Automatically block distracting apps until you finish your habits.
Do the thing, then scroll. Habits First is the most effective way to reduce your screen time - distracting apps stay blocked until your habits are done for the day.
No accounts required and no subscriptions, forever. Willpower shouldn’t cost a monthly fee.
HABITS SUPPORTED
- Walk 10,000 steps, or any number you like
- Work out 45 minutes - integrates with Apple Watch, WHOOP, Garmin, Oura, or any tracker
- Meditate 10 minutes, from Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, or any meditation app
- Use an app you pick: read or use Duolingo for 20 minutes
- Built in Pomodoro timer or manual habit check off
- Review your Anki flashcards (Habits Pro)
- Listen or read books on Audiobookshelf (Habits Pro)
- Finish a game on Chess.com (Habits Pro)
- Apple Shortcuts automations (Habits Pro)
- More coming
A block can ask for one habit, all of them, or any two of three.
HOW IT WORKS
Habits are automatically tracked via integrations such as with Apple Health. Apps you select are blocked until you finish your habits. When you're done, open the app to
activate your unlock.
WHY IT WORKS
The idea is based off the Premack Principle - things you do often can help reinforce things that you do rarely. By habit stacking a difficult habit before an app you often use,
you also hijack the addictive nature of distracting apps and turn that motivation towards your daily habits.
WHEN IT APPLIES
All day until your habits are done, on a schedule, only in certain places, or near a device you pick. Habits First helps you wake up into a calm phone screen, only unlocked
after you finish your most important habits of the day.
PRICING
This app will never have a subscription fee. The core app is free forever: Apple Health goals, app timers, schedules, places, commitment locks, widgets, and as many blocks
as you like. One small one-time purchase adds the extra integrations. More will be added in the future (feel free to request them
SYNCING
You can make an account if you would like to sync your habits and blocks across devices. This is not required.
Created by @reysu on YouTube
Saw this app from Reysu, someone who I have loved watching since his first channel, and I have to say that this is a game changing app. His thoughts and principles have always been something I agreed with and seeing those implemented in the best screen-time app I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot) was amazing. All in all, it is an essential app to try if you’re trying to implement habits well. The only possible improvement (and this is frankly nitpicky) would be for apps that are blocked and only accessible after using an app for X number of minutes to be only be blocked in a specific timeframe so that I could use it whenever during the day but at night, when I can actually do the habit, it would then lock it until I used my reading app. Also, potentially making it so the bluetooth devices zone could block the apps and only be unblocked when out of their range, instead of vice versa like how it is currently. Great work though!!
Finally an app I couldn’t find a way around
Joel_0801
I feel like I’ve tried every screen time app there is and I always ended up finding some way around it, which kind of defeats the whole purpose. I’ve done phone lock boxes, I’ve given my friends and family the passcode to my screen time so I couldn’t get to it, and I still found ways to bypass it. Honestly it got pretty bad and I kind of assumed nothing was going to work.This app is different, I mean the developer must’ve been in the same spot as me because there are so many features that are exactly what I needed. The fact that I can’t delete it is insane to me. That was my first reaction to every other app, well none of this matters because I can just delete the thing that’s blocking me, and this one closes that off completely.The part I think is actually the coolest is that the apps aren’t just gone. It’s not like the lock box where my whole phone is unusable, and it’s not like handing off a passcode where I have no access at all. I can still get into everything I block, I just have to do certain things first. That little difference of it actually being available but only after I do something I’ve realized is soooo helpful.I’m going to email you because I have some ideas I think would make it even better, but it’s already so good. Really cool app, thank you!!
Good app but need some updates
soctain
I’ve been following Reysu for some time now on YT and once he dropped this app I knew it was gonna be good and the idea really resonated with me. My biggest problems with the app is that you need to pay for custom shortcuts but it wasn’t explained that I needed to create an Apple shortcut for habits first to recognize that I completed the task to unlock social media time for example. Is there any easy way for habits first to recognize that you completed that task other than you going into Apple shortcuts and selecting the automation which triggers that you completed that task and unlocked social media time for example? I believe that custom shortcuts should have been made available in the free version but I purchased Pro version to unlock this. Also, the screen insights they are only for the phone right? I tried contacting you via email on YT and io to no response. I just wish there was an easier way maybe for the app to recognize that you completed a task other than going into Apple shortcuts and clicking
Developer Response
In the next version you will be able to manually track habits or even track time spent doing real life tasks. I'm working as fast as I can and testing everything, it should be out shortly!
Too much identity tracking
Ruth babycakes
UPDATE: Thank you for your response Eric and for keeping my privacy safe! Updated to 5 stars. Peace. Original comment: I always check to see how much of my data is being utilized when I download an app — when the developer has chosen not to track me in any way, I love it and have a lot of respect for them. When it’s something in between, like they track data but it won’t be linked to my identity, I can deal. In the case of this app, it looks like you’ve chosen to just take everything. This might be in the nature of the app itself, since it depends on enabling the app to have access to other iOS tracking apps like Health. But I would love to confirm that my data isn’t being sold or otherwise used for advertising etc. Thanks so much and cheers on creating something like this and offering it for free, it’s super rad even if I have these qualms.
Developer Response
Your data is not going to be sold or used for advertising in any way, I'm not ever going to sell ads or sell the app. The data disclaimers are purely for syncing between devices. You can use the account completely anonymously and offline. Creating an account also does not identify you in any way if you use an alternate e-mail address, I don't even ask you for your name.
New features
- You can now customize a unique username in the accounts page.
- You can now block custom domains/websites in Safari.
- Small animation improvement after you click start on the welcome page
- Widget View Settings now lets you customize the other lockscreen and homescreen widget types
- The 4-habit widget can hide its titles, and the grid takes the room: about five more days per row
Fixes
- Fixed bug where you would see the welcome screen again
- Fix daily average calculated incorrectly
- A suggestion brings your archived habit back, history and all, instead of making a second one
- Fixed issue with changing the device clock or timezone
- Sync behavior improved without waking every device on the account
- A Shortcut that meets a goal opens the block right away
- Fixed Lock Screen notification not readable on a light Lock Screen
- Anki habit's late-night reviews land on Anki's day instead of showing on two days
Version 2.2
The developer, Eric Su, 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
Location
Contact Info
User Content
Identifiers
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Usage Data
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Eric Su
Size
16.7 MB
Category
Productivity
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.
Location
This app may use your location even when it isn’t open, which can decrease device battery life.
