Comparison

Berkeley Mobile vs Friend Controls

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

Head to head
About

Berkeley Mobile

Access essential campus information for busy students, including library hours, gym schedules, and dining hall menus. Find all your campus resources conveniently in one place.

Highlights
  • Library information
  • Gym schedules
  • Dining hall menus
  • Campus resources
  • All-in-one student hub
Features
Read full description

Library and gym information. Dining hall menus. Campus resources. All in one place for the busy Berkeley student. *Berkeley Mobile is a product of the Associated Students of University of California (ASUC) Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) and is not affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley or the Regents of the University of California.*

About

Friend Controls

This app helps you manage your screen time by setting daily limits for app usage. When you reach your limit, friends can approve or deny your requests for additional time, putting accountability in their hands.

Highlights
  • Set time limits for apps
  • Schedule app block-out times
  • Request extra screen time from friends
  • Approve or deny time requests with messages
  • Monitor screen time reduction
Features
Read full description

Friend Controls is the screen time app that actually works. Set your daily limits, and when time runs out, your real friends decide if you get more. No algorithms. No willpower tricks. Just real social accountability. Unlike every other screen time app you have tried, Friend Controls puts your friends in charge. The result? Users reduce screen time by an average of 60%. HOW IT WORKS 1. Download and choose which apps you want to limit. 2. Set your daily screen time for each app. 3. Invite friends to be your buddies. 4. When your time runs out, the app locks. Want more? Send a request to your friends. 5. Your friends see your request and decide: approve or deny. No mercy required. That is it. Simple, social, and surprisingly effective. KEY FEATURES App Blocking That Works: Choose any app on your phone to restrict. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, games, dating apps, or anything else draining your hours. Real Friend Accountability: Your friends are not bots or timers you can snooze. They are real people who can say no. Request and Approve System: Run out of time? Send a plea to your Controllers. Make your case. Accept their judgment. Usage Tracking: See exactly how much time you spend on each app. Daily, weekly, and monthly breakdowns so you can track your progress. Focus and Study Mode: Block distracting apps during study sessions, work hours, or any time you need to concentrate. Privacy First: We do not sell your data. We do not track what you do inside apps. We only monitor time spent so your friends can help you stay on track. WHO IS THIS FOR? Students who need to focus during exam season. Couples who want to spend less time on their phones together. Friends who want to hold each other accountable. Anyone who has tried every screen time app and failed. People who know they waste hours every day but cannot stop on their own. THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT Research shows that social accountability is one of the most powerful behavior change tools. When someone else is watching, you try harder. Friend Controls takes that principle and puts it in your pocket. Download now and take back your time. Your friends are waiting to help. PRIVACY Friend Controls uses Apple's ScreenTime API. All your monitoring and blocking run on your device. Your browsing data does not leave your phone TERMS OF USE https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ **App blocking feature requires a purchase if you choose to block more than 1 app. All other features are free.**

Screenshots

Berkeley Mobile4 screens
Friend Controls4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Berkeley Mobile at none against Friend Controls's 10. Friend Controls's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (559 vs 19). 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. Friend Controls sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Berkeley Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Friend Controls holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Friend Controls has 559 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Berkeley Mobile's written reviews are positive against 85% of Friend Controls's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Berkeley Mobile ships an update fortnightly, Friend Controls every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Berkeley Mobile versus Friend Controls: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBerkeley MobileFriend Controls
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (19 ratings)4.7 (559 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.7% of reviews85.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19559 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.017.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB71 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIARyan Moazzami

Customer experience

Berkeley Mobile

All ratings17 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive72.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative18.2%

Friend Controls

All ratings559 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral7.4%
Negative7.4%

In-app purchases

None

Berkeley Mobile

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Friend Controls

Subscriptions9
  • Monthly Access$2.991 Month
  • Weekly Access$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Access$5.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Monthly Access$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Access$14.991 Month
  • Yearly Access$14.991 Year
  • Yearly Access$29.991 Year
  • Yearly Access$44.991 Year
  • Yearly Access$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$29.99

Questions

Is Berkeley Mobile free?
Berkeley Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Friend Controls free?
Friend Controls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Berkeley Mobile or Friend Controls?
Friend Controls is rated higher. Berkeley Mobile averages 4.2 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Friend Controls averages 4.7 from 559 ratings.
Do Berkeley Mobile or Friend Controls have ads?
Neither Berkeley Mobile nor Friend Controls shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Berkeley Mobile or Friend Controls?
Berkeley Mobile ships an update fortnightly, and Friend Controls every 8 days. Most recently, Berkeley Mobile was updated on October 9, 2026 and Friend Controls on October 16, 2026.

Other comparisons