Notes on screen time and focus
Practical, honest guides on spending less time doomscrolling and more time on what you meant to do.
Latest posts
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What Can a Screen Time App See? 20 Privacy Labels Checked
Apple hides your app picks from Screen Time apps. Labels declare the rest. We read 20 labels, ours too: 11 declare data used to track you.
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Sparky vs LockedIn: What a Habit Is Worth in Minutes
LockedIn pays coins at a rate it does not publish. Sparky 1.6 prints every rate and lets you change it. An honest comparison from Sparky's builder.
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Why App Blocker Limits Fire Instantly on iOS 26
An app limit that locks seconds after you set it on iOS 26 points to an open Apple bug. What Apple said, what helps, and how Sparky worked around it.
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Sparky vs Achieve: Focus Sessions or Whole-Day Habits
Achieve earns screen time from focus timers and Apple Health goals. Sparky earns it from any habit you set. An honest comparison from Sparky's builder.
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AppBlock vs BlockSite: The Comparison Neither Vendor Wrote (2026)
The top results for AppBlock vs BlockSite are the vendors reviewing themselves. Here is the neutral version, checked against both live App Store listings.
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Apps That Pay You for Screen Time: The Real Hourly Rate (2026)
Mistplay and Rewarded Play pay gift cards for time in sponsored games, not for screen time in general. The real hourly math, and why most skip the iPhone.
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Opal Alternatives for iPhone (2026): Every One Re-Checked
Nine Opal alternatives for iPhone, re-checked against live App Store listings in October 2026: real prices, one weakness each, and who should stay on Opal.
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Sparky vs Habit Doom: Photo Proof or Trust, Which Fits You
Habit Doom photo-checks habits and relocks apps at 11:59 PM. Sparky trusts your tap and banks minutes. Apple's midnight rule and prices, checked Oct 2026.
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Does Earning Screen Time Actually Work? What the Evidence Says
The research behind earned screen time: friction studies, break trials, and habit science. What the evidence supports, and where the model honestly fails.
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Sparky vs AppBlock: A Gate You Earn vs a Lock You Fight
AppBlock gives you five ways to block an app. Sparky gives you one way to unlock one: earn it. An honest look at when each model actually holds.
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Sparky vs Opal: Which Screen Time App Actually Fits You
Opal blocks your apps until a timer ends. Sparky unlocks them when you've earned it. An honest look at when each model wins.
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App Blockers vs Time Limits: Which Actually Reduces Screen Time?
Hard blocks feel strong but get disabled. Time limits feel gentle but get ignored. Here is what the research says, and a third option that outlasts both.
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Apps That Make You Earn Screen Time: The Honest 2026 Guide
Earned screen time apps gate your feeds until you finish something real: steps, pushups, or habits. How the model works, plus an honest comparison.
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How to Reduce Screen Time on iPhone (Without Hating Your Phone)
A practical, guilt-free guide to cutting iPhone screen time. Set real limits, break the doomscroll loop, and make the time you do spend intentional.
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How to Stop Doomscrolling: A Practical Guide That Respects Your Brain
Doomscrolling is a loop, not a character flaw. Learn why feeds are so hard to put down and the five changes that actually break the cycle.