Comparison

LOCK vs Useless

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

Head to head
About

LOCK

This app offers a focused social media experience by removing short-form videos and algorithmic feeds. It prioritizes direct messages, profiles, and connections, allowing users to control their digital environment.

Highlights
  • No short videos
  • No algorithmic feeds
  • Focus on messages and profiles
  • User-controlled experience
  • Ad-free social media
Features
Read full description

No feed. No scroll. No rabbit hole. LOCK-IN gives you Snapchat, Instagram & Co. without short videos and without algorithmic traps. Just what matters: messages, profiles, connections. Your phone. Your rules. https://get-lockin.app/nutzungsbedingungen https://get-lockin.app/datenschutz

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

LOCK4 screens
Useless4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LOCK at 87% against Useless's 31%. LOCK also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and device support (3 vs 1). Useless's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (269 vs 1). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. LOCK sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Useless holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Useless has 269 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 87% of LOCK's written reviews are positive against 31% of Useless's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LOCK ships an update every 2 months, Useless every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
LOCK versus Useless: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLOCKUseless
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)4.5 (269 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.0% of reviews — better31.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1269 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB129 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperValerio QunajDaDaMa Ug (haftungsbeschränkt)

Customer experience

LOCK

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive87.0%
Neutral8.7%
Negative4.3%

Useless

All ratings269 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive31.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

LOCK

Subscriptions4
  • Monatliches Abo$5.991 Month
  • Monatsabo$5.991 Month
  • Jahresabo$24.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Jährlich$29.991 Year
15 purchases

Useless

Subscriptions13
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Monthly1 Month trial$5.991 Month
Show 10 more
  • 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
One-time2
  • Lifetime$69.99
  • Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is LOCK free?
LOCK is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Useless free?
Useless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LOCK or Useless?
Useless is rated higher. LOCK averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Useless averages 4.5 from 269 ratings.
Do LOCK or Useless have ads?
Neither LOCK nor Useless shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LOCK or Useless?
LOCK ships an update every 2 months, and Useless every 10 days. Most recently, LOCK was updated on September 22, 2026 and Useless on September 22, 2026.

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