Screen time, earned
Replace doomscrollingwith time you earned.
Your distracting apps stay locked. Focus earns you time on them, at a rate you choose, spent whenever you like.
Hours slip into your screen every day. What if you had to earn them, and spent them on things that made you proud?
So what if every minute had to be earned?
This is your Time Card.
Every focused minute is punched onto it. Every minute on your apps is paid from it.
How it works
Four moments. That is the whole system.
- 01
Start a focus session and your minutes start earning.
Flip your phone face-down on the desk, or keep Screenwage open. Every verified minute pours sand into your glass.
- 02
Pick your phone up and earning pauses, not your progress.
Motion is noticed the moment it happens, with a loud nudge to put it back. Your earned minutes are never taken away.
- 03
Spend what you earned on the apps you locked.
Unlock for exactly as long as you can afford, inside a daily budget you set. Lock early and the rest comes back.
- 04
Card at zero? Your apps stay locked until you earn more.
No snooze, no "just five more minutes". The only way in is the time you have already put in.
When you open a locked app
It says the same thing every time.
No countdown to wait out, no “ignore for today” button to teach yourself to tap. Just what you have, and the choice to spend it.
Earn it first
Instagram is part of your locked set.24 min available
The currency
Your Time Card is how you pay for screen time.
- You set the rate
From 3 grains a focused minute to 1 grain for 4. Verified by your phone; pauses and pick-ups never count.
- Nothing expires
A good Sunday pays for a busy Monday. Your balance carries over.
- Lock early, get it back
Unused unlock minutes return to your glass the moment you lock.
- A daily ceiling you choose
Even a full card can only spend your budget per day.
The ledger
Every minute in. Every minute out.
Earned, spent, and returned when you lock early. Nothing is taken back, and the arithmetic always adds up.
Today
- Morning lock-in8:32–9:17 AM+45
- Unlock12:03 PM−12
- Returned early12:12 PM+3
- Study session4:41–5:11 PM+30
Privacy
Your distractions are your business.
Screenwage uses Apple's Screen Time system to lock apps. Apple hands us an anonymous token, never a name, so the list of apps you chose stays on your iPhone.
What syncs is your ledger: minutes earned, minutes spent, and your settings. That is what brings your balance back if you lose your phone.
Analytics get counts, never app names and never free text. There is no advertising SDK in this app.
Pricing
One subscription. Everything included.
Yearly
3 days free
then billed yearly. The exact price for your country is shown in the App Store before you pay, and again before the trial ends.
Monthly
Billed monthly
No trial. Cancel any time in Settings; your balance and history stay.
- Lock any apps, categories or websites you choose
- Earn grains of screen time at a rate you choose
- Daily spending budget and strictness settings
- Live Activity, Lock Screen timer and home widget
- Full ledger, weekly report and progress
Questions
Straight answers.
How does the blocking actually work?
Screenwage uses Apple’s Screen Time system. You grant access once and pick your apps, and iOS shows the Screenwage lock screen instead of opening them. It keeps working when Screenwage is closed.
Can I get into an app in an emergency?
Yes. Screenwage only locks the apps you chose, so calls, messages, maps and emergency services are never touched. You can also turn blocking off completely from Profile → Safety, with no waiting period.
What is a credit?
Verified focus pours grains of sand into your hourglass, and one grain buys one minute with your locked apps. You pick the rate, from generous (1 focused minute = 3 grains) to strict (4 focused minutes = 1 grain), and Screenwage recommends one from your own goal. Sessions of 50 minutes or more earn a quarter extra. Loosening your rate waits 24 hours; tightening it is instant.
Can I buy credits?
No. Credits cannot be purchased, gifted or won, and they have no cash value. The only way to get one is to focus for a minute.
Does Screenwage see which apps I block?
No. Apple hands apps over as anonymous tokens, and those stay on your iPhone. We know how many apps you locked, never which ones.
What happens if I move my phone during a session?
In Stay Put, earning pauses and resumes when you settle again. Minutes you already earned are never taken back — pausing costs you nothing but the paused time.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Sessions, credits and unlocks all work with no connection; your ledger syncs the next time you are online.
How do I cancel?
In Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions, like any App Store subscription. Cancelling stops the next renewal, and your balance and history stay where they are.
Ready to earn your screen time?
Lock the apps. Do the work. Spend what you earned, guilt-free.
iPhone with iOS 17 or later