Frequently asked questions

Zenvi is an iPhone app blocker with challenges. Block distracting apps like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, Safari, and games — then complete a quick mindful challenge (math, memory, breathing, fitness reps, QR scan, AI-verified habit) to earn screen time. Learn more on our earn screen time page.

People who want to reduce doomscrolling, spend less time on social media, improve focus, build healthier phone habits, or make app use more intentional. Also useful as ADHD-friendly friction for impulse control around distracting apps.

No. Zenvi can block apps, but its main idea is intentional friction. Instead of only saying no, Zenvi helps you pause, complete a challenge, and choose whether to continue. See app blocker with challenges for the full story.

It's the core mechanic: complete a quick task (a math problem, a memory pattern, a few push-ups, a QR scan at a real-world location, etc.) to earn unlock minutes on apps you've blocked. The friction is short. The choice to keep using the app becomes deliberate.

Apple Screen Time gives you Downtime and App Limits — a hard wall when you hit your daily cap. Zenvi adds challenge-based friction at the moment of opening, so you can earn intentional access instead of dismissing the limit. Zenvi runs on top of Apple's Screen Time API; the two work together.

One Sec adds a brief pause before opening an app — same pause every time, easy to power through. Opal is mostly hard blocking. Zenvi turns the block into a quick mindful challenge — math, memory, breathing, fitness, AI quiz — and rewards completion with Zens you can spend on unlock time. See the comparison page for details.

20+ challenge types: math sprints, memory patterns, AI-generated quizzes on topics you choose, breathing exercises, step goals, QR scans at a real-world location, push-ups and squats counted live by the camera, and AI-verified habits like reading, hydrating, studying, cooking, or moving.

Yes. Zenvi can gate any app or app category that iOS Screen Time exposes. Common picks: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube (including Shorts), Reddit, X, Snapchat, Threads, Pinterest, Safari, news apps, games, and whole categories like Social or Entertainment.

Movement-based unlocks work three ways: real-time push-up or squat reps counted by the camera, QR-code scans at a real-world location (place a code at the front door, the gym, your desk), or AI-verified habits via photo. Honest framing on walk to unlock apps.

Zens are Zenvi's in-app currency for mindful moments. Every challenge or verified habit earns Zens. Spend them for unlock minutes on blocked apps (2, 5, 15, 30, or 60 min), trade them for premium block screens in the Shop, or compound them with streak multipliers.

Strict Mode (Pro) locks you in: you can't disable rules, change unlock costs, or remove the block until the time window ends. Useful for deep-work blocks, sleep windows, or anything where you want to take the option of bypassing off the table.

Yes (Pro). Your active rule and Zens balance can show on the Lock Screen via Live Activities, so you see what's blocked and what you've earned without unlocking.

Pick a habit (read 10 pages, drink water, walk outside, study). Snap a photo of yourself doing it. On-device AI confirms before granting Zens. The image and verification stay on your phone — nothing is uploaded.

Yes. The free tier includes unlimited app blocking, up to 2 rules, 5+ challenge types, 1 AI Quiz per day, 2 starter block screens, daily Zens, and basic stats. Most people get what they need from free.

Unlimited apps and rules, Strict Mode, all 20+ challenges, unlimited AI Quiz on any topic, fitness challenges (push-ups, squats), Live Activities on the Lock Screen, unlimited Zens Wallet, the full Shop with exclusive block screens, streak multipliers, deep analytics, and priority support.

$1.67/month billed annually ($20/year), or $3/month billed monthly. Cancel any time. No ads, no upsells.

Pro subscriptions go through Apple. Open Settings → your Apple ID → Subscriptions → Zenvi → Cancel. Zenvi never sees your card.

Refunds are handled by Apple per their App Store refund policy at reportaproblem.apple.com. Zenvi doesn't process payments directly, so we can't issue refunds ourselves — but Apple's process is straightforward.

Yes. Zenvi Pro can be shared with your Family Sharing group through Apple's standard subscription sharing. Each family member uses their own Apple ID and gets their own rules, Zens, and stats.

No. Your usage data never leaves your phone. Zenvi runs through the native iOS Screen Time API on-device. We don't sell, share, or even see what apps you use or how long.

No. App blocking runs through Apple's Screen Time API. No VPN, no proxy, no traffic interception. Your network is untouched.

No. There's no background traffic, no VPN tunnel, and no constant polling. Zenvi piggybacks on iOS Screen Time, which Apple optimizes at the system level.

Nowhere. AI photo verification runs on-device — the image stays on your phone, the model runs locally, and the photo is discarded after the habit is confirmed (or kept locally if you opt to save it).

No. Zenvi doesn't sell, share, or rent any data. There's no ad network, no third-party SDK harvesting usage. We make money on Pro subscriptions via Apple — that's it.

Many people with ADHD find challenge-based friction more effective than time limits or stat dashboards because it works at the moment of impulse. Zenvi isn't a medical treatment and doesn't claim to be — it's a friction layer some people find useful for impulse control. More on screen time app for ADHD.

Yes. Doomscrolling is mostly reflex, not decision. A 5–15 second challenge in front of the apps that cause it (Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Reddit, X) breaks the reflex and forces a real choice. See reduce doomscrolling on iPhone for a practical guide.

Zenvi is built for the person whose phone it's installed on. It works for teens and adults setting their own rules. For parental controls (managing a child's iPhone from yours), Apple's built-in Family Sharing + Screen Time is the right tool — Zenvi sits on top of it for the user's own rules.

