# Habit Doom

> Habit Doom is a free-to-download iOS app that locks your distracting apps (Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit) until you complete your daily habits. Free to use with core features; $2.99/month unlocks all features. Build real discipline by earning your screen time.

## Key Pages

- [Home](https://habitdoom.com/): Main landing page with features, how it works, testimonials, and download links
- [Blog](https://habitdoom.com/blog/): Articles about doomscrolling, habit building, digital wellness, and app-blocking strategies
- [2 Weeks to Ship 3 Buttons on iOS](https://habitdoom.com/blog/app-store-connect-iap-bug): Indie developer chronicles the two-week ordeal of shipping in-app purchases on iOS — a vanishing ASC UI section, a failed API workaround with wrong product IDs, and the eventual fix of recreating all products from scratch
- [Best AI Coding Agent for iOS Development (2026)](https://habitdoom.com/blog/best-ai-agent-ios-development): A solo iOS developer compares Cursor, ChatGPT, Claude, and Claude Code for building a real iOS app — with specific examples of what each tool got right, what they got wrong, and which one shipped the app
- [21 Bugs That Nearly Killed My App](https://habitdoom.com/blog/21-bugs-that-nearly-killed-my-app): Raw founder story documenting 21 bugs encountered building Habit Doom on iOS — Screen Time API nightmares, App Store Connect UI bugs, and how AI-assisted development with Claude Code helped solve the hardest problems
- [Apple's Screen Time API: How It Broke Me](https://habitdoom.com/blog/apple-screen-time-api-guide): Practical developer guide to Apple's Screen Time API (FamilyControls framework) based on 97 days of building Habit Doom — covers undocumented behaviors, DeviceActivity scheduling limits, extension inter-process communication, and the triple-blocking architecture needed for reliable app locking
- [97 Downloads. $0 Revenue.](https://habitdoom.com/blog/what-82-ios-downloads-taught-me): Transparent build-in-public report sharing real App Store analytics from Habit Doom's first month — 82 downloads, $0 revenue, 22 deletions, 8% conversion rate, 90% onboarding completion, and lessons learned about retention, engagement, and what to fix next
- [I Blocked Social Media for 30 Days. It Wasn't What I Expected.](https://habitdoom.com/blog/blocked-social-media-30-days): Personal account of blocking social media for 30 days using Habit Doom — not cold turkey, but earning screen time through daily habits. Covers what changed, what surprised the author, and honest reflections on anxiety, focus, and bias.
- [How to Focus While Studying: Stop Deleting Apps. Do This Instead.](https://habitdoom.com/blog/how-to-focus-while-studying): 8 evidence-based techniques to focus while studying without deleting your phone, covering environment design, the Pomodoro method, active recall, app blocking, and more.
- [Best Screen Time Apps: I Tested Them All (2026)](https://habitdoom.com/blog/best-apps-reduce-screen-time): Honest comparison of 6 apps to reduce screen time in 2026: Habit Doom, Opal, One Sec, ScreenZen, Freedom, and iOS Screen Time — with real experiences, pricing, and which approach works for different people.
- [7 App Blockers Every Student Needs (2026)](https://habitdoom.com/blog/best-app-blockers-for-students): Comparison of 7 app blockers for students in 2026: Habit Doom, Forest, Cold Turkey, Freedom, Opal, One Sec, and iOS Screen Time — with pros, cons, pricing, and which works best for different study styles.
- [10 Minutes of Deliberate Practice Beats 2 Hours of Doomscrolling](https://habitdoom.com/blog/deliberate-practice-daily-habits): Research-backed post on K. Anders Ericsson's deliberate practice framework, showing how short focused daily habit sessions build real skill faster than long unfocused practice — with personal guitar and coding examples
- [4 Failed iPhone Apps. Then One Finally Worked.](https://habitdoom.com/blog/growth-mindset-habits): Personal founder story connecting Carol Dweck's growth mindset research to the experience of shipping multiple failed apps before building Habit Doom — argues that habits train growth mindset
