Tools for Managing Screen Time and Digital Use
This is a curated list of tools designed to help with time management, focus, and mindful technology use. Some of these I have personally tried and found helpful, while others come recommended by peers or through research. I do not endorse or have affiliations with any of these products; they are simply suggestions you may wish to explore.
Everyone’s needs and habits are different, so what works well for one person may not work for another. I encourage you to experiment, share feedback on what has (or hasn’t) helped, and adapt these resources to your own circumstances.
Time & Distraction Management
Freedom – Block distracting websites and apps across devices.
Cold Turkey Blocker – Strong site/app blocker with scheduled breaks. Has a strict mode where it is impossible to turn off or uninstall. Looks like the maximum time you can set it to is a year.
RescueTime – Tracks how you spend time on devices and provides insights.
StayFocusd (Chrome extension) – Limits time spent on websites. Obvious shortcoming is the ease of uninstalling it.
Focus & Productivity
Forest – Grow a virtual tree by staying off your phone.
Pomofocus – Web-based Pomodoro timer for structured work sessions. Personally a big fan of this and I've found varying success playing around with the time intervals. Find something that suits you.
Toggl – This seems more for big collaborative projects, but no reason it can't be used as a simple time tracker for work and personal projects.
Be Focused (Mac/iOS) – Timer app with goal-setting features. I use this on Mac and it's been great to see the countdown on the top toolbar.
Phone & App Usage Controls
I'm instinctively suspicious of any software released by the same companies that make your phones. Why design something that takes people away from your own product? That being said, a good idea is to start with the lower level blocking and controls, and if that doesn't work, then move up in intensity.
iOS Screen Time – Built-in tool for setting app limits and downtime.
Android Digital Wellbeing – App timers, focus mode, and usage reports.
ActionDash – A more detailed version of Digital Wellbeing for Android.
AppDetox – Set custom rules for app usage. It looks like this has been taken off the app store.
Mindfulness & Healthy Tech Use
Personally, i think if you can meditate, then better to meditate not using technology. If you are finding that you aren't meditating unless you are using technology, then I'd say use technology as some is better than none.
Headspace – Guided meditations for focus, stress, and sleep.
Calm – Meditation and sleep stories.
Insight Timer – Free meditation app with community features.
Unplugged (iOS) – Gives you reminders to take device breaks.
Waking Up. - Have personally found this to be one of the best introductions to meditation that is serious. Comes with a daily practice that is nicely calibrated for ease of entry, whilst getting you meditating from day one. Great for the philosophy of mediation as well, and comes with courses for leisure listening.
5. Environment & Workflow Support
Noise-cancelling soundscapes (Noisli / Brain.fm) – Improve focus with background sounds. Good for study as long as there's no lyrics.
Task management apps (Todoist, Notion, Trello) – Keep tasks organized without constant digital clutter.
Minimalist launchers (Light Phone, Niagara Launcher ‧ Home Screen) – Reduce visual overload on devices. I use Android, so not sure if you can find these for Apple, though I'm sure there are good equivalents.
