# Unpluq: Reduce Screen Time — More Life, Less Screentime

> App blocker to regain focus and reduce screen time through conscious access barriers. (iPhone/iPad app by Unplug Technology B.V..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unpluq-reduce-screen-time/id1673743726 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Unplug Technology B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623183095)
- Category: Lifestyle, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 919 App Store ratings · 96 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 83 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2023-04-07
- Data updated: 2026-08-30
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unpluq-reduce-screen-time/id1673743726/reviews.md

## What is Unpluq?

"I have much better sleep, and slower mornings." Sara P., Unpluq Customer
"I use the phone less during family rush hours (morning and evening), also to set a good example for them."
“I've been present at dinner, I'm not using my phone while driving, and I'm not scrolling my phone in the middle of the night.” - Kim Trinh, Unpluq Customer
"I read an entire book on Sunday, went to hot yoga, made a mushroom and endive galette, and finished my vision board in the week since I started using Unpluq." - Sarah S., Unpluq Customer

Unpluq helps you take control of your time, be mindful and digital detox from your phone. Turn your phone into a dumbphone when you want. By interrupting your automatic phone pickups, you'll recover time, focus, and attention by making a conscious choice to access apps. Use your phone on your terms. Unpluq customers save more than 1 hour and 26 minutes a day of screen time.* 

How does it work?
Select which apps to block, and when. If you need to access a blocked app, make a conscious choice to open it by passing through an Unpluq Distraction Barrier–a digital key that makes you think twice and ensure you really do want to open that app.

Use Unpluq to:
- Block distracting apps and notifications–by default
- Choose what times you want apps blocked
- Choose only the apps you want to block
- Unblock apps by making a conscious decision with an Unpluq distraction barrier 
- Select the distraction barrier you prefer, or go RANDOM to make it harder
- Choose how hard each distraction barrier is
- Block different apps on different schedules

Choose your distraction barrier:
- Shake your phone for some time
- Tap a random pattern of buttons
- Scroll through blank space
- Randomly pick one of the above barriers
- Scan a unique QR code
- Use your Unpluq Tag on your keychain

Block apps when you need to:
- Stay focused
- Focus during work
- Disconnect after hours
- Be present for family meals
- Avoid working on the weekends
- Study uninterrupted
- Be more mindful every day
- Sleep and rest well
- Stop phubbing
- Reduce stress
- Lower anxiety 

Use your newly recovered free time to:
- See friends
- Workout
- Side hustle
- Read books

Unpluq helps you focus on what’s important in your life, without phone distraction. No more meals with family and friends staring at your phones.

Unpluq Premium Subscription
With Unpluq Premium, you’ll save 2x as much time.
- Unlimited: block apps–as many as you like, up to 50 per schedule
- Unlimited: schedules–work schedule, weekend schedule, you decide what works best for you
- Whitelist contacts, so notifications from them always get through
- All Barriers: Use all the available barrier options, including the patented Unpluq Tag, the keyfob that keeps you focused, as well as Scrolling, Random, or QR code barriers.

Unplug Free: Available to Everyone
With Unpluq Free, get off your screen, and back into your life.
- Block 2 apps
- 1 Schedule–all the time, during work, on the weekend, or after hours–whatever time you choose
- 2 Barriers: Choose to tap buttons or shake your phone to unblock apps

The Unpluq Tag 
Do you have an Unpluq Tag? Pair your Tag with your Unpluq app anytime to save more time. The NFC powered yellow Tag fits on your keychain and works with your app. Science like Rational Override Theory shows that this physical ritual to get virtual control of your phone is the most effective way to change your screen time habits. 

*The average Unpluq customer in May 2023 saves 1 hour 22 minutes a day.

