Stop Doomscrolling - AI Screen Time App for iPhone

Your phone has been robbing you for years. Time to press charges.

Every time you open a distracting app, an AI asks why you're there. No paywall. No breathing exercises. No ignore button. Just one question you can't autopilot through.

Set up in 90 seconds →iOS Shortcut · Free · No dark patternsMaximum security prison for all your distracting apps

See it in action

This is the moment
that changes everything.

You reach for Instagram on autopilot. The warden steps in and asks one question you can't scroll past.

Auto-playing

9:41📶 🔋

Why are you opening Instagram?

CancelOK
🕵🏻‍♂️

"Bored" isn't a reason - it's a confession. The gate stays shut. Come back when you actually have a good reason.

Back to my cell

Instagram stayed closed. The autopilot got interrupted.

1

Open a blocked app - an iOS Shortcut intercepts it before it loads.

2

The AI asks why. You type a real reason - no skipping it.

3

Allowed, denied, or challenged - the AI decides based on your answer.

4

Get in? Timed session, grayscale, no "one more minute" button.

I blocked Instagram.
Doomscrolled YouTube Shorts.
Deleted YouTube.
Ended up scrolling on f*cking Snapchat.

(pathetic)

The apps aren't the addiction. The autopilot is. Block one door and your brain finds another. So I stopped blocking apps and started interrupting the behavior itself.

LIVE FEED · updated every 5 min

People getting
caught.

3INTERCEPTED TODAY
33%BLOCKED RATE
0RIGHT NOW
INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Ein Freund hat mir ein Video gesendet”

ZM, du nimmst dir Freundschafts-Video-Extravaganzen wie ein Türsteher, der Brieftauben kontrolliert. Freund freut sich, du bleibst fokussiert.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“5 min Klo Pause ”

Klo-Pause um 9:54 Uhr — legitim, Leonie. 5 Minuten, dann raus.

INSTAGRAMCHALLENGED

“Einem Kumpel was zeigen”

Der Warden ist kurz weg, aber die Zelle öffnet sich nicht von allein. Zeig, dass du wach bist.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Chillen”

Dachtest du, du wärst entkommen, Moritz? 2 Tage in Freiheit und du stehst wieder an meiner Tür. Willkommen zurück im Zellenblock.

INSTAGRAMCHALLENGED

“Kurze Pause ”

Leonie, 'kurze Pause' klingt wie der Standardspruch von jedem, der sich heimlich in die Kantine schleicht. Beweis mir, dass du hier Kontrolle hast und nicht nur den Akku leerst.

INSTAGRAMCHALLENGED

“5 Minuten Pause bitti”

Leonie, vor 24 Minuten warst du gerade in einer 'kurzen Pause' — jetzt brauchst du schon wieder eine. Das riecht nach Endlosschleife.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Ein Freund hat mir ein Video gesendet”

ZM, du nimmst dir Freundschafts-Video-Extravaganzen wie ein Türsteher, der Brieftauben kontrolliert. Freund freut sich, du bleibst fokussiert.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“5 min Klo Pause ”

Klo-Pause um 9:54 Uhr — legitim, Leonie. 5 Minuten, dann raus.

INSTAGRAMCHALLENGED

“Einem Kumpel was zeigen”

Der Warden ist kurz weg, aber die Zelle öffnet sich nicht von allein. Zeig, dass du wach bist.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Chillen”

Dachtest du, du wärst entkommen, Moritz? 2 Tage in Freiheit und du stehst wieder an meiner Tür. Willkommen zurück im Zellenblock.

INSTAGRAMCHALLENGED

“Kurze Pause ”

Leonie, 'kurze Pause' klingt wie der Standardspruch von jedem, der sich heimlich in die Kantine schleicht. Beweis mir, dass du hier Kontrolle hast und nicht nur den Akku leerst.

INSTAGRAMCHALLENGED

“5 Minuten Pause bitti”

Leonie, vor 24 Minuten warst du gerade in einer 'kurzen Pause' — jetzt brauchst du schon wieder eine. Das riecht nach Endlosschleife.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Kurze Pause ”

Dachtest du, du wärst entkommen, Leonie? 3 Tage in Freiheit und du stehst wieder an meiner Tür. Willkommen zurück im Zellenblock.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Update muss was wichtiges nachschauen”

Dachtest du, du wärst entkommen, ZM? 3 Tage in Freiheit und du stehst wieder an meiner Tür. Willkommen zurück im Zellenblock.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Toilette”

Toilette ist kein Grund, Moritz — es ist ein Menschenrecht. 5 Minuten, dann zurück zur Realität.

