Earn screen time before opening distracting apps
Zenvi is an iOS screen time app that helps you earn access to distracting apps instead of relying on simple blocking. Before opening apps like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, or X, complete a quick challenge — a math puzzle, memory game, quiz, step goal, or QR scan.
What is an earn screen time app?
An earn screen time app is a different kind of app blocker. Instead of cutting you off from a distracting app the moment you reach a daily limit, it asks you to do something small and intentional first — solve a quick problem, walk a few hundred steps, or scan a QR code at a real-world location. Only then do you unlock the app for a short, deliberate session.
The idea is simple: most distracted opens are not real decisions, they are reflex taps. A two-second pause with a small mindful challenge converts that reflex into a choice. You either complete the challenge and open the app on purpose, or you put the phone down because the friction was enough.
How Zenvi helps you earn screen time
- Choose distracting apps to limit. Pick what to block — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, Safari, games, or anything else.
- Pick a challenge. Math, memory, steps, quizzes, QR scanning, breathing, or a fitness rep. The harder the challenge, the more Zens (Zenvi's in-app currency) you earn.
- Complete the challenge to earn intentional access. Trade the Zens you earned for unlock time, or save them up for premium block screens and longer sessions.
Zenvi works at the system level using Apple's Screen Time API. There is no VPN trick, no battery drain, and your usage data never leaves your phone.
Why earning access works better than simple blocking
Traditional app blockers rely on willpower at the moment of impulse — exactly when willpower is at its lowest. They're also easy to dismiss: most people just disable the block, open the app, and re-enable it minutes later. Worse, the blocking feels like punishment, which builds resentment toward the tool.
Earning access flips that loop. You aren't fighting yourself; you're choosing — and being rewarded for the choice. The friction is short, the challenge is finite, and the moment of opening becomes a deliberate one. Over time the impulse loop quiets down because reaching for the phone stops being free.
Who Zenvi is for
- People who want to reduce doomscrolling and stop automatic scrolling
- People who want to spend less time on social media — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X
- People building healthier phone habits or trying digital wellbeing for the first time
- Anyone who wants ADHD-friendly friction for impulse control around distracting apps
- Focus-seekers, students, parents, and anyone reaching for their phone for the 87th time today
Apps Zenvi can help you use more intentionally
With iOS Screen Time permissions, Zenvi can gate any app or category on your iPhone. Common picks include:
- Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, Snapchat, Threads
- Safari and other browsers (for habitual news / shopping checks)
- Games and entertainment apps
- News and feed apps
- Whole categories, like "Social" or "Entertainment"
You always pick which apps are subject to challenges — Zenvi never decides for you, and the rules can be different for different times of day.
Zenvi vs traditional app blockers
| Feature | Traditional app blockers | Zenvi |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks distracting apps | ||
| Adds friction before opening apps | ||
| Lets users earn access through actions | ||
| Supports quick challenges (math, memory, steps, QR) | ||
| Helps reduce automatic doomscrolling | partial | |
| Encourages intentional phone use |