IRL: Take Your Time Back
Lock your phone. Earn back.
Only for iPhone
Free · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPhone. Not verified for macOS.
iPhone
Lock the apps that pull you in. Real Screen Time shielding, real off-phone proof, real friends keeping you honest. Hit your goal 6 of 7 days — next month is free.
Take your time back. Take your power back.
IRL locks the apps that pull you in for real focus sessions, tracks your phone habits over time, and turns being off your phone into a social flex. Hit your daily goal six of seven days — phone genuinely locked, no slips — and IRL becomes free.
The flex isn't your screen time. It's how little of it you have.
WHAT MAKES IRL DIFFERENT
- Real shielding, not just a timer. IRL uses Apple's Family Controls to block the apps you choose during a session. iOS shows a shield screen when you reach for them.
- What still gets through, in plain sight. Calls, texts, Maps, your lifelines, and Emergency SOS are never blocked.
- Sit with the urge. Tap "I need out" and IRL gives you a 15-second cooldown before the session ends — long enough for the craving to pass.
- Real friends, real accountability. Add friends by handle or contacts (numbers hashed locally — we never see them). See who's locked in right now. React to each other's sessions. Schedule squad sessions where you all lock in together.
- "What did you do instead?" After a session, post one line about the real-life thing you did. Friends see it. Celebrates the moment, not the absence.
- Solo mode. Some people want the social pressure. Others are doing this for themselves. Both work. Flip Solo mode in Settings and you're invisible to everyone, your data stays yours.
- The science, cited. Every claim links to a real study — Brain Drain (UChicago), notification attention costs (PLOS), the PNAS Nexus mobile-internet blocking trial, NIH sleep research.
EARN IT FREE — HONESTLY
Hit your daily goal six of seven days, phone genuinely locked, no slips, and we credit your next subscription period back via Apple. The only people who pay are the people who don't use it.
To keep the promise honest, you pick a sleep window of at least 8 hours in onboarding. Sessions started during sleep don't count. We need to know it was a real choice, not a phone on a nightstand.
PRIVACY YOU CAN VERIFY
- We never see which apps you chose to shield. iOS keeps them private.
- We never see your real phone number. Contact matches are SHA-256 hashed on your device before anything is sent.
- We never sell, share, rent, or advertise against your data. No third-party trackers. No IDFA.
- Every social toggle is enforced server-side. Off means off.
- Delete your account from inside the app at any time. Permanent.
SUBSCRIPTION
- Monthly: $4.99 with 3-day free trial
- Yearly: $39.99 with 7-day free trial (saves 33%)
- Cancel anytime in iOS Settings, Apple ID, Subscriptions
- Earn it free credits future periods via Apple's subscription extension API
Privacy: irl.app/privacy
Terms: irl.app/terms
Support: hi@irl.app
Fixes the core of the app.
• App blocking now actually engages. A bug meant IRL forgot it had Screen Time permission every time you reopened it, so locking in timed you without blocking anything.
• The timer no longer pauses while you're in another app. Your session now runs on real elapsed time.
• Slip counting is accurate. Pulling down Control Center or glancing at a notification no longer counts as leaving.
• If a session can't be shielded for any reason, IRL now tells you instead of implying you're protected.
The developer, Nathaniel Kramer, 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 Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Contact Info
- User Content
- Usage Data
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Nathaniel Kramer
- Size
- 3.5 MB
- Category
- Productivity
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 17.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 14.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
9+
- 9+
- Contains
User-Generated Content
Health or Wellness Topics
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- IRL Plus Yearly $39.99
- IRL Plus Monthly $4.99
- Copyright
- © 2026 IRL: Take Your Time Back LLC