pause - put the phone down

pause helps you put your phone down with a physical tag. Choose the apps and websites you want a break from, then leave the tag somewhere else. Scan it when you want to open your apps again.

How it works

• Choose categories, apps and websites with Apple’s own picker.
• Scan the tag to start a pause, or hold the button for three seconds.
• Your selected apps display a pause screen when you open them.
• Scan the tag again to end the pause.

Your pause, your choices

• Create up to three modes for different situations.
• View your Screen Time and pause history in Activity.
• No account, login or subscription. The app is free; the physical tag is sold separately.
• App selections, Screen Time and pause history are processed locally on your phone. We have no server receiving this data.
• The tag and app blocking work without an internet connection.

Honest about the limits

• Emergency unlock is available after a waiting period you choose: 15 minutes, 1 hour or 24 hours. Its use is recorded in your local history.
• You can revoke the app’s Screen Time access in iPhone Settings. pause helps you keep a promise to yourself, but cannot make your phone impossible to use.
• Notifications from paused apps may still arrive. Consider using a Focus mode as well.

Requires an iPhone with NFC and iOS 26.5 or later, plus a pause tag. Screen Time reporting requires App & Website Activity to be enabled in iOS.