The inbox waits.
The work doesn’t stop for it.
Select Gmail, start a session before a deep work block, and only Gmail locks. Calendar, notes, and other work tools keep working normally.
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The inbox waits.
An inbox is built to feel urgent even when nothing in it actually is, and checking it between tasks is one of the easiest ways a deep work block quietly falls apart. If your deep work task genuinely requires email, blocking Gmail gets in the way of the work itself, not just the distraction. This page is for the more common case: the task doesn't need Gmail open, but the habit of checking it does.
Be honest about which problem this is
If the work in front of you requires drafting or checking email, blocking Gmail will interrupt real work, not just the distraction. If the task is something else entirely—writing, coding, planning, reviewing—and Gmail is just where attention drifts between thoughts, that drift is what a block is for.
Select Gmail, leave the rest
Selection in Fella is per app. Choose Gmail on its own and leave calendar, notes, and any other work tools completely untouched.
Start a manual session right before a deep work block, or build a routine for the hours you protect regularly so the block starts itself without a decision each time.
One way through, if something real comes up
Each session includes one 5-minute emergency unlock, enough to check and reply to something that genuinely can't wait. When the five minutes end, Gmail locks again automatically for the rest of the session.
If it's more than just Gmail
If Mail, Outlook, or other email apps are part of the same problem, not just Gmail, see our broader block email apps on iPhone page. For the case behind protecting deep work in general, see setting up a deep work block and the research on why interruptions cost more than they seem to.
Fella, up close.
- Built with Apple’s Screen Time controls.
- One 5-minute emergency unlock per session.
- Apps stay blocked by default.
Everything you need to stay focused, right from Home.
Blocking Gmail during deep work: FAQ
Only if the task itself doesn't require email. If your deep work block is writing a reply or working from something in your inbox, blocking Gmail gets in the way. This page is for the more common case: checking the inbox between thoughts is what breaks the block, not the work itself.
Yes. Selection in Fella is per app, so a session can block Gmail specifically while leaving calendar, notes, and other work tools completely untouched.
Both. Start a manual session before you begin a deep work block, or build a routine for the days and hours you protect regularly, and it starts the block on its own.
No. This uses the same session and routine mechanism as any other Fella block, just scoped to Gmail and applied to a deep work block.
Each session includes one 5-minute emergency unlock. Use it if something real comes up, and Gmail locks again automatically once the five minutes end.
