Apps can wait.
Choose which iPhone apps to block and when. Fella keeps them out of the way automatically.
Fella is built for controlled access. Keep useful apps without leaving them open all day. Choose what distracts you, then block it on iPhone without deleting it.
Blocking runs in sessions, not forever. Start one yourself, or set up a routine that starts one automatically—Sunday night through Monday morning, say. Every session gets one five-minute emergency unlock, no matter how long it runs.
How Fella blocks apps
Choose the apps that pull you back in. That could be social media, video, shopping, news, or games. Fella is for selected app blocking on iPhone, not your whole phone.
Then set how long the block runs. Start a session yourself—anywhere from 15 minutes (Apple's minimum for Screen Time sessions, which Fella doesn't try to get around) up to 24 hours or more—or build a routine that starts sessions automatically on a schedule, like every weeknight or a full weekend block.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pick the apps that distract you |
| 2 | Start a session yourself, or let a routine start one for you |
| 3 | Get one 5-minute emergency unlock if you need it |
| 4 | Fella locks everything again when the unlock or the session ends |
The unlock is the same no matter how long the session is. A 30-minute study session and a 24-hour weekend lock-in both get exactly one 5-minute Fella Emergency Unlock—enough for a message, a code, or a quick check in an app such as WhatsApp. When the 5 minutes end, or the session ends, Fella locks the selected apps again automatically.
What happens when an app is blocked
Fella uses Apple’s own Screen Time frameworks, not a workaround. FamilyControls handles permission, ManagedSettings applies the app shield, and DeviceActivity runs the rule. See our Screen Time alternative guide for the practical difference.
Those boundaries are intentional. Fella blocks app access; it does not read messages, monitor keystrokes, or filter the web. It also doesn't try to get around Apple's 15-minute minimum session length—that limit comes from Apple, not from Fella cutting corners.
What Fella is (and isn't)
Fella has one home screen, not a dashboard. Routines, streaks, and achievements each live on their own screen off of it, but there's no analytics view breaking your day down into charts and reports. If that's what you want, Screen Time already does it.
The streak is a count, not a game. Every session you complete without burning the emergency unlock adds to it. Achievements mark milestones along the way. Neither changes how the blocking itself works: selected apps stay blocked for the session, full stop.
It's for people who know problem apps. If it's TikTok, Reddit, shopping, dating, or games such as Candy Crush, Fella stops the reflex described in how to stop opening apps automatically—without deleting the app or account. It's useful if Screen Time limits are easy to ignore but deleting the app feels too extreme.
Apps people usually block with Fella
Block the few apps that turn a quick check into a habit. For most people that means social feeds, short-form video, streaming, shopping, dating, games, or news—not their whole phone. Useful apps can still be checked with the emergency unlock.
Questions? Answers.
Fella lets you select distracting apps, then keeps those apps blocked using Apple's Screen Time app blocking frameworks. The goal is simple selected-app blocking, not full device management.
Fella is a focused alternative to manually managing Screen Time limits. It does not try to replace every Screen Time feature. It focuses on blocking selected apps for a session, manual or scheduled through a routine, with one controlled emergency unlock per session.
The emergency unlock is one 5-minute emergency unlock per session. You can use it when you genuinely need to check something inside a blocked app. After 5 minutes, Fella locks the app again automatically.
Fella is designed for selected distracting apps, including social media and entertainment apps. The exact app selection flow depends on Apple's Screen Time app selection interface.
Fella is built on Apple's Screen Time frameworks, introduced in iOS 16: FamilyControls for authorization, ManagedSettings for applying restrictions, and DeviceActivity for scheduling when they're active. It's the same sanctioned system Apple's own Screen Time uses, not a workaround.
The monthly plan is $9.99 and the annual plan is $34.99, billed immediately with no free trial. The annual plan is about 71% cheaper than paying monthly. See current plans.
A session is however long you set it, with a 15-minute minimum set by Apple. You can start one manually, or a routine can start one automatically on a schedule. Whatever the length, that session gets exactly one 5-minute emergency unlock.
Read next
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.
