To block an app on Android for free, open Settings → Digital Wellbeing & parental controls and set an app timer or turn on Focus mode. If you keep switching those off, use an app blocker such as Focus, where a Strict session can't be cancelled until its timer ends.
There are three ways to block a distracting app on an Android phone. They range from a gentle reminder you can dismiss to a lock that holds until the timer runs out. Pick the lightest one that still works for you.
Option 1: Set an app timer in Digital Wellbeing
Digital Wellbeing comes with most Android phones. An app timer gives an app a daily allowance; once it's used up, the app is paused until midnight.
- Open Settings and tap Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.
- Tap the dashboard or the chart to see your apps.
- Pick an app, tap App timer, and choose how long you want it each day.
Menu names differ a little between phone makers. On Samsung phones, look for Digital Wellbeing and parental controls in Settings, then App timers.
Good for: gentle daily limits. Watch out for: you can remove the timer from the same screen in seconds.
Option 2: Pause apps with Focus mode
Focus mode, also inside Digital Wellbeing, pauses a group of apps at once and can switch on by itself on a schedule.
- Go to Settings → Digital Wellbeing & parental controls → Focus mode.
- Choose the apps to pause.
- Tap Turn on now, or set a schedule for the hours you want to focus.
Good for: work or study hours. Watch out for: a Take a break option lets you reopen the apps for a while, and you can turn Focus mode off at any time.
Option 3: Use an app blocker you can't switch off mid-session
If you find yourself undoing the built-in limits, you need a block that doesn't give in to the urge of the moment. Research backs this up: in a study of about 2,000 Android users, limits that couldn't be overridden on the spot cut time on the targeted apps by 22 minutes a day (Allcott, Gentzkow & Song, American Economic Review, 2022).
Here's how to block apps with Focus:
- Install Focus from Google Play and sign in.
- Pick the apps that pull you away, such as Instagram, YouTube or games. The free version blocks up to 3 at once.
- Start a session and choose a length, from 5 minutes to 8 hours. Strict mode, on by default, has no pause or cancel button.
- The first time, allow Usage access and Display over other apps. Focus needs both to see a blocked app open and cover it.
- Open a blocked app to test it: the block screen appears in under a second, with a way home or straight into a brain game.
Want the block without remembering to start it? Set a focus schedule to start sessions by themselves, or a block rule to keep apps locked during set hours. For the strictest option, Phone-only mode blocks every app except the dialer, emergency calls, the camera and payment apps.
Which one should you use?
| Method | Cost | Can you undo it on the spot? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| App timer | Free, built in | Yes, in a few taps | A gentle daily limit |
| Focus mode | Free, built in | Yes, or take a break | Scheduled work or study hours |
| Focus (Strict session) | Free, optional Pro | No, it holds until the timer ends | When willpower isn't enough |
Comparing app blockers? See Focus vs other Android app blockers. Trying to cut down overall? Read how to stop doomscrolling.
Common questions
Can I block apps on Android without installing anything?
Yes. Digital Wellbeing, built into most Android phones, lets you set a daily timer for an app or pause a group of apps with Focus mode. Both are free. The catch is that you can turn them off again in a couple of taps, so they work best as reminders rather than hard blocks.
What is the hardest app block to get around on Android?
A blocker with a session you can't cancel once it starts. In Focus, Strict mode has no pause or cancel button: blocked apps stay locked until the timer ends, and blocking comes back on by itself after a restart.
Is there a free app blocker for Android?
Focus is free. The free version blocks up to 3 apps at once, with one active schedule, and shows ads. Focus Pro removes the ads and the limits.
What permissions does an app blocker need on Android?
Focus needs Usage access, to see when a blocked app opens, and Display over other apps, to cover it with the block screen. Blocking runs on your phone. Some other blockers use the Accessibility service instead.
Can I block apps only at certain times, like at night?
Yes. Digital Wellbeing's Focus mode and Bedtime mode can run on a schedule. In Focus, a block rule keeps chosen apps locked during set hours on the days you pick, such as social media after 10 p.m. on weeknights.