Comparison

Blank Black Screen vs Screen discipline

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

Head to head
About

Blank Black Screen

Enjoy videos without interruptions and save battery life. This app allows you to play videos and music with the screen locked, perfect for pocket use. Customize your viewing experience with a dimmable screen and adjustable clock.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free full-screen viewing
  • Power-saving screen dimming
  • Customizable clock display
  • Quick start and exit
  • Automatic settings memory
  • Picture-in-picture support
Features
Read full description

Blank Black Screen turns your iPhone or iPad into a true black screen that stays on. Use it to rest your eyes, keep a video playing in the dark, or as a calm clock on your nightstand. TWO MODES, ONE TAP • Black: a dark screen for video, Picture in Picture or just resting your eyes. • Nightstand: a large, dim clock that keeps the screen on all night. Keep it charging. Swipe up on the dark screen to switch between them. ON THE BLACK SCREEN • Swipe left or right to dim the screen • Swipe down to exit • Drag the clock to move it, or hide it • Clock color: white, amber or red (red and amber are easier on the eyes at night) • Full screen hides the status bar and home indicator • The clock shifts slightly now and then to protect the display On OLED iPhones and iPads black pixels are switched off, so the black screen uses very little power. LOCK OUT ACCIDENTAL TAPS Turn on Screen lock and a lock icon appears. When locked, touches are ignored until you tap the lock a few times in a row. LISTEN WITH THE SCREEN DARK Paste a YouTube link and play the video on the black screen, with the rest of the screen kept dark. Picture in Picture works too, using the button in the video controls. WAKE-UP ALARM AND SUNRISE LIGHT (iOS 26 OR LATER) On iOS 26 or later you can set a wake-up alarm in Nightstand mode. It is a real iOS alarm: it rings even when the app is closed, the phone is locked or on silent. With the sunrise light, the screen slowly glows from red to warm white over the 30 minutes before your alarm. The sunrise light only works while the app is open on screen in Nightstand mode, so keep your phone charging overnight. It is a gentle light, much dimmer than a wake-up lamp. The wake-up alarm and sunrise light are not available on iOS versions earlier than 26. FREE • Black and Nightstand modes • Swipe to dim, movable clock, clock color, full screen • Screen lock • Play a YouTube link, Picture in Picture • Wake-up alarm (iOS 26 or later), with your first sunrise morning free PREMIUM • Sunrise wake-up light every morning (iOS 26 or later) • Remembered brightness: the level you dim to is used every time, or set a fixed brightness. Also in Nightstand. • Custom clock size and clock brightness • Faster unlock of the locked screen • Nothing else on the black screen: no "Blank Black Screen" text and no upgrade prompts Premium is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Premium includes a free trial for new subscribers on the yearly plan where offered. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. If a free trial is offered, any unused part of it is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://punnerud.github.io/info_blankscreen/privacy-policy/

About

Screen discipline

Features
Read full description

Screen Discipline helps you set daily time limits on your most distracting apps — and actually enforces them. Set a limit. When you reach it, the app is blocked for the rest of the day. Simple, effective, no cheating. FEATURES • Set daily time limits per app (15 min – 5 hours) • Automatic blocking when your limit is reached • Daily stats to track your usage • Leaderboard — compete with friends on who uses their phone less • Earn points for staying within your limits • Hall of Fame badges for top performers at year-end HOW IT WORKS Add an app, set your daily limit. Screen Discipline monitors your usage in the background. When you hit your limit, the app is blocked until midnight — giving you back control of your time. The lower your limit, the more points you earn. Only blocked apps count — no cheating the system. SUBSCRIPTION FREE Screen Discipline Pro is a one-time purchase. No subscription, no hidden fees.

Screenshots

Blank Black Screen4 screens
Screen discipline4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Blank Black Screen at every 2 days against Screen discipline's every 2 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Blank Black Screen sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Screen discipline sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blank Black Screen ships an update every 2 days, Screen discipline every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Blank Black Screen versus Screen discipline: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlank Black ScreenScreen discipline
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (19 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings19 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB34 MB
Age rating+412+
DeveloperMorten PunnerudJens Gunnar Solli Thoresen

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Blank Black Screen

Subscriptions2
  • Advanced features monthly$0.991 Month
  • Advanced features yearly$2.991 Year
One-time1
  • One-time all advanced features$5.99
2 purchases

Screen discipline

One-time2
  • 15 min extension$0.99
  • Screen Discipline Pro$3.99

Questions

Is Blank Black Screen free?
Blank Black Screen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Screen discipline free?
Screen discipline is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Blank Black Screen or Screen discipline have ads?
Neither Blank Black Screen nor Screen discipline shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blank Black Screen or Screen discipline?
Blank Black Screen ships an update every 2 days, and Screen discipline every 2 weeks. Most recently, Blank Black Screen was updated on October 19, 2026 and Screen discipline on October 9, 2026.

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