A gentle nudge.
Fresh Eyes
A 20-second eye break after every 20 minutes of scrolling.
- Rest every
- 20 min
- To unlock
- 20-second eye break
Your feed locks. Your eyes rest.
Unstare locks the apps you scroll most until you take a short eye break. Close your eyes, blink slowly, walk or put your phone face-down, and every app opens again.
Coming soon to iPhone and iPad. No account. No ads. No tracking.
A few hours a day adds up fast.
That's about 183 hours a year of close-up screen time.About 8 full days.
That's about 548 hours a year of close-up screen time.About 23 full days.
That's about 1,095 hours a year of close-up screen time.About 46 full days.
That's about 1,825 hours a year of close-up screen time.About 76 full days.
Unstare adds short eye breaks inside the apps you scroll the most.
From scroll to rest in four steps.
Lock only the apps that pull you in.
Pick apps or whole categories with Apple's Screen Time picker. Everything else stays open. Three to five apps you lose the most time to is a good start.
Choose a mode.
Fresh Eyes, Scroll Pause or Doomscroll Detox. Each one sets how often you rest and how you unlock, and you can edit any of them.
Scroll on one shared timer.
Minutes in any app you lock add up, so hopping between feeds won't reset it. A heads-up arrives before the lock, then your apps lock, even mid-scroll.
Rest to unlock.
Close your eyes for 20 seconds while the front camera checks, or walk or flip your phone down if your mode asks for it. Every locked app opens again and the timer starts fresh.
Blink, walk or flip to unlock.
Rest your eyes, stretch your legs or put the phone down. Each one opens your apps again, and your mode decides which you need.
With your eyes
The front camera checks, right on your iPhone. Video stays on this device.
- Eyes Closed
- Keep your eyes closed for the rest time. Open them early and the countdown pauses.
- Slow Blinks
- Close your eyes slowly, hold, then open. Ten slow blinks and you’re done.
- Look Away
- Look at something far away. Unstare chimes when you can look back.
With your body
No camera needed.
- Walk
- Walk 100 steps. Steps count from the start of your rest, even while Unstare is closed.
- Flip
- Put your phone face-down until the timer runs out.
A gentle nudge or a full detox.
Pick the everyday mode that fits how you scroll. Switch anytime, or edit one until it’s yours.
The one we recommend.Recommended
Scroll Pause
Social and video apps pause every 20 minutes: an eye break, then a 3-minute rest.
- Rest every
- 20 min
- To unlock
- Eye break, then a 3-minute rest
A full detox.
Doomscroll Detox
Every 15 minutes, the phone goes face-down for 5. Binge again and the rest doubles.
- Rest every
- 15 min
- To unlock
- Phone face-down for 5 min
Calm nights. Focused days.
Schedule a mode and it switches on by itself. Scheduled modes block apps during their hours, on top of your everyday mode.
- Focus HoursWeekdays, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Night ShieldEvery day, 10:30 PM–7:00 AM
- Rise & WalkEvery day, 5:00 AM–11:00 AM
Need something else? Create a custom mode, and group apps into App Sets your modes share.
Set the rules your way.
Your timer, your limits.
Break every 15 to 45 minutes, pick your eye exercise and choose how you unlock. Add a daily limit, a heads-up before each lock and spoken cues while you rest.
Eye break after 15 minutes of combined use.
Eye break after 20 minutes of combined use.
Eye break after 30 minutes of combined use.
Eye break after 45 minutes of combined use.
Once you reach the daily limit, these apps stay locked until midnight.
See where the hours go.
Eye breaks, rest minutes, steps and streaks, plus screen time on the apps you lock, by day, week, month or all time.
Rest Debt.
Turn it on and bingeing again right after a rest makes the next one longer.
An exit for real emergencies.
Open Unstare for a one-time 5-minute pass. Mid-rest, hold for 10 seconds to skip. Skips show up in your progress.
Step away, start fresh.
A 5-minute break from all your locked apps resets the shared timer on its own.
Extra breaks count.
Start an eye break, walk or flip from Home anytime. Bonus breaks add to your progress and never lock your apps.
Made for iPhone and iPad.
The same modes and progress on both, in light and dark mode, with the largest text sizes and VoiceOver throughout.
Take the tour.
Every screen from the App Store, plus a 30-second look at Unstare in motion.
App preview, 28 s
Private by design.
The camera check runs on your iPhone. It looks at each frame to tell whether your eyes are open, closed or looking away, then lets it go. Video and Screen Time data stay on your device.
- No account.
- Open the app and go. No email, no password.
- Data Not Collected.
- That's Unstare's privacy label on the App Store.
- No ads or trackers.
- Not in the app, and not on this website.
- Nothing uploaded.
- Unstare runs no servers. Your modes, rests and progress live in the app on your device.
- Screen Time stays private.
- Apple gives Unstare private tokens, not your activity, and your usage never leaves your device.
Try the yearly plan free for 3 days.
One subscription unlocks everything in Unstare.
Yearly
$29.99 a year
3 days free, then $29.99 a year. Offer ends December 31, 2027.
Save 16%
Monthly
$2.99 a month
Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings. Prices are in US dollars; the App Store shows your local price before you subscribe. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Questions, answered.
Does Unstare record my face?
No. During an eye break, the front camera checks whether your eyes are open, closed or looking away. Each frame is analyzed on your iPhone and discarded right away. Nothing is saved, uploaded or shared.
Which apps can I lock?
Any apps or whole categories you pick in Apple's Screen Time picker. Everything else stays open. Three to five apps you lose the most time to is a good place to start.
How does the shared timer work?
Minutes in any app you lock add up on one timer, so hopping from one feed to another won't reset it. A 5-minute break from all of them starts it fresh.
What are modes?
A mode sets how often you rest and how you unlock. Fresh Eyes is a 20-second eye break every 20 minutes. Scroll Pause adds a 3-minute rest. Doomscroll Detox puts the phone face-down for 5 minutes every 15, and bingeing again doubles the rest. You can edit any mode, create your own, and schedule Focus Hours, Night Shield or Rise & Walk.
Can I unlock without the camera?
Yes. Set your mode to unlock with Walk, 100 steps, or Flip, which keeps your phone face-down until the timer ends.
What if I need an app right away?
Open Unstare for a one-time 5-minute emergency pass. During a rest you can also hold for 10 seconds to skip it. Skips show up in your progress.
Why does Unstare need Screen Time access and notifications?
Screen Time access lets Unstare lock the apps you choose. The lock screen can't open Unstare directly, so a notification takes you straight to your eye break.
Can Unstare see what I do in other apps?
No. Apple gives Unstare private tokens for the apps you pick, not their content or what you do in them. The screen time totals in Progress are drawn by Screen Time on your device and never leave it.
Which devices does it work on?
iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later.
How much does it cost?
Unstare Premium is $29.99 a year with a 3-day free trial, or $2.99 a month. Prices vary by country, and the App Store shows yours before you subscribe.
How do I cancel?
Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, then Subscriptions, then Unstare. Cancel at least 24 hours before your trial or billing period ends. Deleting the app doesn't cancel your subscription.
Is Unstare medical advice?
No. Unstare is a wellness tool that builds short rests into your scrolling. It isn't a medical device and doesn't replace advice from an eye-care professional.
Doomscrolling, interrupted.
Set it up once. Unstare takes care of the breaks.
