Pawl: Commitment Lock
Addiction & Habit Blocker.
Free · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
The blocker you can't sweet-talk. Pawl shields gambling apps and sites — unblocking takes a physical key, a cooling-off, and now, if you choose, a sponsor's OK.
Block gambling sites, adult content, or distracting apps—and make them impossible to unlock without a security key. Pawl turns willpower into physical friction.
Pawl is a commitment device for the habits you can't stop on your own. It blocks the apps and websites you choose — gambling, adult content, or anything you keep reaching for — using Apple's Screen Time, and makes unblocking deliberately hard.
Every other blocker has the same flaw: you can turn it off the second you crave it. A passcode you set is a passcode you can remove. Pawl replaces willpower with physical friction.
HOW IT WORKS
• Shield it. Choose what to block — sportsbook, casino, and crypto sites and apps; adult sites; or any distracting app. Pawl shields them with Screen Time and shows a calm "Locked by Pawl" screen with no unlock button on it.
• Lock it behind a key you can't reach. Unblocking requires a physical USB-C security key (FIDO2). Put it somewhere out of reach — a drawer at a friend's, a locked box, anywhere that isn't your pocket at midnight. No key in hand, no unblock.
• Cool off first. Even with the key, unblocking starts a 15-minute wait before anything lifts. The urge passes, the block holds, and it re-locks on its own.
BUILT FOR THE HARD MOMENTS
• A clean-day streak that survives deleting and reinstalling the app.
• A one-tap "tough moment" button: breathe, pause, and call someone you trust — never a shortcut to unblock.
• A relapse log to see your patterns without shame.
OPTIONAL: A SPONSOR
Add a trusted person as your sponsor. They approve your unlock requests and are alerted if your protection drops — so you're not doing this alone.
HONEST ABOUT THE LIMITS
Pawl is friction, not a cage. You could still delete the app or switch off Screen Time, and Pawl says so plainly instead of pretending otherwise. The point is to turn the impulsive choice into a deliberate one. For most people, a key placed out of reach is the difference that finally sticks.
PRIVACY
Pawl blocks through Apple's Screen Time (Family Controls), which gives the app only anonymous tokens — it never sees which specific apps or sites you use. Your streak stays on your device and in your own iCloud. Signing in and adding a sponsor are optional. The right friction makes quitting possible.
FREE CORE, OPTIONAL PRO
Everything above — blocking, the security-key unlock, cooling-off, streak, the tough-moment tools — is free, and being a sponsor for someone else is always free. Pawl Pro (subscription) adds the accountability layer: linking your own sponsor who approves your unlocks and gets protection-drop alerts. $29.99/year (7-day free trial) or $3.99/month; auto-renews until cancelled. The one thing you'll need separately is a USB-C security key (FIDO2) — any standard one works.
Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy Policy: https://getpawl.com/privacy
Pawl 2.0 introduces Pawl Pro — the part you can't do alone.
— Link your own sponsor: a trusted person approves your unlocks, so the impulsive choice at 1am isn't yours alone.
— Protection-drop alerts: your sponsor is notified the moment your protection is removed or your phone goes quiet.
— Try it free for 7 days with the yearly plan.
Everything you already use stays free: blocking apps and websites, the security-key unlock, the cooling-off timer, your streak and relapse log, the tough-moment tools — and sponsoring someone else is always free.
Already had a sponsor linked before 2.0? Accountability stays free for you. You were here first.
Also in this release: support for more devices (iOS 18 and newer), plus fixes and polish.
The developer, JASON EVAN PAGE, 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:
- Contact Info
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- JASON EVAN PAGE
- Size
- 4.8 MB
- Category
- Health & Fitness
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 18.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 18.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 18.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 15.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 2.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- Pawl Pro (Monthly) $3.99
- Pawl Pro (Yearly) $29.99
- Copyright
- © 2026 Jason Page