I have been on a hunt for a while to find the best apps to limit social media time. Today is part three where we will dive into my favorites.

If you missed it:

Part One: How your phone is changing you and your brain 

Part Two: 3- step plan to save your mind 

Today we are diving into practically HOW are you going to not be controlled by distraction and your phone.

Remember the Three Steps

Step One: Downsize and Minimize- use the least amount of apps possible and follow the least amount of people possible

Step Two: Decide your screen time limit and bounddries. How much and when

Step Three: Bring in the reinforments

The reinforcements are a big one. You can set all the limits and boundaries you want but how do you actually follow those limits when those apps are just so irresistible. When you are having an overwhelming hard day and you are tired and just want to consume and numb with inputs.

Two words: APP. BLOCKERS.

In my experience, you can’t rely on willpower. You need something that takes away the option completely. I have spent quite some time experimenting with different app blockers and here are my favorites for phone and computer.

Best Apps to Limit Social Media Time

For Computer

Freedom This allows you to set limits, reminders, and blocks for websites.

Limit – Created by Freedom, it specifically sets limits for how long you can be on certain sites.

Pause – Also created by Freedom, this app makes you pause (for however long you set it for, I do 60 seconds) before you enter a website. I have found this extremely helpful in stopping subconscious website visits. When I pause and breathe for a second, I realize I don’t really need to go on that particular site.

News Feed Eradicator This completely gets rid of your entire newsfeed on Facebook so if you need to go on Facebook to post something or look for something on the marketplace or join a private group, you won’t be sucked into seeing your feed. 100% recommend so you can still post on Facebook but not get lost in it

Distraction-free youtube: Same concept as above. You can customize settings to see as little or as much as you want on youtube.

Stay Focused: This one is for the serious people out there. With the ‘nuclear’ option, Block Site does not allow you to get on whatever site you block and there is no way of getting around it. I set the nuclear option from 8 pm to 10 am and I cannot get on any websites at that time.

Youblock Origin: For blocking ads on all of the sites you visit.

For Phone

Moment – helpful to track how much time you are spending on your phone and for reminders to get off of it.

Forrest/Flora – Great when you want to get a good chunk of distraction-free work done.

Kidslox: Most app blockers for your phone are extremely easy to just hit ‘ignore’ when you have reached your limit or disable when you want to go on the apps in a time you said you didn’t. Enter -> Kidslox. This may be a little extreme, but I have found it’s been a game-changer and the one action I have made that completely defeats digital addiction.

Kidslox is meant to control and put limits on your kid’s devices, but I also use it to put limits and control how much time and what times I can use certain apps on MY phone.

I installed this app on my husband’s phone and set the time limits for each app and what times I can use the apps on my phone. Now I cannot go on distracting apps like Instagram or youtube (my personal kryptonite) in the morning or at night at all and I can only be on them for a certain time limit each day before they get disabled.  I can’t just hit ignore or disable it, once I’ve hit my limit, it’s done for the day.

If we want to get our minds back, we need to be extreme and set extreme boundaries and limits. We can’t do what everyone else considers ‘normal’ checking their phone 10+ times a day.

UPDATE! Screen Time on iPhone: I have never found this feature useful because when your time limit is up, you can easily hit ‘ignore’ and go right back to what you were doing. I found a solution! Within the app, there is a place where you can set a passcode you have to enter once your time is up. Let someone else set a password that you don’t know so when your limit is up, you can’t ignore it without that password! This takes the work out of having to install another app.

For example, my ‘downtime’ is from 8 pm to 10 am and my limits for social media apps are 20 minutes.

Powerful Experiment to Try

  1. If you have an iPhone, go to settings -> Screen Time
  2. Set your Downtime
  3. Set your App. Limits
  4. Hit “use screen time passcode”
  5. Have someone else create a password only they know
  6. Done! Now when your time is up or you are outside of your downtime hours, you can’t use your phone!

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One Comment

  • Hope

    I have less than 15 people I follow on Instagram. However, I have an information addition. Big time. Thanks so much for this series. Super helpful.

    Reply