- [No Morning Routine, No Social Media: Lock It Until You're Done](https://habitdoom.com/blog/lock-social-media-morning-routine): Guide to locking social media until your morning routine is done using Habit Doom, with a real before-and-after showing how mornings improved after making the switch.
- [The Marshmallow Test Explains Your Phone Addiction](https://habitdoom.com/blog/marshmallow-test-delayed-gratification): Research-backed thesis post connecting Walter Mischel's 1972 marshmallow test to modern phone addiction, arguing that Habit Doom trains delayed gratification by locking apps until habits are done
- [No Reading, No YouTube: Block It Until You Finish a Chapter](https://habitdoom.com/blog/block-youtube-until-read): Guide to blocking YouTube until you read using Habit Doom, with real results from going from zero books to finishing 3 in under a month.
- [No Homework, No TikTok: A Parental Control That Works](https://habitdoom.com/blog/block-tiktok-parental-control): Parent-focused guide to blocking TikTok on a child's phone until homework is done using Habit Doom, with Anti-Cheat, Hard Mode, and streak-based motivation.
- [Lock TikTok Until You're Done Studying](https://habitdoom.com/blog/lock-tiktok-until-homework): Student-focused guide to locking TikTok until homework is done using Habit Doom, featuring Hard Mode for exams, Anti-Cheat, and streak-based motivation.
- [No Workout, No Instagram: Block It Until You Exercise](https://habitdoom.com/blog/block-instagram-until-exercise): Step-by-step guide to blocking Instagram until you exercise using Habit Doom, with real 18-day results showing reduced screen time and consistent habits.
- [Screen Time Statistics 2026: We're All Addicted](https://habitdoom.com/blog/screen-time-statistics-2026): 2026 screen time statistics by age group, top apps by daily usage, health impacts, and a 7-step plan to reduce phone use with habit-based app blocking.
- [Best iPhone App Blockers: I Tested All 6 (2026)](https://habitdoom.com/blog/best-app-blockers-iphone-2026): Hands-on comparison of 6 iPhone app blockers (Habit Doom, Opal, One Sec, Freedom, ScreenZen, iOS Screen Time) with pricing, features, and bypass difficulty.
- [Habit Doom vs Opal vs One Sec: Which App Blocker Wins?](https://habitdoom.com/blog/habit-doom-vs-opal-vs-one-sec): Head-to-head comparison of Habit Doom, Opal, and One Sec app blockers — covering price, blocking method, habit tracking, privacy, and bypass difficulty.
- [Digital Detox: Why Most People Fail (And What Actually Works)](https://habitdoom.com/blog/digital-detox-guide): The complete guide to digital detox in 2026: what it actually is, the science of dopamine and overstimulation, types of detox, step-by-step plan, and how to maintain results long-term.
- [Your Morning Routine Keeps Failing You. Here's Why.](https://habitdoom.com/blog/morning-routine-guide): How to build a morning routine that sticks using habit science and app blocking
- [5 Habits That'll Kill Your Doomscrolling](https://habitdoom.com/blog/habits-to-replace-doomscrolling): 5 replacement habits for doomscrolling — reading, journaling, movement, learning, and connecting — with the neuroscience of why replacement beats restriction and how to make new habits stick using app blocking.
- [How to Stop Doomscrolling: 7 Ways That ACTUALLY Work](https://habitdoom.com/blog/how-to-stop-doomscrolling): 7 science-backed methods to stop doomscrolling, covering dopamine loops, app blockers, micro-habits, and how Habit Doom locks apps until habits are done.
- [7,920 Minutes/Month Wasted on My Phone. Now What?](https://habitdoom.com/blog/why-i-built-habit-doom): Founder story — wasted 132 hours on phone in one month, went from 10% to 85% habit completion in 4 weeks by replacing willpower with barriers
- [How Habit Doom Works](https://habitdoom.com/blog/how-habit-doom-works): How Habit Doom works in 4 steps — lock distracting apps, set daily habits, apps lock automatically, complete habits to unlock.
- [Privacy Policy](https://habitdoom.com/privacy): Privacy and data practices
- [Terms & Conditions](https://habitdoom.com/terms): Terms of service

## What is Habit Doom?

Habit Doom is a habit tracker that uses app-blocking as motivation. Unlike traditional habit apps that rely on streaks and notifications, Habit Doom physically locks your most distracting apps until your habits are done. It works on iOS via the Screen Time API — no VPN, no jailbreak required.

