Sphinx: Screen Time Puzzles

Brain puzzle app blocker

Only for iPhone

Free · In‑App Purchases

iPhone

Doom scrolling again? Lock the apps that eat your time. Want back in? Solve a brain puzzle first. 7-day free trial on the yearly plan. Most app blockers ask you to have willpower. Sphinx asks you to have two minutes and a working brain. Lock the apps that eat your evening. When you want back in, you don't tap "ignore" — you solve a brain puzzle. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps you want locked, and choose how long the lock lasts. 2. Open one of them and you hit the Sphinx shield instead. 3. Solve a puzzle to buy back five minutes. Solve more for longer. EACH UNLOCK COSTS MORE THAN THE LAST The first unlock in a lock window costs one puzzle. The second costs two. The third costs three. After that, you wait until the window ends. The price is on screen before you commit, so a long session never feels free. PUZZLES, NOT TIMERS • 2,499 mate-in-one chess puzzles, every one verified solvable • Number pattern puzzles if chess isn't your thing • Everything is solved on device, so no connection is needed NO ESCAPE HATCH There is no "just this once" button, no snooze, no early exit. A lock window runs until it ends. Apps inside one can't even be removed from your list until it does. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Sphinx never learns which apps you locked. Your selection is handled entirely by Apple's Screen Time framework and stays on your device. No account, no sign-up, no tracking. LIGHT AND DARK Pick either, or follow your phone. — Sphinx uses Apple's Screen Time permission to lock and unlock the apps you choose. It cannot see your activity in those apps, and it cannot see which apps you selected. Sphinx Pro is an auto-renewable subscription: $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year. The yearly plan includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers; unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the trial ends, the yearly subscription begins automatically. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in Settings on your device. Privacy Policy: https://kevinnguyen2321.github.io/sphinx-privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Ratings & Reviews

  • 5.0
    out of 5
    1 Ratings

Improvements to the App Store listing.

Version 1.3

The developer, Kevin Nguyen, 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:

    • Purchases
    • 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
Kevin Nguyen
Size
10.8 MB
Category
Productivity
Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
  • iPhone
    Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
Languages
English
Age Rating
4+
In-App Purchases
Yes
Copyright
© 2026 Kevin Nguyen
  • Privacy Policy

    • More by Kevin Nguyen

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