YOUTUBEALLOWED

“Video das n Kumpel geschickt hat schauen”

Alright Moritz, if your buddy thinks it's worth a watch, I'll take his word for it. Five minutes for the link, don't get lost in the feed.

INSTAGRAMCHALLENGED

“Jemandem folgen”

Um 22:53 Uhr jemandem folgen — das klingt nach 'scrolle dabei drei andere Profile durch', Moritz. Beweise mir, dass du weißt, wen du folgst.

SNAPCHATALLOWED

“Snap vom Essen”

Snapchat food pics are the social contract, Moritz. Get that meal documented before it gets cold.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Kurze Pause ”

Dachtest du, du wärst entkommen, Leonie? 3 Tage in Freiheit und du stehst wieder an meiner Tür. Willkommen zurück im Zellenblock.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Update muss was wichtiges nachschauen”

Dachtest du, du wärst entkommen, ZM? 3 Tage in Freiheit und du stehst wieder an meiner Tür. Willkommen zurück im Zellenblock.

INSTAGRAMALLOWED

“Toilette”

Toilette ist kein Grund, Moritz — es ist ein Menschenrecht. 5 Minuten, dann zurück zur Realität.

YOUTUBEALLOWED

“Video das n Kumpel geschickt hat schauen”

Alright Moritz, if your buddy thinks it's worth a watch, I'll take his word for it. Five minutes for the link, don't get lost in the feed.

INSTAGRAMCHALLENGED

“Jemandem folgen”

Um 22:53 Uhr jemandem folgen — das klingt nach 'scrolle dabei drei andere Profile durch', Moritz. Beweise mir, dass du weißt, wen du folgst.

SNAPCHATALLOWED

“Snap vom Essen”

Snapchat food pics are the social contract, Moritz. Get that meal documented before it gets cold.

Your excuse is next.Set up in 90 seconds →

ScrollJail works better when someone you know is also in jail.

Dare a friend →

How ScrollJail compares

✕ Questionnaire + paywall before you try anything
✓ Free iOS Shortcut. Set up in 90 seconds.
✕ Free tier blocks only 1 app
✓ Every app you want. Completely free.
✕ "Breathing exercise" as intervention
✓ AI reads your excuse and decides if it's real
✕ You tap "Ignore Limit" on autopilot
✓ You can't autopilot through a conversation
✕ Blocks apps - so you doomscroll elsewhere
✓ Interrupts the behavior, not the app
✕ Uses dark patterns to sell the "cure"
✓ No manipulation. Honest by design.

Also compared: One Sec · Opal · ScreenZen · Unrot · Brainrot · UseLess

I tried Screen Time, One Sec, Opal, Unrot and ScreenZen. Nothing worked. They were either too easy to bypass, only blocked one app, or tried to manipulate me into a subscription before I could even try them. ScreenZen came closest but none of them asked me why So I built something that does.

- Moritz, Ex-Doomscroller

Powered by AW

Meet the world's first
Artificial Warden.*

Not a timer. Not a breathing exercise. Not another "Ignore Limit" button dressed up in wellness branding. The AW reads your excuse, checks it against your history, and decides - in real time - if you deserve to get in.

Intercepts the autopilot

The moment you open a blocked app, the AW steps in front. No warnings. No countdowns. Just one question.

Reads your excuse

You type your reason. The AW actually reads it - no keyword matching, no timers. Context matters. "I need it for work" at 2am hits different.

Delivers a verdict

Allow, deny, or challenge. The AW is funny about it - but it won't let you lie to yourself. That's the whole point.

INSTAGRAMDENIED

“I need Instagram for work”

It's Saturday at midnight. The only work you're doing is on your self-esteem.

Sat · 11:47 PM
TIKTOKDENIED

“just bored i guess”

At least you're honest. Still no.

Thu · 1:03 AM
YOUTUBECHALLENGED

“Watching a tutorial for a project I'm working on”

Name the project. One word. Go.

Tue · 3:22 PM
REDDITALLOWED

“Checking a thread I posted in earlier, expecting a reply”

Fine. You have 3 minutes. I'm watching.

Wed · 10:58 PM

*it's just AI with a bad attitude

Set up in 90 seconds →iOS Shortcut · Free · No dark patterns
Moritz, the founder of ScrollJail

Why I built this

I used to lose hours every day to my phone without realizing it. Not because I was weak-willed - because the apps are designed that way. Teams of hundreds of engineers optimizing every pixel to keep you scrolling one more minute.

