AppLockBox vs Cue
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AppLockBox
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This is a focus and time management tool based on iOS Screen Time capabilities, designed to help you effectively reduce unconscious scrolling. It intelligently groups apps by scenarios such as social media, videos, and games, allowing you to set daily quotas and disable periods for high-distraction apps with a single click. Instant alerts notify you when nearing limits, ensuring important tasks aren't interrupted. With built-in daily/weekly usage reports, you can clearly track trends and changes. No registration is required, and all data is stored locally, ensuring greater privacy. Whether for studying, deep work, or guiding children toward healthy device use, this tool is easy to use, helping you restore focus and dedicate time to truly important matters. Main functions Smart Grouping: One-click grouping for social, video, gaming, shopping, and more, with customizable combinations Flexible Restrictions: Daily Quotas, Prohibited Time Slots, Temporary One-Click Locking Real-time alerts: Instant notifications for nearing and reaching limits, reducing unconscious scrolling Trend Report: Daily/Weekly Statistics and Trend Comparisons, Quantifying Progress Privacy Protection: Local processing, no account or cloud upload required Multilingual support: includes Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, etc Applicable scenarios Exam Preparation and Deep Work: Creating Time Blocks for Focus Parental Management: Helping Children Develop Healthy Phone Usage Habits Enhancing workplace efficiency by reducing high-frequency distractions ---Privacy Policy--- AppLockBox is a local application without a server, and it cannot upload your personal information through the network. The absence of a backend server means that your password cannot be retrieved, so please protect your password well. ---Contact Information--- If you have any suggestions or feedback, feel free to contact us Email:applekaifa@hotmail.com ---Subscription-related--- - The basic functions of AppLockBox can be used for free; - Join AppLockBox membership to unlock all premium features; - After confirming the purchase, payment will be charged to your iTunes account; - The subscription will be automatically renewed unless the automatic subscription is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current cycle. - You can manage or disable automatic renewal in the Apple ID account settings at any time after purchase. The path is: Settings -> Apple ID -> Media & Purchase -> Subscriptions. - Subscription period: quarterly (3 months) (continuous quarterly package product), 12 months (continuous annual package product), lifetime membership - Subscription price: Quarterly membership price is 6 RMB, 12 months is 19.9 RMB, and lifetime membership is 39.9 RMB. Prices may vary across regions and are subject to the price information displayed upon API application for subscription duration. --- Additional Information --- Privacy Agreement: https://doc-hosting.flycricket.io/privacy-policy/c2430851-5a26-40b7-93e8-37712df98f07/privacy Service Terms: https://doc-hosting.flycricket.io/terms-of-service/ccab67f0-1b1a-4a4e-9fa1-54562b055037/terms
Cue
This app helps you use social media more mindfully by tracking your in-the-moment app session time. It offers daily app limits and locks, and prompts a search before opening apps to encourage intentional use. Widgets provide quick access to frequently used applications.
- Live Dynamic Island timer
- Daily app limits and app lock
- Search before opening apps
- Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
- Supports popular social apps
- Digital detox tool
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You only meant to watch short videos for 5 minutes, yet two hours slip by in the blink of an eye? Content feed recommendation algorithms easily draw you into mindless scrolling, making you lose track of time — yet emptiness and regret linger once you put your phone down. Timing Dynamic Island — an exclusive real-time anti-addiction tool for iPhone’s Dynamic Island. It visually displays your screen time as you browse, keeping the passing hours constantly in sight, and lets you lock apps instantly the moment you feel the urge to stop scrolling. Why Choose Cue? Common screen time apps force harsh locks and strict limits that demand extreme willpower, which usually backfire and make you scroll more. Our app takes a mild, gradual approach. The Dynamic Island live timer tracks your usage in real time, paired with hourly, daily and weekly analytics to reveal wasted scrolling hours. You’ll naturally recognize the toll of overusing your phone and cut back voluntarily, without harsh external restrictions. Core Features 1. Real-Time Dynamic Island Timer (Exclusive Feature) Automate shortcuts to detect app launches and closures. The Dynamic Island persistently shows the running duration of your current app, letting you see exactly how long you’ve been scrolling and prompting you to break free from mindless browsing. 2. One-Tap Lock & System-Level Daily Time Limits A quick lock button sits right on the Dynamic Island to cut off scrolling the second you spot your addiction. You may set daily usage caps for apps. Powered by iOS’s native Screen Time framework, apps will lock automatically once your daily limit is reached, putting an end to the trap of "just one more minute". 3. Search-First Launch to Eliminate Mindless Opening Enter target keywords before jumping into the corresponding platform. This avoids aimlessly opening recommendation feeds and endless passive scrolling, ensuring every app session has a clear purpose. 4. Lock Screen & Home Screen Widget Quick Access Widgets available for both home and lock screens offer instant entry to frequently used apps, balancing convenient time management with a smooth user experience. 5. Multi-Layer Trend Data Analytics Dashboard No more vague, oversimplified duration figures. We provide comprehensive trend analysis across three time frames: hourly, daily and weekly. Automated visual line charts clearly display peak usage hours, daily time fluctuations and weekly usage patterns. Who This App Is For You easily get hooked on short videos and social media, struggling to put your phone down voluntarily You want to cut down unproductive screen hours without deleting entertainment apps entirely You wish to monitor app usage duration live via the Dynamic Island for constant self-discipline You need daily usage limits and app lock functions to manage your phone habits You aim to beat phone addiction and build a mindful, disciplined digital lifestyle Privacy & Security Statement Cue never accesses your third-party account passwords, private messages, browsing history, feed content, search records or any other personal private data. All functions including screen time tracking, daily usage limits and app locks run on iOS’s native Screen Time system. You must manually grant all required permissions, and all data is stored locally on your device only — never uploaded to third-party servers. End User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://economic-oval-cfc.notion.site/373369e95c9780ccbccae45dae46c262?pvs=74
Screenshots
Verdict
AppLockBox and Cue are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. AppLockBox sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year and Cue sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
AppLockBox ships an update weekly, Cue every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AppLockBox | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 玉婷 崔 | 鋆博 江 |
In-app purchases
AppLockBox
- Yearly Subscription$0.991 Year
- Monthly Membership$0.991 Month
- Quarterly Subscription$0.993 Months
- Lifetime Membership$0.99
- flash sale$0.99
Cue
- Monthly$5.991 Month
- yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- lifetime purchase$39.99









