Friend Controls vs BlockMate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Friend Controls
This app helps you manage your screen time by setting daily limits for app usage. When you reach your limit, friends can approve or deny your requests for additional time, putting accountability in their hands.
- Set time limits for apps
- Schedule app block-out times
- Request extra screen time from friends
- Approve or deny time requests with messages
- Monitor screen time reduction
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Friend Controls is the screen time app that actually works. Set your daily limits, and when time runs out, your real friends decide if you get more. No algorithms. No willpower tricks. Just real social accountability. Unlike every other screen time app you have tried, Friend Controls puts your friends in charge. The result? Users reduce screen time by an average of 60%. HOW IT WORKS 1. Download and choose which apps you want to limit. 2. Set your daily screen time for each app. 3. Invite friends to be your buddies. 4. When your time runs out, the app locks. Want more? Send a request to your friends. 5. Your friends see your request and decide: approve or deny. No mercy required. That is it. Simple, social, and surprisingly effective. KEY FEATURES App Blocking That Works: Choose any app on your phone to restrict. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, games, dating apps, or anything else draining your hours. Real Friend Accountability: Your friends are not bots or timers you can snooze. They are real people who can say no. Request and Approve System: Run out of time? Send a plea to your Controllers. Make your case. Accept their judgment. Usage Tracking: See exactly how much time you spend on each app. Daily, weekly, and monthly breakdowns so you can track your progress. Focus and Study Mode: Block distracting apps during study sessions, work hours, or any time you need to concentrate. Privacy First: We do not sell your data. We do not track what you do inside apps. We only monitor time spent so your friends can help you stay on track. WHO IS THIS FOR? Students who need to focus during exam season. Couples who want to spend less time on their phones together. Friends who want to hold each other accountable. Anyone who has tried every screen time app and failed. People who know they waste hours every day but cannot stop on their own. THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT Research shows that social accountability is one of the most powerful behavior change tools. When someone else is watching, you try harder. Friend Controls takes that principle and puts it in your pocket. Download now and take back your time. Your friends are waiting to help. PRIVACY Friend Controls uses Apple's ScreenTime API. All your monitoring and blocking run on your device. Your browsing data does not leave your phone TERMS OF USE https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ **App blocking feature requires a purchase if you choose to block more than 1 app. All other features are free.**
BlockMate
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Stop doomscrolling. Without willpower. BlockMate is your AI mate for intentional screen time on iPhone. Instead of hard-blocking apps, it asks one honest question when you reach for Instagram, TikTok, or any app you'd rather not be on. Most of the time, you put the phone down on your own. The friendly way to reduce screen time, without locking yourself out of your own phone. THE PROBLEM You unlock your phone 80+ times a day. Most of those weren't your idea. Hard blockers fail because you override them. Willpower runs out by 2 PM. The lever that actually works is intention — and you only need one second of it, the moment your thumb is moving. Whether you call it doomscrolling, phone addiction, or just a habit you'd like to break, the same one-second lever applies. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps that pull you in. Instagram, TikTok, X, Reddit, YouTube Shorts — gate any apps, categories, or websites in Safari. BlockMate uses Apple's FamilyControls API, so the gating is real. 2. When you reach for one, BlockMate asks why. A short, honest exchange. No password, no countdown — a 30-second conversation. The AI mate reflects what you said before it asks anything. 3. Walk away, or get exactly the time you asked for. Real reason? You get the minutes you named. Just bargaining? You'll catch yourself, and the app stays closed. Auto-locks when time's up. WHY IT WORKS - Reflects, then asks. A bare question is interrogation. BlockMate restates what you said before asking anything. - Self-compassion, not shame. Honest impulses get honored. Guilt cycles drive more scrolling, not less. - Your past self knew. You set this up in a clear moment, for a foggy one. - Adapts as you grow. The more intentional you become, the quieter BlockMate gets. VS HARD BLOCKERS Opal, One Sec, Jomo, ScreenZen, Refocus — every one promises to reduce screen time. Every one relies on willpower. BlockMate uses a different lever: a 30-second conversation in the moment your thumb is moving. A mate, not a warden. PRIVACY - Apple FamilyControls — your blocklist stays on your device. - Conversations are short, anonymized, and never sold. - No ad networks. No third-party trackers. The product is the business. PRICING Free to start. Upgrade to unlock unlimited negotiations, multi-app gating, and adaptive coaching that learns your patterns. Yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. The friendly way to reduce screen time. Helping people live a little more, scroll a little less. Terms of Service: https://cloudy-bite-d28.notion.site/Terms-of-Service-354cc3aac91081908268cf66507229ec Privacy Policy: https://cloudy-bite-d28.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-2f1cc3aac9108061b102e03cf5eb3ce8
Screenshots
Verdict
Friend Controls and BlockMate are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. Friend Controls sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and BlockMate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Friend Controls | BlockMate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (559 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 559 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 71 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Ryan Moazzami | Oleh Hykavyy |
In-app purchases
Friend Controls
- Monthly Access$2.991 Month
- Weekly Access$4.997 Days
- Monthly Access$5.991 Month
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- Monthly Access$9.991 Month
- Monthly Access$14.991 Month
- Yearly Access$14.991 Year
- Yearly Access$29.991 Year
- Yearly Access$44.991 Year
- Yearly Access$59.991 Year
- Lifetime Access$29.99
BlockMate
- BlockMate Pro (Monthly)$6.991 Month
- BlockMate Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$59.991 Year