Yes. Schedule rules by day and time window — block your distractor list during work hours, with stricter challenges (e.g. fitness reps) so the cost of opening exceeds the urge. Many users pair Zenvi with a Pomodoro timer and Strict Mode (Pro).

Schedule a wind-down rule for the last 30–60 minutes before bed. Block social and video apps, set an easy challenge that takes 10+ seconds, and you'll find the friction is enough to put the phone down. Combine with iOS Sleep Focus for best results.

Locking in is a friction problem, not a discipline problem. Add the apps that pull you out (TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube Shorts, Reddit) to a Zenvi rule and put a quick challenge in front of them — math, memory, breathing, or fitness reps. The 5–15 second pause is enough to break the reflex and put you back in the zone. For finals week or any deep-work block, turn on Strict Mode (Pro) so bypass is off the table.

Brainrot is mostly short-form video doing what short-form video is built to do. Zenvi doesn't claim to fix your brain — but if you put a 10-second challenge in front of TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, the loop breaks. Most people find that two weeks of friction at the moment of opening is enough to rewire how often they reach for the phone. Touch grass starts doing itself after that.

Schedule a Zenvi rule for 11pm–7am that blocks TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, X, and YouTube. Pick a challenge that's slightly annoying late at night — a few squats, a math sprint, or four guided breaths. The friction tax on opening at 3am is exactly when you want it highest. Pair with iOS Sleep Focus for max effect. Fix doomscrolling on iPhone properly and your sleep changes within a week.

Add TikTok to your Zenvi rules and pick an unlock method — math sprint, memory pattern, breathing, fitness reps, or a QR code at your front door. The challenge runs every time you tap the icon. After a couple weeks the impulse weakens because reaching for it stops being free. If you want a hard wall, set a daily time cap on top.

Same reason everyone does — Instagram is built to be opened. Each open is mostly reflex, not intention. Zenvi turns that reflex into a small task before the app launches. Half the time you'll complete the task and use the app on purpose. The other half you'll put the phone down because the task was enough to break the urge. Either way it's a real choice instead of a tap.

Set a Zenvi rule for your study windows: block every social app + browser tabs you don't need, pick fitness reps (push-ups, squats) as the unlock challenge so the cost of opening Instagram is a literal workout, turn on Strict Mode for the window so future-you can't bargain it down, and pair with a Pomodoro timer. By the end of the week you'll come back to your phone surprised at what you got done.

Honest answer: it might help, it might not. Friction-based interventions tend to land better with ADHD than time limits or weekly graphs do — the work happens at the impulse, not after. But Zenvi isn't a treatment, and what works for one ADHD brain doesn't always work for another. Try the free tier for two weeks before deciding. If it doesn't move the needle, that's useful info too. More on screen time app for ADHD.

Yeah. Pair distracting apps with movement-based unlocks — push-ups counted live by the camera, squats, or a QR code you place at a real-world location (front door, kitchen, gym). Walk somewhere, scan, unlock. Or use AI photo verification: snap a pic of you actually outside before TikTok opens. Touch grass via friction tax. Full breakdown on walk to unlock apps.

Zenvi is for people who want to keep using their phone — but on their own terms. Block the apps that are eating you (TikTok, Reels, Shorts, X, the doomscroll trio), keep the ones you actually like (messages, music, photos, Maps), and earn the time back when you want to use the others on purpose. Not boring. Just intentional.

There's no cure, but there's a workaround: gate the apps that serve it. TikTok, Reels (Instagram), Shorts (YouTube), Reddit's video tab, X — every one of those can be wrapped in a Zenvi challenge. The 5-second pause does most of the work. After a couple weeks the reflex weakens because reaching for the phone stops being free.

Yes. Zenvi is built for iPhone (iOS 16+) and uses Apple's Screen Time API.

Not yet. Zenvi is iOS-only while we get the experience right. Android is on the roadmap for late 2026 — join the waitlist on the homepage to get 3 months of Pro free at launch.

Zenvi installs on iPad via the iPhone app, but it's optimized for iPhone-first usage. Some features (like camera-based fitness reps) work; the layout is iPhone-shaped.

Yes. App blocking runs entirely on-device through iOS Screen Time. Internet is needed only for a few specific challenges (AI Quiz topic generation, App Store sign-in for Pro). Everything else works offline.

The Zenvi website is available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Japanese. The app itself is English-first; localizations follow as we ship.

You can — it's your phone. But the friction is the point. Most people find that 8 seconds of "do I really want this?" is enough to put the phone back down. If you want a stronger commitment, turn on Strict Mode (Pro) for the windows where bypassing should be impossible.

Strict Mode is designed to be unbypassable during the active window — that's the feature, not a bug. The window ends when you set it to end. If you've genuinely locked yourself out of something critical, Strict Mode can be disabled through iOS Screen Time settings (you keep that ultimate escape hatch).

iOS Screen Time only exposes apps you've granted permission for. Open Settings → Screen Time → confirm permissions are granted to Zenvi, then add the app from Zenvi's rules screen. New apps installed after permission was granted should appear automatically.

Camera-based rep detection needs a clear view of you in good light — front camera, full upper body in frame, neutral background. If a rep doesn't count, adjust angle or lighting and it should pick up. Detection is better at moderate pace; very fast reps can be missed.

Uninstalling the app removes all on-device Zenvi data. There's nothing on our servers to delete because we never collected anything. Pro subscription, if active, is managed and cancelled through Apple separately.