How can you stop checking your phone while working?
Give the next work or study block a clear end, and make the apps that pull you away less available during that block. Scheduled app blocking adds a boundary without blocking your phone all day.
- 1.
Choose one next task
Set a realistic block instead of committing to an uninterrupted whole day.
- 2.
Pick the apps that pull you away
With Screen Time permission, use Apple’s picker to select apps or categories.
- 3.
Choose Monitor or Lock
Monitor counts distracted minutes during a running block. Lock shields your selected apps during blocks you explicitly mark locked.
- 4.
Check deliberately between blocks
Give messages or social media a separate moment after the block, rather than an open invitation throughout it.
How HourTrue handles this
HourTrue uses Apple’s Screen Time framework to apply shields during locked blocks; apps become available again when the block ends.
Counting happens on the iPhone. HourTrue receives totals, not app names, messages, browsing, or activity. You can disable focus tracking entirely.
Questions
- Does HourTrue block apps all day?
- No. It shields chosen apps only during blocks you explicitly mark locked.
- Can I track distraction without blocking apps?
- Yes. Monitor mode counts distracted minutes during running blocks without shielding apps.
- Can HourTrue read my messages or browsing?
- No. Screen Time counting stays on your iPhone and HourTrue receives only totals.
- Will this guarantee fewer phone checks?
- No. A scheduled boundary can support your intention, but HourTrue does not promise a particular screen-time reduction.