RetroFold
Focus session
15 minutes or longer,
then it lets go
Screen Time on iOS, an accessibility service on Android — over the apps you choose.
The digital detox app that turns your phone into a dumbphone
A dumbphone for as long as you choose. It lets go by itself when time is up.
App Store Coming soonGoogle Play
Digital detox
Study focus
Free, no subscription
Digital detox
Instead of a wall,
a different phone
15 minutes or longer,
Completion card
Finish the session,
keep a little card
A retro card for every completed session. Share it only if you want to.
How a digital detox session works
Pick an LCD
Hot pink or white
Pick what to shield
Whole categories or single apps
Set the time
In 15-minute steps
Collect the card
Shields lift by themselves
Digital detox app at a glance
- FreeNo subscription, ads or account
- 15 min to 12 h 45 minSession length
Calls stay openEmergency access too
Lets go by itselfWhen time is up
On your deviceNever reads your screen- On AndroidiPhone in preparation
On Google Play, iPhone in preparation
App Store Coming soonGoogle Play
What RetroFold does well — and where it stops
What it does well
- Free — no subscription or ads
- A real dumbphone screen, not a wall
- 15-minute steps, automatic release
- Calls, messages and alarms stay
Where it stops
- No per-site blocking inside a browser
- Doesn't lock the whole phone
- Android needs the accessibility service on
- Doesn't measure actual attention
Digital detox app FAQ
How does this digital detox app block apps?
You set a duration and start a session; the apps and categories you picked are shielded for that time. iOS uses Apple Screen Time, Android uses an accessibility service you enable. The shields lift automatically when the timer ends.
Can I use it as an app blocker for studying?
That is the most common use. Set a 45-minute or one-hour session for a study block; during it your phone becomes a flip phone with a clock and calls.
Do I need to buy a dumbphone?
No. RetroFold turns the phone you already own into a dumbphone for the length you choose. If you are weighing a real feature phone, see the guide ‘Dumbphone, or a focus app?’.
How do I turn the app blocker off early?
It releases itself when time is up. If you need to stop sooner, you can end the session through a confirmation step — it is a deliberate break, not a lock you cannot escape.
Can I still take calls during a session?
Yes. Calls and emergency features stay available, and RetroFold itself still works as a clock, note, calendar and alarm.
Is it free? Is there a subscription?
It is free. There is no subscription, no in-app purchase, no ads and no account.
Is there an iPhone version?
It is on Google Play today, and the iPhone build is in preparation. The App Store link opens on this page as soon as it is available.
More on digital detox
- How to block apps on iPhone and AndroidStep-by-step app blocking on both systems, the exact points where people work around their own l…
- Digital detox: the first seven daysSeven days that change how you use the phone instead of banning it: what to do on day one, why d…
- Dumbphone, or a focus app?Switching to a real feature phone versus turning your smartphone into one for a few hours a day:…
No account. Records stay on your device, and the app never reads your screen.
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