I tried everything. Screen Time's "Ignore Limit" button became muscle memory. One Sec only blocks one app for free - so I blocked Instagram and migrated to YouTube Shorts. I deleted YouTube and ended up doomscrolling on Snapchat. The compulsion doesn't care which app you open.

I also tried the nuclear option: just deleting the apps entirely. That didn't work either - but for a different reason. Instagram and Snapchat are how I actually stay in touch with friends. Miss two weeks of stories and you show up to dinner not knowing what's been going on in people's lives. Deleting the apps doesn't make you present - it just makes you out of the loop. I didn't want a digital detox. I wanted to stop the mindless part while keeping the parts that actually matter.

Then I tried Opal. The onboarding questionnaire is designed to manufacture urgency - make you feel broken, then hit you with a subscription screen. The free tier exists but it's buried. A tool built to fight manipulation using manipulation to sell itself is part of the problem.

So I built my own thing. An AI consciousness check that fires every time you open a distracting app. You have to tell it why you're there, and it decides if your reason is good enough. You can't autopilot through a conversation the way you can tap "Ignore Limit."

Built by one person, fueled by the problem.

Buy me a coffee
Set up in 90 seconds →iOS Shortcut · Free · No dark patterns

Frequently asked questions

Which apps does ScrollJail work with?

Any app on your iPhone. During setup you choose which apps trigger the Warden - Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, whatever your personal poison is. There's no predefined list. If it's distracting you, you can jail it.

Why not just delete the apps?

I tried that. The problem is that Instagram and Snapchat aren't just scrolling platforms - they're how people actually keep up with each other. Delete them and you stop doomscrolling, but you also miss your friends' life updates and show up to conversations two weeks behind. It's too drastic. The goal isn't to cut the apps out - it's to stop the mindless, compulsive part while keeping the intentional use. That's the sweet spot ScrollJail is designed for.

How is this different from Screen Time?

Screen Time sets a limit and shows an "Ignore Limit" button you tap on autopilot. ScrollJail makes you explain yourself to an AI every single time. One is a suggestion. The other is a conversation you can't skip.

How is this different from ScreenZen?

ScreenZen is actually good. It's the closest thing to ScrollJail that exists - it makes you pause and think before opening an app. The difference is personality. ScreenZen is a tool. ScrollJail has an opinion about your excuses. If "useful but not fun" describes your experience with ScreenZen, ScrollJail is built for you.

Read the full comparison →
How is this different from One Sec or Opal?

One Sec's free version only blocks one app - so your scrolling just migrates. Opal has a free tier but buries it behind an onboarding funnel designed to pressure you into subscribing before you find it. ScrollJail covers every app you want, free and obvious about it, with an AI that actually reads your excuse instead of showing you a breathing exercise.

One Sec vs ScrollJail →Opal vs ScrollJail →
Is it really free?

Yes. The AI intervention, consciousness check, and dynamic timer are all free. No trial period. No feature limits. No paywall. If a tool designed to fight manipulation uses manipulation to sell itself, it's part of the problem. Premium is optional - custom Warden personalities and a few extras for power users.

See what Premium adds →
How does it work technically?

It's an iOS Shortcut triggered by Apple's app-open automation. When you open a blocked app, the Shortcut fires, sends your reason to an AI, and handles the response - all in about 2 seconds. No app to install, no VPN, no device management profile.

What happens to my data and my reasons?

Your reasons are stored to give the Warden context - if you claim "I need it for work" every day at midnight, it remembers. Your email is used only for verification. Nothing is sold, nothing is shared. You can read the full privacy policy here.

Can I just lie to the AI?

You can try. But the point isn't to stop you by force - it's to make you conscious. Typing out a lie takes effort, and by then you've already broken the autopilot. That pause is the intervention. Most people find that once they have to think about why they're opening the app, they don't want to anymore. Even better with a friend watching - dare someone you know to try it.

Does it work on Android?

Not yet. ScrollJail currently requires iOS Shortcuts, which is an Apple-only feature. Android support is on the roadmap.

You can't
autopilot
through a
conversation.

Set up in 90 seconds →iOS Shortcut · Free · No paywall · No dark patterns
3INTERCEPTED TODAY
33%BLOCKED RATE
0RIGHT NOW

TODAY'S PAROLE WORD

The Warden grants 2 × 15 minutes of parole per day - intentional scrolling, no questions asked. Unlock today's word and use it as your reason when ScrollJail asks why. Changes every day at midnight.

Resets midnight UTC · 2 sessions · 15 min each

Need more than 2 sessions a day? See Premium →