Habits First

How it works

Three decisions, then it runs itself.

First

Pick the apps

Whatever you reach for without deciding to. They get a lock screen instead of a feed.

Then

Pick what earns them

A walk, a workout, minutes read, cards reviewed. You pick which, and you pick the number.

After that

Spend it when you choose

Hitting the goal banks an unlock. It waits until you decide to use it, not the moment you qualify.

Why it works

The pull is already there. Point it at something.

You are not going to stop wanting the apps. Habits First does not try to make you want them less. It puts them behind the walk, or the workout, or the fifty flashcards, so the pull you feel anyway starts doing the work.

Screen Time

Daily Average, per app user

TikTok 1h 37m

YouTube ~1h 25m

Instagram 1h 13m

X 31m

Per-user daily averages, from DataReportal's Digital 2026 report. You could be spending this time on what you said you would.

The old name for it

Psychologists call it the Premack principle: a thing you do often can reinforce a thing you rarely do.

Why willpower is not the plan

Deciding costs something every time. A block decides once, in advance, while you are thinking clearly, and holds when you are not.

What earns them

Ten thousand steps. Fifty flashcards. Your call.

Set the number wherever you like. A block can ask for one of these, all of them, or any two of three.

Walk 10,000 stepsApple Health

Work out for 45 minutesSyncs with Apple Watch, WHOOP, Oura Ring, Garmin, or any fitness tracker

Meditate for 10 minutesApple Health, from Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, or any meditation app

Use Books for 20 minutesAny app you pick

Review 50 Anki cardsLog in with Anki, syncs automatically Pro

Listen to an audiobook for 30 minutesAudiobookshelf integration, perfect for catching up on audiobooks or immersion Pro

When it applies

All day, or only where it matters.

Always

The block stands until you have earned your way past it.

On a schedule

Blocked during your hours, or free only during them. Both directions work.

In a place

Locked at home, open at your desk. Or the other way round.

Near a device

Wakes up when you are close to a speaker, a monitor, or your car stereo.

When you mean it

A lock you cannot talk yourself out of.

Set a block to hold for a day, a week, or a year, and no password opens it early. That is the point. When the resolve is strong, you can add another day to it, and only ever another day.

Five emergency unlocks exist for the day you genuinely need one. They never refill.

While locked

You can rename a block and add apps to it. You cannot remove apps, lower a goal, or switch it off. Edits only ever tighten.

Prevent app deletion

A one-way switch. Flip it and deleting apps, including this one, is blocked on your device permanently. No password, no way back. For people who know their 2am self.

Pricing

Pay once, or never.

Core

Free forever

Apple Health integration, for steps, workouts and meditation
Schedules, places and nearby devices
Commitment locks and widgets
As many blocks as you like

Habits Pro

$10 one time

Anki, log in and it syncs automatically
Audiobookshelf listening and reading
Apple Shortcuts, for everything else
More integrations coming soon

No subscriptions.

Compared

Most blockers charge yearly to make you wait.

The going mechanisms are timers, schedules, and friction: the apps come back when enough time has passed. Here they come back when you have done something.

	Habits First	Opal	Brick
Price	Free. $10 one time for optional features	$99.99 a year, or $399 lifetime	$59 for the brick
Subscription	Never	$19.99 a month	None
Scheduled blocks	Yes	Yes	Yes
Blocks by location	Yes	No	No
Blocks by proximity	Any nearby device	No	The brick itself
Blocks by condition	Steps, workouts, reading, Anki cards	No	No
Extra hardware	None	None	The brick, which you must not lose

Prices as listed in August 2026.

Do the thing. Then scroll.

Free to start. Nothing to cancel.

Download on the App Store

Earn your apps back. Earn yur apps back.