Privacy 
We care about your privacy and take steps to protect it. Unpluq does not sell or share your data–personal or not. Having our customer’s with privacy in mind and protecting them is one of our core values. See Privacy Policy: https://www.unpluq.com/privacy-policy 

Payments & Subscriptions Terms of Use
This app offers both in-app purchases as well as subscriptions. For the Terms of Use, please see https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Key features

- Block distracting apps and notifications
- Schedule app blocking times
- Conscious app access barriers
- Customizable distraction barriers
- Block different apps on different schedules
- Whitelist contacts for notifications

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unpluq Premium Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Unpluq Premium Yearly | $59.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unpluq Premium Lifetime | $209.00 | one-time |


## What do users think of Unpluq?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👍 Effective at reducing screen time
- 🚀 Helps with productivity and focus
- 💡 Innovative use of physical tag to unlock apps

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Issues with app/schedule reliability
- 💰 Expensive subscription model

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Apps not properly blocked or unblocked
- Schedules not working as expected
- UI freezes and crashes during app management

**Most requested features**

- Ability to lock apps to specific QR codes
- More flexible scheduling options
- Improved website blocking beyond just Safari

## Recent user reviews (10 of 96)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unpluq-reduce-screen-time/id1673743726/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Inutile car très facilement contournable et abandonné par le développeur

*2026-05-02*

Une application qui est abandonné par le développeur, ça a fait un an qu’il n’y a pas eu de mises à jours. Aucun suivi, rien. Seul le service client réponds encore mais on se demande pendant combien de temps encore. La vice présidente de l’entreprise s’est barré. C’est souvent là que ça sent un peu le roussi.

Pour les petites dépendances aux écrans, ça peut aider et encore… les blocages sont très facilement contournables.

Pour les plus grosses dépendances aux écrans, c’est juste une passoire. En un clic, on peut désactiver les emplois du temps de blocage d’applications même en utilisant l’appli raccourcis d’IOS pour éviter les modifications, on peut quand même les modifier.

Je ne pense pas que ça vaille le coup, de payer pour avoir le Unplug tag car de toute façon, si vous l’avez sur vous… ou que vous le mettiez dans une autre pièce, si vous avez vraiment une dépendance, votre cerveau vous fera lever pour aller débloquer l’emploi du temps qui bloque l’application et si vous n’avez pas envie de vous levez, vous pouvez de toute façon le faire via l’application en un clic.

Ça serait bien juste de coder une page avec un code dessus et si il est pas entré, on peut rien modifier dans l’application sans ça, c’est une application qui sert à rien.

Pire application de contrôle de temps, je ne recommande absolument pas.

### 4/5 — Frustrated

*2025-11-25*

I have used Unpluq for a few years now and I really like it but for the past few months I have tried to edit my schedules and it’s almost impossible to add apps past the first few categories or search for them. Every time I try to scroll down to view more apps so I can add them to my schedule to block them, it freezes, says they can’t be loaded and to try searching them. If I try to search them the same thing happens. I get the same error for months now that Unpluq has been working with Apple to resolve the issue… and my schedules are still not what I want them to be. I click on the troubleshooting link and it also does nothing. So basically I am paying for a service that I can’t use properly.

### 5/5 — Insta Zeit so krass runter

*2025-11-04*

Einfach danke!

### 1/5 — Kickstarted then bait and switched!

*2025-10-17, version 1.2.13*

I backed the kickstarter for this product a few years ago, only for them to run a subscription model AFTER funding — if that was part of the original plan, I definitely didn’t see it on their campaign. Now in 2025 you have “Brick” and “Bloom” both which work better and don’t have subscriptions. — I guess I’m thankful this industry of app blocking has grown, but Unpluq falls sadly behind.

### 5/5 — Super app qui aide vraiment à reprendre le contrôle de son temps

*2025-08-21*

Après avoir essayé beaucoup de méthodes pour réduire mon temps perdu à scroller, Unpluq et le tag ont été la première vraiment efficace pour retrouver l'intentionnalité d'utilisation tout en laissant assez de flexibilité. Seule chose qui manque pour moi, la possibilité d'avoir une durée de déblocage différente selon les programmes.

