Apps that lock your apps until you do something

An app that locks apps until you do push-ups, walk or read turns screen time into something you earn. Instead of a timer that runs out or a limit you can tap past, the feed opens only after you have done a small thing you wanted to do anyway. That one change makes the habit you want the easy way back into your phone.

We make ReadFirst, so we are not neutral. We checked every fact about the other apps on their US App Store pages and websites on 20 October 2026, and we list each app's real strengths.

The apps at a glance

ReadFirst (our app): read a page to open your apps

ReadFirst locks the apps you choose until you read a page of a printed book. You pick apps and websites in Apple Screen Time, and when you open one you see "This page can wait." Read, take a live photo of the last page you read, and your apps open for the minutes your rule gives. Learn how read to unlock works.

You set the exchange rate: for example, one page gives you 15 minutes. Those minutes only run while you use the locked apps. Read more than the rule asks and the extra minutes go into a bank for later that day, up to 5 hours, and the read-ahead bank empties at midnight.

The page is checked on your iPhone or iPad. Photos of screens are rejected, a page you have shown before does not count twice and the photo is never saved. ReadFirst is also a full reading tracker, with a shelf, a daily page goal, a streak, widgets and 60 reading medals. It works with printed books only, on iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 or later. There is no free tier.

Best for: adults who want to scroll less and finish more books.

Steppin: walk to earn screen time

Steppin blocks the apps you choose until you earn minutes by walking. In its own words: "Earn 1 minute of screen time for every 100 steps or customize your goals to fit your lifestyle." It uses your iPhone's step counter and integrates with Apple Health.

Steppin is free, and its May update made its former Pro features free for everyone. It runs on iPhone with iOS 18.6 or later. It is the closest idea to ReadFirst in this list, with steps instead of pages; we compare them in Steppin vs ReadFirst.

Best for: people who sit most of the day and want walking to be the way back into their apps.

PushUp Time: do push-ups to unlock apps

PushUp Time is an app that locks apps until you do push-ups, squats or sit-ups. The App Store page says "On-device AI counts your reps," and an unlock lasts from 15 to 120 minutes.

It is free to download with in-app purchases. Its description names $12.99 a month and $29.99 a year, and the store lists several other tiers.

Best for: people who want a quick burst of exercise before every scroll.

Jomo: earn screen time with routines

Jomo is a Screen Time blocker for apps, categories and websites, with routines that let you earn screen time by completing habits, such as making your bed or going for a run. Its locks can block apps continuously, limit opens per day or require an exercise before unlocking, and Strict Mode keeps your rules in place for a set number of days.

Jomo Plus costs $5.99 a month or $29.99 a year, as listed on the US App Store on 20 October 2026. It runs on iPhone, Mac and Apple Vision.

Best for: people who want flexible rules and many different habits, not one.

ClearSpace: a breath, and push-ups for minutes

ClearSpace adds a moment of choice before the apps you select: "proceed after a deep breath or opt out?" It also offers session limits, schedules, challenges and accountability partners. Its launch post on Y Combinator describes a mode where "every pushup you do earns a minute of scrolling, which you can use now or save for later." The current store description centers on the breath, so check the app for what is offered today.

Premium costs $6.99 a month or from $44.99 a year on the US App Store. Read our ClearSpace comparison for more.

Best for: people who want a gentle pause plus friends who keep them honest.

Another Page and other read-to-unlock apps

Another Page also asks you to read before your apps open, but in a different way. You read public-domain classics in its built-in reader and finish your goal on the reading screen; Premium imports your own e-books. There is a free tier that blocks up to 3 apps, and paid plans cost $4.99 a month or $19.99 a year. It runs on iPhone and iPad.

Several other apps also unlock your apps after reading, some with an e-reader and some with a scan of a printed page plus a quiz question. We compare them in read-to-unlock apps.

Best for: people who like to read e-books or free classics on their phone.

How to pick the right one

Pick the habit, then the app. The activity you choose is the one you will do most, so choose something you want more of.

• You want to move more: Steppin, or PushUp Time if you prefer short, hard sets.
• You want many small habits: Jomo.
• You want a gentle pause: ClearSpace.
• You want to read more printed books: ReadFirst.
• You read on your phone: Another Page.

You can also combine two of them. For example, let Steppin guard the apps you open on the go and ReadFirst guard the ones you scroll in bed. Give each app its own set of locked apps.

How we compared

We read each app's US App Store page and, where one exists, its official website on 20 October 2026. Prices are as listed on the US App Store that day; where a store lists several prices for the same plan, we name the headline price or write "from". We did not count ratings or rank the apps by them. For ReadFirst, every fact comes from the app itself.