Rat Race : Walk to Unlock Apps
Digital Wellness Walking Game
Only for iPhone
Free · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPhone. Not verified for macOS.
iPhone
Meet your disgusting (and adorable) little sidekick! Rat Race is a digital wellness app that helps you form more intentional habits around screen time and walking. Your rat will walk alongside you, earning rewards along the way.
RAT RACE — WALK MORE, SCROLL LESS, DRESS YOUR RAT
Struggling with doomscrolling? Need some motivation to get some steps in? Your phone doesn't need another timer telling you to put it down. Rat Race makes you earn your screen time one step at a time.
Choose your most distracting apps. Your phone blocks the apps until you hit your step goal. No shame, no guilt spirals. Just a simple trade: stroll, then scroll.
HOW IT WORKS
• Set a daily step goal and choose which apps to block behind it
• Walk, jog, do your silly little errands — steps count in real time
• Hit your goal and your blocked apps unlock automatically
• Every step also earns you Cheddar, Rat Race's in-app currency
• Use your Cheddar to buy new outfits for your rat to show off on the leaderboard
WALK WITH YOUR RAT
Your adventure will start on Day 1 when you adopt your rat. You get to name them, dress them up by uploading a photo of an outfit, and have them cheer you on daily. Earn Cheddar as you go, build your streak and show off your style on the leaderboard.
EVERYONE'S ON THE BOARD
Every walker on Rat Race shows up on one global leaderboard, ranked by real steps, not self-reported effort. Rat Race turns habit-building into competition, not isolation.
WHY RAT RACE, NOT ANOTHER BLOCKER
Screen time blockers restrict. Rat Race rewards. Instead of fighting your phone, you're playing a game against your own scroll habit, and your rat gets better dressed every time you win.
• Step-gated app locking, not just timers
• Real-time step counting via your phone's fitness data
• Earn cheddar and track your streaks
• Photo-to-outfit styling for your rat
• Global leaderboard ranked by real, device-verified steps
• Works with your existing step tracker, no extra hardware
Walk more. Scroll less. Did you hear that faint squeak? That’s your rat cheering you on.
minor bug fixes
The developer, BuzzFeed, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
- Health & Fitness
- Contact Info
- User Content
- Identifiers
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Purchases
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- BuzzFeed
- Size
- 49 MB
- Category
- Health & Fitness
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 26.2 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 26.2 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 26.2 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 26.2 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
13+
- 13+
- Frequent
Contests
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- Cheddar 12000 $9.99
- Cheddar 5500 $4.99
- Cheddar 1000 $0.99
- Copyright
- © Copyright 2026 BuzzFeed, Inc.