m on campus. I hope you rethink this sorry app and take it down ### 1/5 — Yall suck *2026-07-29, version 1.1.8* Whoever made this dogsht needs to find self worth n love ### 1/5 — strongly dislike *2026-07-27, version 1.1.8* i feel there are way better ways to limit phone usage in schools, this is simply invasive to students and their privacy and i don’t think schools should use it :( ### 1/5 — Stupid idea *2026-07-25, version 1.1.8* This app doesn’t even work. It tracks my precise location from my house to my school, yet it only turns off long after I left my school. It doesn’t let me send texts, and turns off everything on my phone, thus making it useless. I often need to contact people within a moments notice, and when I am on campus, I can’t do that. This app has so many problems, I’m surprised it’s not being published under the title of a prototype. They can say what they want, but this app is idiotic. The only it has reconnected my school is that we all despise it, because it doesn’t work, and is a stupid idea. I would humbly ask the devs to immediately remove this stupid attempt of an app ### 1/5 — Genuinely broken app *2026-07-25, version 1.1.8* The wonderful devs decided to make sure this somehow worked outside of the regular range and lock me out of my phone in my own home ### 1/5 — Ts is awful *2026-07-25, version 1.1.8* App is something you would hear an article about coming from mainland China about media censorship and digital espionage. Also why no half stars? ### 1/5 — Location *2026-07-25, version 1.1.8* I believe its ridiculous that this app should have access to my location all of the time. We are required to put it on our phone before school even starts in order to get important information for the upcoming year. There is absolutely no reason I should give this app access to my location 100% of the time as well as screen time access. Crazy. ### 4/5 — At last a good experience *2026-07-21, version 1.1.7* I use The Commons app last year. It didn’t work that good. I’m testing it this summer as a student council member and I actually like the experience. Distractions are completely blocked and I can track my usage data. Hopefully it continues to get better👻 ### 5/5 — New updates *2026-07-07* I appreciate the updates to the app. New features are great and work well. ## Frequently asked questions about The Commons ### What does The Commons app do? The Commons is a privacy-first app designed to help students stay focused during school hours. It automatically pauses access to distracting applications such as social media and games, while ensuring that academic, medical, and critical communication apps remain functional. This allows students to reconnect with their studies and peers without the constant temptation of their phones. ### How does the app help me focus in class? The app automatically activates when you arrive at school and blocks access to distracting apps during school hours. It is designed to prevent you from missing what matters in class by cutting down on distractions without cutting off essential communication. This helps you build stronger tech habits and improve your overall focus. ### Is the app free to use? Yes, the app is free to use. It does not have in-app purchases or advertisements, and it is offered as a free service to help students improve their focus and academic performance. ### What device permissions does the app require and why? The app requires Location, Notification, Motion, and VPN permissions to function. Location permission helps detect presence within the school zone to activate features only during school hours, without continuous tracking. VPN permission establishes a secure connection to filter distracting content during school hours without logging browsing history. These permissions are used strictly for technical functionality and are never used to collect personal content or track movement outside of school zones. ### Can I still use important apps like my school portal or messaging apps? Yes, the app is designed to keep school-approved apps and essential tools available. While it blocks distracting apps like social media and games, it ensures that your academic, medical, and critical communication apps remain functional, supporting your growth without restricting your independence. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.2.0 — 2026-08-17 This update makes it easier than ever to get connected with improved school sign in, enhancements to School Mode, and performance improvements designed to create a smoother, more consistent experience throughout the school day. ### 1.1.9 — 2026-08-05 This update makes it easier than ever to get connected with improved school sign in, enhancements to School Mode, and performance improvements designed to create a smoother, more consistent experience throughout the school day. ### 1.1.8 — 2026-07-22 This update makes it easier than ever to get connected with improved school sign in, enhancements to School Mode, and performance improvements designed to create a smoother, more consistent experience throughout the school day. ### 1.1.7 — 2026-07-07 Improved onboarding experience based on student and school feedback. Added clearer indicators to help you know when School Mode is active. Performance improvements and bug fixes. ### 1.1.6 — 2026-05-20 This new version includes enhanced background performance and improved activity reporting accuracy. ## Apps similar to The Commons | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [CollegeFairsUSA.com](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collegefairsusacom/id6476927760) | 2.3 (9) | Free | Education | | [Extempore](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/extempore/id1062018455) | 2.4 (85) | Free | Education | | [Voting4Schools](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voting4schools/id527037590) | 3.3 (18) | Free | Education | | [SMU AWARE](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smu-aware/id6448854366) | — | Free | Education | | [Dallas College Safety](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dallas-college-safety/id6458231197) | — | Free | Education | | [WorkReady Mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/workready-mobile/id1382840734) | 4.1 (21) | Free | Education | ## Related topics [common app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/common-app) · [the common app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-common-app) · [the common](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-common) · [12th tech crescendo](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/12th-tech-crescendo) · [students productivity](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/students-productivity) --- *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 2026-09-02.*