Comparison

WhyNow vs Key

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

Head to head
About

WhyNow

This app helps you reduce time spent on distracting applications by requiring intentional unlocks. Create custom blocking profiles and choose from various unlock methods like physical movement, QR codes, or timers to build better phone habits.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • Create focused profiles
  • Unlock with movement challenges
  • Use QR codes or NFC tags
  • Add timers and delays
  • Track focus progress
Features
Read full description

WhyNow helps you spend less time on distracting apps by making every unlock intentional. Instead of relying only on limits you can ignore, WhyNow lets you create blocking profiles for the apps that pull you in, then choose how access should be unlocked. Move before you scroll, scan a QR code, tap an NFC tag, wait through a timer, pause with intention, or use emergency access when you truly need it. Use WhyNow to: - Block distracting apps with Apple Screen Time - Create focused profiles for work, study, sleep, mornings, nights, or deep focus - Unlock with pushups and movement-based challenges - Use QR codes or NFC tags as physical keys - Add timers, delays, pauses, and emergency access - Track sessions and see your focus progress over time - Build better phone habits without losing access when it matters WhyNow is built for people who want practical screen time control, not guilt. It helps you create friction in the moments when you need it most, so opening a distracting app becomes a conscious choice instead of a reflex. Start with a simple profile, choose the apps you want to block, pick an unlock method, and let WhyNow help you reclaim your time one session at a time. Terms of Use: https://tanvir.io/awesomeapps/terms Privacy Policy: https://tanvir.io/awesomeapps/privacy

About

Key

Read full description

Key blocks the apps that eat your time. To get them back, you scan a small physical token called a Key, kept somewhere inconvenient on purpose: a kitchen drawer, or a shelf in another room. Locking takes one tap. Unlocking means standing up and walking to wherever you left your Key. That short walk gives you time to change your mind, and most of the time you do. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps and websites you want out of reach. 2. Lock them by holding the button, or by tapping your Key to your phone. 3. To unlock, scan your Key. There is no unlock button on the screen. MODES You probably don't want the same rules at work and in bed. Modes are separate blocklists you can switch between: a Work mode can block social apps while a Sleep mode blocks nearly everything. There is also a Light mode that inverts the idea. It blocks every app except the few you name, which turns your phone into something close to a dumb phone. SCHEDULES A schedule locks the phone for you at a set time. Sleep mode can start at 11 every night, work mode at 9 on weekdays. The lock ends when you scan your Key, or at an end time you choose. EXTRAS Auto-relock arms itself after you scan: once you spend 5, 10 or 15 minutes in your unblocked apps, Key locks them again. If you tend to delete blockers in weak moments, Key can prevent app deletion while a lock is on. Websites can go on the blocklist along with apps. FORCE UNLOCKS Sometimes you need your phone and your Key is at home. You get five force unlocks that open everything without scanning. Five is enough for real emergencies and too few to become a habit. PRIVACY Key runs on Screen Time, Apple's own framework. Apple designed it so that apps like Key receive anonymous tokens instead of app names, which means Key never finds out which apps you chose to block. Your blocklist and your history stay on the phone. The account exists only to identify you; it's an email address, and nothing else syncs. There are no streaks or scores anywhere in the app, and it will never tell you to do better. THE KEY The Key itself has no battery and nothing to set up. There is no pairing step either; any Key works with any phone. Keep one at home and one at the office if you like. The same Key works on multiple phones You pay for the Key once. The app has no subscription. Get yours at trykey.co.

Screenshots

WhyNow4 screens
Key4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Key at none against WhyNow's 3. WhyNow's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.2). On price, update cadence, ads 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. WhyNow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Key asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WhyNow ships an update every 9 days, Key weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
WhyNow versus Key: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhyNowKey
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size108 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTaseen TanvirTitun LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

WhyNow

Subscriptions3
  • WhyNow Monthly$9.991 Month
  • WhyNow Annual Save Offer$39.991 Year
  • WhyNow Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
None

Key

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WhyNow free?
WhyNow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Key free?
Key is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do WhyNow or Key have ads?
Neither WhyNow nor Key shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WhyNow or Key?
WhyNow ships an update every 9 days, and Key weekly. Most recently, WhyNow was updated on October 6, 2026 and Key on October 10, 2026.

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