# Zarko: App Blocker & Focus — Screen Time You Can't Skip

> Screen Time You Can't Skip (iPhone/iPad app by Jaehoon Lee.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zarko-app-blocker-and-focus/id6791000644 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Jaehoon Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889076539)
- Category: Productivity, Health & Fitness
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.6 · 5 MB
- Languages: American English, Japanese
- Released: 2026-08-24
- Data updated: 2026-10-28

## What is Zarko?

You can't trust yourself to put the phone down. So don't rely on willpower alone — rely on a real challenge.

Zarko is a screen-time blocker with a twist: once you lock in a focus session, the way out is to prove it — not to quit.

HOW IT WORKS
• Choose the apps, categories, or websites you want blocked — powered by Apple's official Screen Time (FamilyControls) framework.
• Start a focus session and get to work. Your chosen apps and sites stay locked for the full duration.
• Tempted to check your phone early? Complete a quick physical or mental challenge — shake, walk, type, solve, remember — to break the block before time's up. No luck involved: finish the challenge and you're unlocked.
• Want zero exits? Turn on Strict Mode in Settings and the give-up option stays locked until you're halfway through the session — the challenge becomes the only way out.

BUILD A STREAK, NOT JUST A HABIT
Every completed session adds to your daily streak. Miss a day and it resets — but your history stays. Track your weekly focus time, session count, and streak in one clean stats screen, and share your progress as a ready-to-post card.

UNLOCK THEME COLORS
Every successful challenge earns you a random color theme for the app — pure cosmetic, earned only by beating challenges, never sold. Collect all 12.

WHY IT WORKS
Traditional blockers fail because quitting is always one tap away. Zarko puts real effort between you and that tap, so staying focused becomes the easy choice — and if you want the door closed for real, Strict Mode removes the easy exit entirely.

PRIVACY FIRST
Zarko blocks apps and websites entirely on your device using Apple's Screen Time APIs. We never see which apps you use, what you type, or your browsing history — that data never leaves your phone.

UNLOCK EVERYTHING (OPTIONAL ONE-TIME PURCHASE)
Blocking, focus sessions, unlock challenges, streaks, and theme collecting are free — no ads, no subscriptions. If you want more, a single one-time purchase adds:
• Your equipped theme color across the whole app and the block screen
• Custom session lengths, from 5 minutes to 3 hours
• Detailed stats: week-over-week trends and your top blocked apps by Screen Time
Pay once, keep it forever. And no purchase ever lets you skip the challenge — the only way out early is still to earn it.

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Everything | $4.99 | one-time |


## Is Zarko safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Zarko.

## Is Zarko legit?

Zarko: App Blocker & Focus appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Zarko is 65 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.


## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0.1 — 2026-10-21

Small text and translation improvements.

### 2.0.0 — 2026-10-05

What's new in 2.0.0:

• Unlock Everything — an optional one-time purchase (no subscription) that adds:
  – Your theme color across the whole app and the block screen
  – Custom focus sessions from 5 minutes to 3 hours
  – Detailed stats: weekly trends and your top blocked apps by Screen Time
• "Open Zarko" on the block screen now sends a notification that takes you straight back to the app
• Zarko now checks Screen Time access before each session, so blocking can't silently fail
• More accurate countdown after returning from the background
• Blocking, challenges, and streaks stay free — and no purchase lets you skip a challenge

### 1.2.0 — 2026-09-13

What's new in 1.2.0:

• New Focus screen animations — a breathing ring and circular timer, with a toggle to turn them off in Settings
• New Diagnostics panel in Settings to check your permission and blocking status
• Optional "type to confirm" safety step when giving up a session early
• Improved mission reliability, haptic feedback, and accessibility
• Bug fixes and Japanese translation improvements

### 1.1.0 — 2026-08-28

Small update with UX polish:

• App selection during setup is now optional — you'll be prompted right when you start your first session
• Added a satisfying haptic buzz when you unlock
• Clearer first-time screens in Stats and your theme collection
• Bug fixes and accessibility improvements

### 1.0.0 — 2026-08-25

No release notes.

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## More apps by Jaehoon Lee

- [Virmina: Bad Habit Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virmina-bad-habit-tracker/id6761351988)
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- [Demiva: When Did You Last?](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/demiva-when-did-you-last/id6769624189)
- [Tookly: Medication Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tookly-medication-tracker/id6771635333)
- [Aelith: World Radio](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aelith-world-radio/id6773669058)
- [OutVault: Private Camera](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/outvault-private-camera/id6774853053)

All apps by Jaehoon Lee: https://appshunter.io/developer/1889076539

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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 2026-10-28.*