12FocusUse case
An iPhone app blocker that rewards real progress.
Set a daily allowance for the apps that distract you. Completing planned actions earns extra minutes. When the allowance runs out, selected apps pause until midnight unless you earn more time. Available on iPhone and Android; Android requires Usage Access and Accessibility permissions.
Why timers don't work
Blocking by schedule doesn't connect distraction to work.
A schedule can protect a work period. A daily allowance gives you another option: decide how much time distracting apps get today, then earn extra minutes as you complete planned actions.
The deeper problem is that schedule-based blocking treats distraction as a time problem rather than a sequencing problem. It doesn't ask "have you done the important work?" — it just asks "is it past 5pm?" That's a crude lever, and it's easy to resent. A blocker connected to your real work feels fair, not punitive.
- Timer blockers block regardless of whether you've been productive or idle.
- Willpower-based blocks are easy to override the moment motivation drops.
- Schedule blocking creates friction without any connection to whether work got done.
- Try connecting extra app minutes to completed planned actions.
How 12Focus handles blocking
Your actions earn more app time.
Set a daily allowance for the apps that distract you. Completing planned actions earns extra minutes. When the allowance runs out, selected apps pause until midnight unless you earn more time. Available on iPhone and Android; Android requires Usage Access and Accessibility permissions.
Choose concrete actions that connect to your weekly goal. Mark them honestly when you finish. Each completion adds the reward you chose to your app allowance.
- Blocking is tied to daily priorities — not timers, schedules, or arbitrary rules.
- Daily priorities connect to weekly goals, so the blocked work is always the important work.
- Completed planned actions earn extra minutes for selected apps.
- Works within Apple's Screen Time system; no hacks or workarounds needed.
Set a limit. Do your thing. Earn more time.
If timers and willpower haven't worked, try blocking tied to actual completion. 12Focus connects your phone's access to your real daily priorities.