App Lock vs Phantom Focus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
App Lock
Secure your sensitive applications and personal data with this privacy tool. Easily lock any app to prevent unauthorized access and keep your information out of sight from prying eyes. Enjoy enhanced device security and peace of mind.
- Lock any application
- Hide sensitive apps
- Block websites
- Intuitive interface
- Prevent unauthorized access
- Enhance device privacy
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App Lock is a privacy app designed to help keep your sensitive apps private and secure on your device. With App Lock, you can easily block any app you want, ensuring that you remain private and out of sight from prying eyes. The app features an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows you to quickly and easily select the apps you want to lock. Once an app has been locked, nobody will be able to access your private data. App Lock is the perfect solution for anyone looking to ensure more privacy and security on your device. * In order to use App Lock you need to purchase the Lilucat Pro which is an annual service that costs 29.99$. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase and auto-renews at the same price unless disabled in iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your subscription can be managed in your iTunes Account Settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Links Terms of Service: https://applock.lilucat.com/legal/terms Privacy: https://applock.lilucat.com/legal/privacy
Phantom Focus
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5 to 6 hours. That is the average time lost to phone screens every day — mostly on autopilot. Phantom Focus is the strict, privacy-first screen time blocker designed to break the doomscrolling loop for good. NO INSTANT OFF-SWITCH Most app blockers fail because turning them off takes one second. Phantom Focus fixes this: disabling protection or removing a guarded app triggers a mandatory 5-minute cooling-off, and raising your budget only takes effect tomorrow. The dopamine urge passes before the timer ends. The shield stays. ONE BUDGET, ZERO LOOPHOLES • Assign a single shared time budget across all distracting apps (Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube) • When your budget hits zero, the shield locks them all instantly • No per-app allowances to game or cheat FOCUS TIMER Lock the apps you choose — or all of them — for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Make it to the end and celebrate: every session adds to your lifetime focus hours and unlocks new milestones. SCHEDULES Block apps automatically at set times: Work hours, Bedtime, Morning, or your own window with its own app list. Once a window starts, it can't be switched off on a whim. EARN YOUR EXTRA MINUTES Need emergency access? Hold the challenge ring to break through — 10 seconds for the first unlock, 20 for the second, 30 after that. Breaking a focus session or a schedule always costs 30 seconds. Every minute spent becomes a conscious purchase, not a reflex. TRUTH-BASED STREAK Track your resilience with an honest streak counter. One slip a day is your emergency margin. A second breach — or quitting a focus session or schedule early — burns your streak back to day one. BUILT FOR ADHD & DEEP WORK Struggling with impulse control or phone addiction? Phantom Focus acts as an external prefrontal cortex, helping you stay in deep work, reduce anxiety, and regain focus. 100% PRIVATE & ON-DEVICE Powered entirely by Apple's Screen Time framework (Family Controls). Zero accounts, zero analytics, zero ads, and no network connections. Your browsing habits and app selections never leave your device. Stop losing hours to mindless scrolling. Download Phantom Focus and own your attention again.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phantom Focus at none against App Lock's 7. Phantom Focus also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). App Lock's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. App Lock sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Phantom Focus asks for nothing beyond the download.
App Lock ships an update fortnightly, Phantom Focus every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | App Lock | Phantom Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (5.3K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5.3K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lilucat | Maksim Timeshin |
Bugs and requests
App Lock
Reported bugs
3 issues- Buttons at the bottom of the screen are inaccessible on some devices
- Prompts are not legible with larger font settings
- Locked apps can still be accessed by restarting the phone
Requested features
4 requests- Allow concealing the app locker
- Add scheduling/time-based locking
- Provide separate unlock code from phone passcode
- Improve usability when Dynamic Island is in use
Phantom Focus
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
App Lock
- App Lock$4.991 Month
- App Lock3 Days trial$7.997 Days
- App Lock2 variants$9.991 Month
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- App Lock$14.991 Year
- App Locker for iPhone$29.991 Year
- App Lock$59.99
Phantom Focus
No in-app purchases