### 1/5 — Disappointed

*2025-07-12*

I donated on kickstarter to get the tag. And now I can’t even block at least 2 apps without paying. That’s hell of a mess . Was a great app. Thanks but I quit

### 3/5 — it’s a start

*2025-06-17*

I really wanted something that would turn my iPhone into a brick that only runs music, podcasts and good old fashioned phone stuff. maybe a weather alert here & there. this isn’t it.
there’s a limit on this of 49 apps/websites/whatever. if I click to select everything on my phone, it says there are 600-something apps I’m trying to block. 
first, I cannot even imagine what 600 things this app thinks it can see on my phone.
second - 49 would seem like enough but you have to block fb AND the website, insta AND the website. google AND all the little things that go with it. etc.
it’s just not worth it. I’m cancelling at the end of my year and finding an alternate solution.

### 2/5 — Can’t add apps to my list

*2025-05-12, version 1.2.13*

When I try to add apps to my blocked list, the app crashes. It’s basically making the app unusable so I cancelled my trial. Hoping this gets fixed asap.

### 2/5 — Good when it works.

*2025-05-05*

Good when it works but it’s increasingly become more and more unusable (they’ll claim that it’s actually Apple’s API) since I got it 2 years ago. Either doesn’t work and keeps apps unblocked, or works too well and won’t let you access them.

### 5/5 — Works

*2025-04-20, version 1.2.13*

Great app.

I use the time limits so that I cannot be distracted by email and social media when I should be present with my family after work and on weekends. It requires a QR code to allow the apps to work. So unless I have a computer (or my wife’s cell phone, ie permission) to get QR code I cannot be distracted.

It’s awesome.

## Frequently asked questions about Unpluq

### What does Unpluq do?

Unpluq helps you take control of your phone usage and reduce screen time. It allows you to block distracting apps and notifications during specific times, requiring you to pass through a 'Distraction Barrier' to access them. This conscious step helps you think twice before picking up your phone.

### How does Unpluq help me focus?

By blocking distracting apps and notifications by default, Unpluq minimizes interruptions. The 'Distraction Barrier' mechanism makes accessing blocked apps a deliberate choice, encouraging more mindful phone usage. This helps you stay focused during work, study, or family time.

### Is Unpluq free to use?

Unpluq offers a free version that allows you to block 2 apps and set 1 schedule. For more advanced features like unlimited app blocking, multiple schedules, and all barrier options including the Unpluq Tag, a premium subscription is available.

### What kind of distraction barriers are available?

Unpluq offers several distraction barriers to make accessing blocked apps a conscious choice. These include shaking your phone for a set time, tapping a random pattern, scrolling through blank space, randomly picking a barrier, scanning a QR code, or using a physical Unpluq Tag.

### How much screen time can I save with Unpluq?

Customers report saving an average of over 1 hour and 26 minutes of screen time per day. With Unpluq Premium, users can save up to twice as much time by utilizing more advanced features and unlimited blocking options.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.2.14 — 2026-06-26

Required updates to keep the app functional

### 1.2.13 — 2025-01-22

Potential workarounds for blocking issues that happen for some people

### 1.2.12 — 2024-10-24

Improvement: Apps blocked when not expected to be blocked

### 1.2.11 — 2024-10-17

Improvement: Apps blocked when not expected to be blocked

### 1.2.10 — 2024-10-09

- Blocking apps on demand: "Block Apps Now" button acted inconsistently, it's now fixed
- Widget Unblocking: Unblocking apps from the widget presented a different 'barrier' for some people; this is now fixed and shows the barrier associated with your active schedule

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## More apps by Unplug Technology B.V.

- [Unpluq Family](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unpluq-family/id6742550885)

All apps by Unplug Technology B.V.: https://appshunter.io/developer/1623183095

## Related topics

[unpluq](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/unpluq) · [unplug](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/unplug) · [screen time reduce](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/screen-time-reduce) · [bodyguardz](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bodyguardz) · [phubbed](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/phubbed) · [btime](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/btime)

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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 2026-08-30.*