Comparison

Friend Controls vs LockPact

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.**

About

LockPact

This app pairs you with a trusted partner for mutual screen time accountability. You both select apps to lock on your own devices, and only your partner can approve unlocking them. It's designed to help users reduce phone usage through shared responsibility.

Highlights
  • Mutual app locking with a partner
  • Unlock requests require partner approval
  • Bypass notifications sent to partner
  • Private screen time data processing
  • Solo lock timer for practice
  • Pairing via 6-digit code
Read full description

Your partner holds the key. LockPact is a free iPhone app for mutual screen time accountability: you and a friend, partner, or roommate each lock apps on your own phone, and only the other person can approve an unlock. No account needed to start. HOW IT WORKS Pair with a friend, partner, or roommate using a 6-digit code Each of you selects which apps to lock on your own device When you need access, send an unlock request — your partner approves or declines That's it. No subscriptions, no surveillance, no complicated setup. WHY IT WORKS Willpower runs out. Accountability doesn't. Every solo app blocker eventually fails — because you're the one who can turn it off. LockPact is different: your locked apps need your partner's approval to open. That one moment of friction changes everything. And yes — bypass is still possible. Apple makes bulletproof locking impossible on iOS. We're honest about that. But when you bypass LockPact, your partner gets notified. Bypassing isn't silent anymore. It's embarrassing. That's the point. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT • Mutual — you each hold the key to the other's lock • Honest — no false promises about "bulletproof" blocking • Actually free — core accountability features cost nothing, forever • Private — your screen time data never leaves your device Most app blockers are you vs. yourself. LockPact makes screen time a pact between two people. WHAT'S FREE Everything that matters for accountability: • Pair with a partner via 6-digit invite code • Select apps to lock on your own device • Send and receive unlock requests • Get notified when your partner bypasses • Solo lock timer (for solo practice before pairing) • Schedules — set a recurring lock window once and it locks and unlocks on its own No subscription. No paywall on core features. A short ad plays before an unlock request is sent — that friction is the whole product. PRIVACY Your screen time data never leaves your device. LockPact only syncs lock status and unlock requests — never which apps you use, when you use them, or how long. Built for adults who want to spend less time on their phones — together.

Screenshots

Friend Controls4 screens
LockPact4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Friend Controls at none against LockPact's shown. Friend Controls also leads on ratings volume (647 vs 8) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Friend Controls sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and LockPact sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Friend Controls holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Friend Controls has 647 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Friend Controls's written reviews are positive against 75% of LockPact's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Friend Controls ships an update every 9 days, LockPact every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Friend Controls versus LockPact: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFriend ControlsLockPact
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (647 ratings) — better4.4 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews83.6% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings647 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.4 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB29 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperRyan MoazzamiRotate, LLC.

Customer experience

Friend Controls

All ratings639 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive83.6%
Neutral7.3%
Negative9.1%

LockPact

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Friend Controls

Subscriptions9
  • Monthly Access$2.991 Month
  • Weekly Access$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Access$5.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • 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
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$29.99
6 purchases

LockPact

One-time6
  • Willpower Waiver – 1 Skip$1.99
  • Spark$2.99
  • Willpower Waiver – 3 Skips$4.99
Show 3 more
  • Steady$6.99
  • Willpower Waiver Unlimited$9.99
  • Torch$14.99

Questions

Is Friend Controls free?
Friend Controls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LockPact free?
LockPact is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Friend Controls or LockPact?
Friend Controls is rated higher. Friend Controls averages 4.7 out of 5 from 647 ratings, while LockPact averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.
Do Friend Controls or LockPact have ads?
LockPact shows ads; Friend Controls does not.
Which is updated more often, Friend Controls or LockPact?
Friend Controls ships an update every 9 days, and LockPact every 6 weeks. Most recently, Friend Controls was updated on October 27, 2026 and LockPact on October 28, 2026.

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