How to Block Apps on Android: 4 Methods Compared

1. Digital Wellbeing app timers — for light limits

Android's built-in Digital Wellbeing lets you set a daily time limit per app. Go to Settings → Digital Wellbeing → Dashboard and tap the hourglass next to an app.

The weakness: it only caps the daily total. It can't stop the 11 PM binge specifically, and once the timer ends, a few taps turn it back off — there's very little friction.

2. Focus mode — good for short sprints

Focus mode temporarily pauses selected apps — great right before study or deep work. But its schedule options are basic, a single “take a break” tap unlocks everything, and overnight windows are awkward to set up.

3. A dedicated app blocker — when you want to change the habit

What makes a block stick is friction. A good blocker adds a small cost to quitting early (waiting, a quiz, typing a pledge) and supports schedules that match real life, like weekly routines.

FocusFence is built on exactly this principle. The moment a blocked app opens, a full-screen fence steps in — and unlocking early means passing the mission you chose. Overnight routines like 10 PM → 7 AM are supported.

• Install FocusFence and grant the accessibility permission (used only for blocking; no screen content is collected).
• Build a fence: pick the apps to block — search and select-all included — and give it a name.
• Set the time: hours from now (1–24h), or a weekly routine (e.g., Mon–Fri 22:00→07:00).
• Choose an unlock mission: wait 30 seconds / solve a quiz / retype your pledge. Save, and the fence goes up.

4. Physical distance — primitive but powerful

Research consistently shows that simply keeping your phone in another room measurably cuts usage. Combine it with app blocking and the effects stack: the blocker is your digital fence, distance is the analog one.