The core loop: your distracting apps are locked → complete your daily habits → apps unlock automatically. This means zero willpower needed. Your phone enforces your discipline for you.

## Key Features

- Lock any distracting app (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit, etc.) until habits are completed
- Custom habit creation with flexible daily scheduling
- Screen Time API integration (no VPN, no jailbreak, no workarounds)
- Daily streaks and streak milestones (7, 30, 100+ days) with achievement celebrations
- Custom system alarms per habit — real alarms, not dismissible notifications
- Home screen widgets to track habit progress at a glance
- Hard Mode — all habits must be completed before any apps unlock (Pro)
- Vacation Mode — pause blocking without losing streaks (Pro)
- Advanced analytics with yearly heatmaps (Pro)
- Card customization with 100+ custom habit icons (Pro)
- Anti-Cheat mode to prevent bypassing
- Doom Summary — weekly stats overview
- Archive habits to preserve data while hiding from home screen (Pro)
- Free to download and use with up to 3 active habits; Pro unlocks unlimited habits and all features. No ads.
- Privacy-first: all data stays on-device, nothing is sent to servers
- Simple, beautiful dark UI designed for quick daily use

## How It Works

1. Choose which distracting apps to lock (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)
2. Set your daily habits (e.g., exercise, read, meditate, journal)
3. Your chosen apps are locked until all habits are marked complete
4. Complete your habits → apps unlock automatically

## Who Is It For?

- People who doomscroll on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, or Reddit for hours
- Anyone who wants to build daily habits but lacks motivation
- Students who need to focus on studying without phone distractions
- Professionals who want to reclaim screen time for productive habits
- Anyone who has tried other habit apps and failed because there were no real consequences

## Comparisons

Habit Doom vs other apps:
- **vs Opal**: Opal blocks apps on timers and schedules. Habit Doom ties app-blocking directly to habit completion — your apps stay locked until habits are done, not just for a set duration.
- **vs One Sec**: One Sec adds a pause/friction before opening apps. Habit Doom blocks apps entirely until habits are completed — it doesn't just slow you down, it locks you out.
- **vs Streaks**: Streaks is a pure habit tracker with no enforcement. Habit Doom adds real consequences — your apps are literally locked until you do the work.
- **vs Screen Time (iOS built-in)**: Screen Time sets time limits you can override with one tap. Habit Doom locks apps with no easy bypass — you must complete habits to unlock.

## Free vs Pro

Free tier (fully functional):
- Up to 3 active habits
- Block any app with Screen Time
- Custom system alarms per habit
- Earn screen time from check-ins
- Daily streaks and streak milestones
- Anti-Cheat mode
- Doom Summary (weekly stats)
- Basic home screen widgets

Pro tier (power features):
- Unlimited active habits
- All widget sizes
- Habit analytics & heatmaps
- Hard Mode (all habits or nothing)
- Vacation Mode (pause without losing streaks)
- Archive habits (preserve data, hide from home)
- 100+ custom habit icons
- All future Pro features

## Pricing

Habit Doom is free to download and use. Core features — habit tracking, app blocking, streaks, and milestones — work without paying.

Pro pricing:
- Monthly: $2.99/month
- Yearly: $19.99/year (14-day free trial, save 44%)
- Lifetime: $34.99 one-time purchase

No ads.

## Download

- iOS App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/habit-doom-anti-doomscroll/id6757255783

## Technical Details

- Platform: iOS (iPhone)
- Requires: iOS 16.0 or later
- Size: Lightweight (under 20MB)
- API: Uses Apple Screen Time API for app blocking
- Privacy: All data stored locally on device. Widget extensions use on-device App Groups storage. Anonymous analytics via PostHog (opt-out available). No server-side data collection of personal data.

## Contact

- Website: https://habitdoom.com
- Support: Available through the App Store listing