App limits don't work when you control them.

Warden blocks distracting apps and puts the unlock in someone else's hands.

Download WardenTry it now

The part that never works

You set the limit. Then you lift it.

Thirty minutes on Instagram. You meant it.

Thirty minutes later the screen goes grey, and there’s a button on it. You’re tired, it’s late, and you’re the one who gets to decide.

You tap Ignore Limit. We’ve all done it.

Screen Time

Limit reached

Instagram · 30 minutes

One more minute
Ignore Limit

Nothing here is actually stopping you.

What Warden changes

So Warden takes that button off your phone.

The plan is still yours. The one thing you hand over is the power to break it early.

  1. 01

    You choose which apps.

  2. 02

    You choose the hours.

  3. 03

    Someone you trust becomes your Warden.

  4. 04

    When you want in early, you ask them.

See it happen

Ask, and wait for the answer.

Tap the button. The request goes to Alex, who can open it, shorten it, or leave it shut. If Alex says no, or says nothing, the app stays closed.

Instagram is blocked

Until 7:00 am. Alex holds the early unlock.

There is no button that skips this.

Want both sides? Try the full two-phone demo

Willpower is easy to override. Accountability is not.

You shouldn’t have to win the same argument with yourself every night.

Real situations

What people set it for.

Doomscrolling at night. Studying without reopening Instagram. Staying off the betting apps. Keeping social media out of work hours.

A desk by a window in the morning light

For work

Keep social apps closed while you work.

Block feeds and video while the important work is still fresh.

A student reading between library shelves

For students

Keep your study time clear.

Protect a repeatable evening study window.

Someone lit by their phone in a dark room

For social media

Put the feed down when it stops being fun.

Close the feeds once the day is done, so the last hour is yours.

A game controller lit by a screen at night

For gaming

Stop the session that was going to be one match.

The lobby closes, so tomorrow is not spent recovering from tonight.

A dark bedroom with a bed and a bedside table

For sleep

Give yourself the hour before bed back.

The feeds close so the day can actually finish.

A football pitch under floodlights at night

For betting and prediction markets

Keep some room between you and the next bet.

The apps stay closed. Getting in early goes through your Warden, not through you.

Hands holding a phone open on a shopping app

For shopping

Close the app before the cart fills itself.

The shops shut for the hours most of the late-night buying happens.

A family eating a meal together

For couples and families

Put the phone away while you are together.

Put the feeds away while everyone is together.

A person walking a path through a misty forest

For wellbeing

Spend less time looking at your phone.

Let the day finish without one more refresh.

How it works

Three steps, then you’re done.

  1. 1

    Pick your apps

    Apple's own picker. The apps stay installed. Warden just holds the door.

  2. 2

    Choose your Warden

    One person: a partner, a sibling, a friend. Their setup is a minute, and free forever.

  3. 3

    Ask when you want back in

    During a block you send a request. They decide, and the timer re-locks on its own.

The full walkthrough

Before you install

The things you're about to wonder.

What if I actually need the app?
Ask your Warden. They can open it for the time you asked for, give you less, or leave it blocked. You get an answer, not a lecture.
What if my Warden doesn't reply?
You stay blocked. Silence is never treated as a yes. That's the whole point of handing the decision over.
Can I just turn Warden off?
Not in the moment. Removing an app or loosening a rule while something is locked waits 24 hours, and your Warden is told. There is always an instant emergency override for a real emergency, and it only costs you your streak.
Does my Warden see what I'm doing?
No. They see the time you asked for, your note, and how long your streak is. Not your apps, your usage, your messages, or your location.
Does it work on Android?
No. Warden is built on Apple's Screen Time framework, so you and your Warden both need an iPhone on iOS 17 or newer.

Ready to stop negotiating with yourself?

Pick your apps, invite one person, and the next time you reach for the app at the wrong hour it is not your call alone.

Download WardenI was sent a Warden link

Free to try · iPhone, iOS 17 and newer