Comparison

Digital Detox Timer vs ShieldFlow

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

Head to head
About

Digital Detox Timer

Features
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How many times did your thumb scroll today? You probably don’t even remember what you were looking at ten minutes ago. Time slips away, and by the next morning you’re thinking, “Why did I waste it again?” It’s time to stop pretending. It’s time to face reality. “Digital Detox Timer” is a no-escape digital detox app. The moment you touch or move your phone, time stops. Every second you keep your eyes off the screen, your focus becomes visible. Regret it again tomorrow — or face it right now. The choice is yours. ■ The More You Leave Your Phone, the More Time Moves The rules are simple. Start the game, and the timer begins. Touch or move your phone — and the timer instantly stops. That means: • Leave your phone on the desk • Don’t look at the screen • Don’t pick it up Only the time you truly stay away from your phone is recorded as focus time. “Don’t touch it, time moves.” “Touch it, time stops.” This brutally simple mechanic exposes unconscious phone addiction and naturally pulls your attention back to the real world. ■ What It Means to Truly Focus While the timer is running, you’ll naturally start asking yourself: “What should I do right now?” • Read a book • Study • Focus on work • Think • Do absolutely nothing Anything is fine. What matters is directing your attention to something other than your phone. It may start with just a few minutes. But over time, your ability to focus will grow. This isn’t a detox that forces restraint. It’s about realizing — almost without noticing — that you’ve stepped away from your phone. ■ Test Your Focus on the Global Leaderboard Your recorded focus time is reflected in a global ranking. Country, age, and background don’t matter. Only one thing counts: how long you stayed away from your phone. • How focused were you today? • Did you beat yesterday’s time? • Where do you rank in the world? Turn focus into a game. Compete with others — or simply with yourself. How far you go is up to you. ■ Your Focus Time Is Saved as History All focus sessions are saved automatically. You can look back and see: • How long you focused • How you felt • What you worked on With the memo feature, you can also record insights from each session. “I focused well while reading today.” “I couldn’t stay focused in the afternoon.” “Ambient sounds really helped.” By reviewing these records, you’ll discover your own ideal focus style. ■ Create a Focus-Friendly Environment with Ambient Sounds The app includes multiple ambient sounds. • When you want silence • When you need to block distractions • When you want a calm atmosphere Use it as focus background music to dive deeper into your work. The sounds are subtle and unobtrusive, designed to support your thinking — not interrupt it. ■ Works as a Desk Clock Too With its simple design, the app also works as a desk clock. • On your desk • By your bedside • Next to your workspace You can check the time without notifications or temptations. “To avoid touching your phone, you leave your phone.” That paradox is built into this app. ■ Ultra-Minimal Design Everything unnecessary has been stripped away. • No registration • No complicated settings • Start instantly Open the app and press start. That’s it. Because the goal isn’t to focus on the app — it’s to focus on real life. ■ Recommended For • Anyone who wants to reduce phone usage • People who want better focus • Students and professionals • Those starting digital detox • Anyone who wants a simple focus timer • People who like building habits through games ■ One Last Thing This app doesn’t take your time. It gives your time back to you. The moment you put your phone down, your focus begins. So — how many minutes can you focus today? Give it a try.

About

ShieldFlow

Features
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Take back your focus. ShieldFlow blocks distracting apps using Apple's own Screen Time technology — so you can do your best work, build real habits, and reclaim your day. WHY SHIELDFLOW Phone addiction is real. The average person picks up their phone 96 times a day. ShieldFlow puts you back in control — without guilt, without complexity. FEATURES INSTANT APP BLOCKING Block any app in one tap. Selected apps show a shield screen instead of opening. Works with Apple's FamilyControls — the same technology Apple uses for Screen Time. FOCUS LOCK Pick a duration before you start and ShieldFlow makes it impossible to quit early. 25 minutes free. Unlock longer sessions with Pro. POMODORO MODE Built-in Pomodoro timer automatically blocks apps during work intervals and lifts them during breaks. No setup required. AUTOMATIC SCHEDULES Set recurring focus windows for work hours, study time, or bedtime. ShieldFlow blocks automatically — no manual tapping required. STREAKS & DAILY STATS Track your focus minutes, build streaks, and watch your progress with a beautiful weekly chart. Habits stick when you can see them. DAILY GOALS Set a daily focus goal from 30 minutes to 8 hours. Watch your progress bar fill up throughout the day. 100% PRIVATE ShieldFlow never sees which apps you block. Zero data leaves your device. No account required. No tracking. No ads. HOW IT WORKS 1. Enable Screen Time access (takes 5 seconds) 2. Choose which apps distract you most 3. Tap Start Focus — those apps are gone 4. End the session and see your stats grow FREE VS PRO Free includes: block up to 3 individual apps, Focus Lock up to 25 minutes, 1 automatic schedule, daily stats, and streak tracking. ShieldFlow Pro unlocks: block entire app categories (social, games, news — one tap blocks them all), unlimited individual app blocking, extended Focus Lock (50m, 90m, and custom), unlimited schedules, monthly insights, and priority support. Try Pro free for 7 days — no charge until the trial ends. Cancel anytime in iOS Settings. PRIVACY Your data never leaves your iPhone. ShieldFlow uses Apple's FamilyControls framework and never has access to which apps you block. No account needed. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Digital Detox Timer4 screens
ShieldFlow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Digital Detox Timer at none against ShieldFlow's 2. Digital Detox Timer also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). ShieldFlow's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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. ShieldFlow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Digital Detox Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Digital Detox Timer versus ShieldFlow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDigital Detox TimerShieldFlow
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTc.comAngela Freeman

In-app purchases

None

Digital Detox Timer

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ShieldFlow

Subscriptions2
  • ShieldFlow Pro$6.991 Month
  • ShieldFlow Pro7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Digital Detox Timer free?
Digital Detox Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ShieldFlow free?
ShieldFlow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Digital Detox Timer or ShieldFlow have ads?
Digital Detox Timer shows ads; ShieldFlow does not.

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