Faith-based screen time for iPhone

Take back your time.
Fast from your phone.

Choose the apps that pull you in. App Fast puts a shield in front of them using iPhone's Screen Time, so each time you reach for one you get a moment to pause.

Get App Fast on the App Store See how it works ↓

Less noise. More you.

Free for 14 days, then monthly or every six months

Two ways to fast

Choose the fast that suits each app.

A pause

Lighter Fast

The shield gives you a moment before the app opens. You can still break the fast, and it's a choice you make on purpose.

A firm line

Full Fast

The shield holds and the app stays closed. What's left is the invitation to do something else.

You can also set fasting hours for each app, so it's only shielded when you want it to be.

What's inside

Your shield, your way

Choose what the shield shows: an encouraging line anchored by a Bible verse, the verse on its own, or your own words.

Per-app control

Pick the apps you want to fast from, set Lighter or Full Fast for each, and choose the hours each one is shielded.

Streaks and stats

See your holds, breaks and fasting streaks over time.

Encouraged Apps

Pair your fasts with the apps you want more time in, like your Bible or prayer app.

Meditate

Breathing exercises and guided meditation for a reset, plus Thought Bubbles, a quick game to help you refocus.

Crowns and Armor of God

Your collection grows as you stay strong.

Screen Time shields

App Fast uses Apple's Screen Time framework, so the shield sits in front of the app at system level.

Stays on your phone

App Fast collects no data, and everything stays on your device.

Built on grace

Every shield is an invitation to pause and pray, and to remember what you wanted from your day. Like any fast, the point is what you make room for.

Questions

It uses Apple's Screen Time framework, the same technology behind iPhone's own Screen Time limits. The shield sits in front of the app at system level.
On a Lighter Fast you can choose to break the fast after a moment's pause. A Full Fast holds. If you need the app, open App Fast and change its fast or its fasting hours.
No. App Fast only knows which apps you've chosen and whether you kept or broke each fast, and that stays on your phone. It can't see inside your apps, read your messages or view your browsing, and nothing is sent to a server.
No. App Fast is for managing your own phone. It has no remote management and doesn't monitor anyone else's device.
Yes. Shields, settings and stats work on your phone without an internet connection.
Possibly. A shield stops the app opening, but its notifications can still arrive, depending on your iPhone settings. For a complete break, turn off notifications for that app in Settings.
A fast is a voluntary step back from something for a season. App Fast applies that to your phone. The scripture is there if you want it, and you can put your own words on the shield.
App Fast is free for 14 days with full access and no card needed. After that you can continue with a monthly or six-month subscription through the App Store. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period, and you can manage or cancel them in Settings. If you used App Fast before subscriptions began, Premium stays free for you.

Food for thought

Four talks on attention and screens.

How Tech Companies Control Billions of Minds Every Day

Tristan Harris · former Google design ethicist

How app design competes for your attention, from notifications to autoplay, and the case for building technology more ethically.

TED Talk

Why You Should Quit Social Media

Dr Cal Newport · computer scientist, Georgetown University

Answers three common objections to quitting social media and argues that your attention is worth protecting.

TEDx Talk

The Battle for Your Time: Exposing the Costs of Social Media

Dino Ambrosi · founder, Project Reboot

Adds up how much of a life social media takes, and what that time could go to instead.

TEDx Talk

Why Our Screens Make Us Less Happy

Adam Alter · psychologist and author, NYU

Why screens are hard to put down, including how apps are designed without natural stopping points.

TED Talk

Help

Email

For questions, bug reports or feedback, email appfast@youare.nz.

Support

Fixes for common problems are on the support page.

Subscriptions

To manage or cancel, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions.