Quick answer: If you keep dismissing a daily limit, check how it is configured and decide what you want to do before opening the app. Apple’s Screen Time provides daily allowances and scheduled downtime. FocusFirst offers a different rule: earn access through focus.
Give yourself a reason to pause.
Pair app blocking with time earned through focus, instead of relying on another daily cap.
iOS 26.1+ · Subscription or Lifetime purchase required.
Check the limit you already have
- Open Settings → Screen Time → App Limits.
- Check that the limit covers the app you actually open, and that the allowance fits your weekdays and weekends.
- Review your Screen Time passcode and blocking settings. A reminder and a restriction protected by a passcode are not the same setup.
- If you move to the same service in a browser or on another device, review those paths too.
See Apple’s iOS 26 guide to App Limits and Downtime for the available controls. Settings and labels can change between iOS versions.
Choose the kind of boundary you need
- A daily allowance: use App Limits when you want a set amount of time per day.
- A quiet part of your day: use Downtime when you want a schedule, keeping essential apps available.
- A focus habit before your feed: consider earned screen time when you want access to follow reading, studying, or a focus session.
How earned screen time works
In FocusFirst, choose the apps that can wait and the focus activities that earn time. Use your focus apps or a focus timer to build a balance. Spend that balance to unlock your chosen apps.
For example, at a 10:3 earning rate, 20 minutes of focus earns 6 minutes of screen time. The rate is yours to choose. Start with something that leaves room for both the work and the break you want.
What this does—and what you still control
FocusFirst uses Apple’s Screen Time technology to shield selected apps. It adds a focus-and-reward routine, rather than a guarantee that access can never be changed. You remain in control of the app and its permissions.
It requires iOS 26.1 or later and a subscription or Lifetime purchase. If a free daily cap already meets your needs, Apple’s built-in controls are a reasonable place to stay.
Give the blocked moment a next step
Decide what to do when a feed has to wait: open your book, answer a few practice questions, or start a focus timer. A boundary is easier to use when the next action is already clear.
Try it: FocusFirst requires a subscription or one-time Lifetime purchase — block your distracting apps, set your earning rate, and start your first focus session today. Get FocusFirst for iPhone →