Adult digital detox
One quiz
before you open.
Pass and get 5 minutes. One trivia question in front of the apps you choose, or read the explanation and walk away. You decide.
57%
A pause before opening cut social media use by roughly 57% in peer-reviewed research by the Max Planck Institute — one of the few screen-time interventions with published evidence. Forepause turns that pause into one question.
PNAS, 2023 ↗
Three quiet steps
-
01
Choose your apps
Pick the apps that take more than they give. Two minutes, no account, no setup questionnaire, no Shortcuts gymnastics.
-
02
Meet one question
Try to open a chosen app and one trivia question appears.
-
03
Decide, on purpose
Turn back, or open for 5, 15, or 30 minutes. Your choice is recorded — never judged.
No streaks.
No guilt.
No “weak willpower.”
Blockers gamify your shame: streaks that shatter, gems to collect, notifications that scold you for being human. Lose a 30-day streak once and you delete the app — we've read two thousand reviews of people doing exactly that.
Forepause keeps one number, and it only goes up: time reclaimed. Opening an app isn't a failure. It's data.
“Blocking alone changes behavior temporarily.
Understanding changes it for good.”
See when you
actually scroll
A weekday-by-hour heatmap shows your real pattern — the Thursday-night spiral, the Sunday-morning drift. Computed entirely on your device. You didn't quit scrolling; you just moved it. Forepause shows you where it went.
Your data never leaves your phone.
By design, we can't see it either. Apple's Screen Time framework keeps usage data on-device — and Forepause has no server to send it to anyway.
- No accountNothing to sign up for, nothing to leak.
- No serverNo cloud, no sync, no database of your habits.
- No adsNo trackers, no review nags, no “check out our other app.”
- On-device insightsEvery chart is computed by your iPhone, for your eyes.
About the Screen Time prompt
iOS asks for Screen Time access so Forepause can pause the apps you choose. You can turn access off at any time. Trivia is Japanese and English on iOS 26.4 or later. Everyone else gets a one-breath pause.
- What does the Screen Time prompt look like?
- iOS shows a system sheet titled Screen Time access, with Allow and Don't Allow. The mock above is the shape, not Apple's screenshot.
- If I allow Screen Time, does Forepause get my usage?
- No. The sheet only lets Forepause pause apps you choose. Usage never leaves the device.
- Is this a parental-control app?
- No. It is for adults managing their own screen time. It is not parental control.
- Can I turn the permission off later?
- Yes. Settings → Screen Time → Apps with Screen Time Access. Toggle Forepause off anytime.
- Will it lock work apps on its own?
- No. Only apps you pick. Free: up to 3. Mail and chat stay out unless you add them.
Honest pricing
The core experience is free, forever. Pro is about a third of the price of typical $100-a-year blockers — and the 7-day trial is a real trial, not a billing trap.
Free
$0
- The quiz intervention
- Up to 3 apps
- Today's time reclaimed
Pro — Yearly
$29.99/year
7-day free trial
- Unlimited apps & schedules
- Full pattern history
- Every future feature
Pro — Lifetime
$49.99once
- Everything in Pro
- Pay once, keep it forever
- No subscription at all
For reference: Opal Pro lists at $99.99/year (publicly listed price, June 2026). Forepause Pro is $29.99/year. We compare prices, not people.
It starts with
one question.
Start 7 days free on the App Store
Now on the App Store · iOS 17+ · 7-day free trial