Comparison

Useless vs BackToLife Feed

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

Head to head
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/

About

BackToLife Feed

Regain control of your social media usage by blocking distracting elements like Reels, Shorts, and recommendations. This app uses a controlled browsing environment to apply filters, helping you use platforms intentionally and track your time.

Highlights
  • Block Reels and Shorts
  • Hide comments and suggestions
  • Set strict usage schedules
  • Track time spent on social media
  • Maintain usage streaks
  • DM-only mode
Features
Read full description

BackToLife Feed removes Reels, Shorts, For You and infinite scroll from Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X, plus ads on Instagram and YouTube. You keep your chats, your friends and the accounts you choose, without what's designed to hook you. Looking for an app to remove Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts or TikTok's For You feed without deleting your social media? BackToLife Feed is built for exactly that. WHY IT'S DIFFERENT App blockers take away the whole app. BackToLife Feed only removes what hooks you: you open your social media, do what you meant to do and leave. HOW IT WORKS BackToLife Feed doesn't modify the official apps. It opens the web version of each network inside the app and applies the filters you choose. AVAILABLE FILTERS INSTAGRAM Hide the Reels tab (always on) Hide Reels in the feed Hide AI posts Hide stories Hide likes and comments Hide notifications Hide Explore Hide ads Hide suggestions DMs only Autoplay off YOUTUBE Hide Shorts (always on) Hide comments Hide ads Hide subscriptions Hide home TIKTOK Hide For You (always on) Hide notifications Messages only Search only Autoplay off X Hide Following Hide notifications Hide DMs Hide For You Hide Grok Autoplay off ON EVERY NETWORK Usage timer Unlock code Custom icon STRICT SCHEDULE Choose time blocks when your settings stay locked, for example from 9:00 to 23:00. During that time you can't turn the filters off. Outside it, you have full control again. STREAK Every day you keep your strict schedule adds one day to your streak. If you turn filters off during locked hours, it resets to zero. TIME METRICS See how much time you spend on each network: daily, weekly and monthly. ARE YOU A PARENT? Install BackToLife Feed on your child's phone and BackToLife Parent on yours. From your phone you choose which networks they get, the filters and the schedules, and they can't turn them off. More at backtolife.site PRIVACY Minimal data collection Local storage whenever possible No ads No selling or sharing your data with third parties Anonymous analytics to improve the app Privacy Policy: https://backtolife.site/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://backtolife.site/terms Terms of Use (EULA): https://backtolife.site/terms

Screenshots

Useless4 screens
BackToLife Feed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: BackToLife Feed at free with in-app purchases against Useless's subscription. BackToLife Feed also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (50% vs 36%). Useless's advantage is ratings volume (291 vs 3). On price, update cadence, 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. Useless sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and BackToLife Feed sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BackToLife Feed holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Useless has 291 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Useless's written reviews are positive against 50% of BackToLife Feed's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Useless ships an update every 10 days, BackToLife Feed weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Useless versus BackToLife Feed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUselessBackToLife Feed
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (291 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.1% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings291 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS1817.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size131 MB57 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperDaDaMa Ug (haftungsbeschränkt)BackToLife

Customer experience

Useless

All ratings291 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive36.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative59.0%

BackToLife Feed

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

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
14 purchases

BackToLife Feed

Subscriptions14
  • BackToLife Premium (Monthly)$1.991 Month
  • BackToLife Premium (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly$3.991 Month
Show 11 more
  • Premium Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly$8.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$19.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly$29.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly$34.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly$59.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly3 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Useless free?
Useless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BackToLife Feed free?
BackToLife Feed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Useless or BackToLife Feed?
BackToLife Feed is rated higher. Useless averages 4.5 out of 5 from 291 ratings, while BackToLife Feed averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Useless or BackToLife Feed have ads?
Neither Useless nor BackToLife Feed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Useless or BackToLife Feed?
Useless ships an update every 10 days, and BackToLife Feed weekly. Most recently, Useless was updated on October 25, 2026 and BackToLife Feed on October 24, 2026.

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