Delay vs Useless
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Delay
This app helps users break phone addiction by interrupting mindless scrolling with challenges. It aims to stop the cycle of addictive app usage through strategic interventions.
- Challenge-based interventions
- Dopamine delay
- Stops mindless app opening
- Breaks scrolling cycle
- Fun and engaging
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Turn your screen time into study time. Delay makes you answer practice questions on topics you want to learn before you can open distracting apps like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. Instead of setting aside more time to study, learning becomes a transparent layer integrated into something you already do every day. EARN YOUR SCREEN TIME Before opening a blocked app, Delay gives you a few quick practice questions. Answer them correctly to earn access. Every time you reach for a distracting app, you get another small repetition of something you actually want to learn. LEARN WHAT YOU WANT Choose exactly what you want to study. Whether you're learning a language, preparing for an exam, memorizing important concepts, or building knowledge in a new subject, Delay turns your material into questions you can practice throughout the day. LEARN THROUGH REPETITION Delay integrates learning into moments that would otherwise be spent scrolling. Instead of relying on long study sessions, you repeatedly encounter your material throughout the day. Over time, those small repetitions add up. END THE DOOMSCROLL Your apps automatically lock again after your earned screen time expires. If you want to keep scrolling, you study again. This creates a simple cycle: learn, unlock, scroll, repeat. IMPORT YOUR STUDY MATERIAL Bring the material you already want to learn into Delay and turn it into practice questions. Keep different subjects organized and choose what you want to practice when unlocking your apps. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See how much you've practiced, how consistently you're answering questions, and how your knowledge improves over time. The screen time you would have spent scrolling becomes measurable learning progress. SEAMLESS INTEGRATION Delay works directly with your apps so studying becomes part of your normal routine. Once it's set up, simply use your phone as usual. When you try to open a blocked app, Delay gives you your questions, you answer them, and you're right back in. MAKE SCREEN TIME USEFUL You’re already going to open your favorite apps throughout the day. Delay simply puts learning in between. Instead of finding more time to study, use the time and habits you already have. DOWNLOAD DELAY Delay requires a subscription to access certain features. Download Delay and start turning everyday screen time into learning time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Useless
This app leverages social accountability to help users reduce screen time. Instead of relying solely on personal willpower, friends control access to apps when daily limits are reached, fostering a collaborative approach to digital well-being.
- Friend accountability for app usage
- Set daily app time limits
- No snooze button on limits
- Friends vote on time extension requests
- Public 'Walk of Shame' for requests
- Weekly leaderboards and progress tracking
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Your friends are better than any app blocker. 4+ hours a day. That's what the average person hands their phone. useLess helps you take it back. Set rules for the apps that distract you, like a daily time limit or a focus schedule. When a rule kicks in, the app blocks. The catch that makes it work: other apps run on your willpower. useLess runs on your friends. Reclaim 2+ hours every day. You try harder when your friends are watching. Other apps give you a snooze button. useLess is different. Instead of white-knuckling it alone, your friends hold you accountable. When you get blocked and want more time, you'll have to ask them. HOW IT WORKS 1. Set rules for the apps you overuse: daily limits, focus schedules, whatever fits your life. 2. When a rule kicks in, the app blocks. 3. Need more time? Snap a photo explaining why, and send it to your friends. 4. Every request lands on the Walk of Shame, so your friends see exactly what you are begging for. FEATURES Ask a friend for time: When you are blocked, send a photo explaining why you need more time. Your friends keep you honest, and on stricter rules they decide if you get it. Walk of Shame: Every request is visible to the friends you choose. Watch them beg for "just 5 more minutes" of TikTok, and let them watch you. Weekly leaderboards: Compete on streaks, focus hours, and time spent on the apps that hook you. Daily limits: Give each app a daily time budget that resets every morning. Focus schedules: Block a set of apps on a schedule, like work hours or bedtime. Hardcore mode: Lock yourself out for real. Some rules only get stricter, and turning them off takes a friend's approval, or a 24-hour wait. WHY IT WORKS Other blockers fold the second you push back. useLess puts real people in the loop. Cutting back stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like a game. Real friends don't let friends doomscroll. WHAT PEOPLE SAY "Finally broke my 2-hour Instagram habit" - ThePampf "I've tried a bunch of screen time apps, but always found a way around them. This is the first app that actually works." - Marc "This was a life changer. My screen time has dropped by 5 hours." - N1coo PRICING useLess is free to start: set your rules, get blocked, and ask your friends to unlock you. The whole social loop is free. useLess Pro unlocks unlimited rules, Hardcore mode, the full leaderboard, and deeper stats. New users get a free 7-day trial. You can also earn free Pro: invite a friend and you both get a month free, and inviting 25 friends unlocks Pro for life. PRIVACY useLess uses Apple's Screen Time API. We never see which apps you use, what you view, or any personal content. Your screen time stays on your device. Only the requests you send are shared with the friends you choose. GET STARTED Download useLess. Add your friends. Set your rules. And finally get your time back. Stop scrolling. Start living. Questions or feedback? Reach us at https://dadama.app/ or email hello@dadama.app. Subscription: useLess Pro is an auto-renewing subscription with a free trial for new users. Cancel anytime in your Apple account settings. Privacy Policy: https://dadama.app/privacy Terms (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Delay at 87% against Useless's 36%. Delay also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Delay sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Useless sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Delay holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 105 and 287 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Delay's written reviews are positive against 36% of Useless's.
Delay ships an update every 5 days, Useless every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Delay | Useless |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (105 ratings) — better | 4.5 (287 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 86.5% of reviews — better | 35.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 105 | 287 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 103 MB | 131 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Focus Labs LLC (US) | DaDaMa Ug (haftungsbeschränkt) |
Customer experience
Delay
Useless
In-app purchases
Delay
- Delay - Weekly$6.997 Days
- Delay - Monthly$9.991 Month
- Delay - Family Monthly$17.991 Month
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Delay - Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year
Useless
- Weekly$2.997 Days
- Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Monthly1 Month trial$5.991 Month
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Monthly Sub7 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Monthly1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Monthly7 Days trial$11.991 Month
- Monthly1 Month trial$11.991 Month
- Yearly1 Month trial$24.991 Year
- Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Yearly1 Month trial$34.991 Year
- Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Yearly1 Month trial$49.991 Year
- Lifetime$69.99
- Lifetime$99.99









