Comparison

Uglify Screen Time vs App Screen Time Lock

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

Head to head
About

Uglify Screen Time

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Your feed was built by thousands of engineers to be impossible to leave. Uglify is the only app built to make it boring. The longer you scroll past your limit, the uglier your screen gets. Color drains. The screen dims. Then everything inverts. Your hyper-optimized feed becomes so dull you just… stop. No blocking. No lockout. Just friction. HOW IT WORKS Pick the apps to watch and set your daily free time. Uglify runs in the background; once free time is spent, the effects escalate: 1) Flat Gray. Color is removed and sound mutes. Your feed looks like a newspaper from 1987. 2) Dull Dimmed. The screen darkens. Watching videos feels like staring through fog. 3) Nuclear. Colors invert. Combined with the grayscale, the screen becomes genuinely unpleasant. You'll want to leave. That's the point. WHY IT WORKS You don't have a "willpower problem." You have a design problem. Social media apps are built by thousands of engineers whose job is to keep you scrolling. Infinite feeds, autoplay, variable-ratio rewards – these aren't features. They're traps. Uglify doesn't lock you out and doesn't lecture you. When you cross into a new level, a shield appears – dismiss it and keep going. It's a speed bump, not a wall. Uglify strips the engineering off the content so you can see it for what it is: not that interesting. Think of it as shoes for your attention. You could run barefoot. But shoes make the ground less hostile, so your effort actually gets you somewhere. WHAT YOU GET Β» 3 levels of progressive uglification Β» Works with any app you choose β€” TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, Threads, Pinterest, and more Β» Automatic grayscale, dimming, and color inversion Β» Sound stays off once filters kick in. Silence is a feature. Β» Live Activity in the Dynamic Island β€” your day at a glance Β» No streaks. No shame. No guilt. UGLIFY PRO »»» Daily, weekly, and monthly screen time analytics »»» Per-app and per-session breakdowns »»» Customizable level thresholds WHAT WE BELIEVE You are not the problem. The platforms are the problem. Uglify exists to give your willpower a fair fight against a billion-dollar engagement engine. The sunset was always more colorful than the feed. You just couldn't tell, because the feed was cheating. Now it's not. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

App Screen Time Lock

Features
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App Screen Time Lock helps you set clear daily boundaries for distracting apps. Choose the apps you want to control, give each one its own allowance, and the app applies a Screen Time shield after that allowance is used. Use it to: - Set separate daily limits for social, video, games, and other distracting apps - Enable Strict Lock to reduce impulsive changes after limits are active - Add a Guardian Code for an extra accountability step on sensitive changes - Set a local accountability partner name for shareable unlock requests - Share unlock request messages through the iOS share sheet when you need help deciding - Use limited Break Passes for short, intentional pauses without deleting your setup - Review and share a local event log for lock, pass, and settings changes - Keep useful apps available while only blocking the apps you selected The app uses Apple's Screen Time frameworks. Selected apps are handled as Apple-protected tokens, and your limit settings, Guardian Code data, accountability settings, break-pass state, and event logs are stored locally on your device.

Screenshots

Uglify Screen Time4 screens
App Screen Time Lock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: App Screen Time Lock at none against Uglify Screen Time's 2. App Screen Time Lock also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Uglify Screen Time sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. App Screen Time Lock asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Uglify Screen Time ships an update every 2 months, App Screen Time Lock every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Uglify Screen Time versus App Screen Time Lock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUglify Screen TimeApp Screen Time Lock
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS18.216.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size36 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMAKSIM HORBIKAUKRISHNA PINNAMANENI

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Uglify Screen Time

Subscriptions2
  • Uglify Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Uglify Pro Annual$29.991 Year
None

App Screen Time Lock

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Uglify Screen Time free?
Uglify Screen Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is App Screen Time Lock free?
App Screen Time Lock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Uglify Screen Time or App Screen Time Lock have ads?
Neither Uglify Screen Time nor App Screen Time Lock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Uglify Screen Time or App Screen Time Lock?
Uglify Screen Time ships an update every 2 months, and App Screen Time Lock every 4 days. Most recently, Uglify Screen Time was updated on October 3, 2026 and App Screen Time Lock on October 15, 2026.

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