Phone habits

An app for phone addiction that gives the hour back to you

Blocking an app frees an hour. What you do with that hour decides whether the habit changes. XP Tracker locks the apps that pull you in until you have done your quests, then rewards you for the time you took back.

No social media quest art from the Shaman class in XP Tracker: a hero turning away from a wall of glowing faces

XP Tracker is a habit game, not a treatment. If phone use feels out of control and is hurting your life, talk to a doctor or a therapist.

The real problem

Why "just use it less" doesn't work

Feeds are built to be easy to start and hard to stop. There is always one more post, and every pull-to-refresh might show something new. You don't decide to spend an hour. You decide to check one thing, and the hour happens.

Willpower loses that fight because the phone is always there and the urge comes dozens of times a day. Blockers help, but most of them leave a gap: they take the feed away and put nothing in its place. The hand still reaches for the phone. The boredom is still there. So the block gets switched off.

Changing a phone habit takes three things together: friction before the feed, something better to do instead, and a reward for doing it.

How XP Tracker handles it

Quests first, feed second

Friction. App Lock keeps distracting apps locked until you have finished a number of quests you choose for the day. On Android you pick the apps. On iPhone, App Lock uses Screen Time and locks everything except XP Tracker until you're done.

Something to do instead. When you open your phone, your day is already laid out as quests: Clean Start, Plan Your Day, Physical Training, Deep Focus, Daily Reading and more. The thing you reach for becomes a list of real things to do.

A reward. Every quest earns XP that levels your hero, hurts the current boss and unlocks the next panel of your comic, and levels and boss wins drop loot cases and pet eggs. You are trading a feed for a game where the moves are your own life.

Screen-time limit quest art from the Warrior class in XP Tracker: a hero turning an hourglass — Screen-time limit, an optional quest you can add.

An example

An example first two weeks

General advice you can adjust. The app doesn't set this schedule for you.

Days 1 to 3: watch, don't fightCheck your phone's own screen-time report. Note the two or three apps that eat the most time and the moments you reach for them.
Days 4 to 7: lock with a small numberTurn on App Lock with one or two quests. Clean Start and Plan Your Day are enough to unlock the morning.
Week 2: move the phone, add a questCharge the phone outside the bedroom. Add No social media or Screen-time limit from the quest library.
After that: raise the number slowlyAdd one quest to your App Lock number when the current one feels easy. Two quests you finish beat six you resent.

Honest fit

When a dedicated blocker is better

App Lock does one thing: it keeps apps locked until your quests are done, and it has an off switch. If you need schedules, website blocking or a mode you can't cancel, a dedicated screen-time app fits better. Our comparisons with Opal, one sec and Forest lay out the differences honestly.

For the habit side without any app, read how to reduce screen time without relying on willpower and how to stop doomscrolling at night. To see what your current use adds up to, try the screen time calculator.

From the app

Quests that replace the scroll

The text below is copied from the quest cards in the app.

No social media

Hold the line: no social media today. Own your focus.

Screen-time limit

Stay under your screen-time limit today. Hold the line.

Deep Focus

Work on one task for the required time. No distractions.

Questions people ask

Is phone addiction a real addiction?

It isn't a formal diagnosis, and researchers still debate the term. Many people use it to describe checking and scrolling they want to cut down but can't. If your phone use is hurting your sleep, work or relationships and you can't change it alone, a doctor or therapist can help.

How does XP Tracker limit my phone use?

With App Lock. You set how many quests you need to finish each day. Until you get there, the apps stay locked. On Android you pick the apps. On iPhone (iOS 16 or newer), App Lock locks every app except XP Tracker until you're done.

Does App Lock block websites?

No. App Lock works on apps. If you also need to block websites, a dedicated blocker is the better tool, and you can use it next to XP Tracker.

Will this work if I just turn it off?

App Lock has an off switch, so it's a commitment you make with yourself, not a cage. What helps it stick is the other half of the game: quests to do instead, and XP, loot and story for doing them.

Is there a quest for staying off social media?

Yes. No social media and Screen-time limit are optional quests you can add from the library. Screen-time limit lets you report your use against a limit you pick.