Meet Mirror
The app blocker you can't talk your way out of
Mirror shows a short pause before Instagram, TikTok or whatever you lose hours to. If you want, a friend keeps the code that turns your rules off, so 1am you can't undo what daytime you decided.
For iPhone · 7 days free · No account
- “Data Not Collected” on the App Store
- Uses Apple's Screen Time
- 7 days free
Why don't Screen Time limits work?
Apple's Screen Time limits are easy to skip: unless a Screen Time passcode is set, the limit screen offers an "Ignore Limit" button.
The limit may hold all afternoon, and then it's late, you're scrolling in bed, and turning it off takes less effort than putting the phone down. Mirror lets you add steps before loosening a rule, to make doomscrolling harder to start on impulse.
Mirror is an iPhone app that blocks distracting apps with a short pause, schedules and daily limits, and lets a friend hold the code that unlocks them.
How does Mirror block apps?
Mirror blocks apps by putting a pause screen in front of them. When you open an app you've chosen, you see Mirror's screen first. The big button closes the app. A smaller one, Continue, lets you in for the number of minutes you set, and after that the pause comes back.
With Premium you can make the pause firmer, or cap how many times a day Continue works.
Can someone else keep the code to my app limits?
Yes. In Mirror, a friend types a code on your phone, and changes that loosen a rule then ask for it. Tightening a rule never does. Nothing is sent to your friend and they don't need the app.
If you can't reach them, you can ask Mirror to remove the code after a 24-hour wait.
Two more settings help when you want your rules to hold:
- No Take-Backs keeps an app blocked until its block ends.
- Lock In keeps your rules in place for 3, 7 or 14 days.
What kinds of limits can I set?
Mirror has schedules, daily app limits, a daily screen time goal and Quick Block, and you can use them together.
Bedtime and work hours
Pick the apps and the hours, say 10:30pm to 7am, and they stay blocked through that window on the days you choose. Add your own schedules, choose Strict mode to hold a schedule until it ends, or block apps whenever a Focus mode is on.
A daily limit for each app
Give TikTok 20 minutes a day and YouTube 45, or block an app completely. Mirror warns you at the halfway point. Websites can be blocked as well, and there is an adult-content filter.
A daily screen time goal
Set one number for the whole day, like 3 hours. Mirror checks in at 25%, 50% and 75%, and blocks your chosen apps when you reach it.
Quick Block
Block chosen apps now, for 15 minutes to 12 hours, with a countdown on your Lock Screen.
Premium is required after setup. The yearly plan includes a 7-day free trial.
Does Mirror show my screen time?
Yes. Mirror's Today tab shows your screen time so far and compares it, hour by hour, with a usual day for you. It also shows pickups, your busiest hour and your longest session. History has streaks, four-week trends and a page for each app, and on Sunday evening you get a short recap of the week.
Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets let you check without opening the app.
How long does setup take?
Mirror setup takes you through your recent screen time, sleep and work hours, and a plan you can review before it starts.
Mirror looks at your last seven days of Screen Time and shows where the time went. It gives your pattern a name, like “late-night scroller”, then suggests a plan based on when you sleep and work. You can change the suggested rules before committing to them.
Does Mirror collect my data?
Mirror keeps your screen time data on your iPhone and has no account, servers or analytics.
Mirror uses Apple's Screen Time frameworks to manage the apps you choose. Its App Store privacy label says “Data Not Collected”. Purchases are handled by Apple.
Read the privacy policyHow much does Mirror cost?
Mirror Premium is $29.99 a year with the first 7 days free, $9.99 a month, or $99.99 once for lifetime access.
Those are US prices; the App Store shows yours.
Yearly
$29.99 a year
7 days free, then $29.99 a year. Renews yearly.
Monthly
$9.99 a month
$9.99 a month. Renews monthly.
Lifetime
$99.99 once
One payment for lifetime access.
7 days free on the yearly plan
Cancel in Settings › Apple Account › Subscriptions. After a subscription ends, open Mirror to switch off its rules. Strict holds, Lock In and No Take-Backs finish first. You never pay to have an app unblocked.
Who makes Mirror?
Mirror is made by Ian Kiprotich, an independent developer in Nairobi.
Questions about Mirror
Does Mirror work with Apple's Screen Time?
Yes. Mirror uses Apple's Screen Time frameworks to block apps, and needs Screen Time access during setup.
What's the difference between Mirror and Screen Time's Downtime?
Mirror adds a pause before chosen apps and optional commitment controls to Apple's Screen Time frameworks. Downtime and App Limits can allow Ignore Limit depending on your settings. A friend's code, Strict schedules, No Take-Backs and Lock In add different limits on loosening Mirror's rules.
Can I turn Mirror off when I want to?
Yes, unless you have chosen a commitment that holds your rules. A friend's code, Strict schedules, No Take-Backs and Lock In limit which changes you can make and when.
What if I lose my friend's code?
Ask Mirror to remove the code. Removal has a 24-hour wait. Tightening a rule never needs the code.
What happens if I delete Mirror?
Turn your rules off first. iOS can retain a block after an app is deleted, so uninstalling is not a reliable way to clear it. Strict holds can also prevent app deletion while they run. Contact support if an app stays blocked.
Is there a free version?
No. Mirror starts with 7 days free on the yearly plan, then it's $29.99 a year in the US. Premium is required after the trial. Monthly and lifetime options are also available; the App Store shows your local price.
How do I cancel?
On your iPhone, go to Settings › Apple Account › Subscriptions › Mirror.
Does Mirror work on iPad or Mac?
Mirror is for iPhone. A dedicated iPad or Mac version is not part of this release.
Which iPhones does Mirror work on?
Mirror requires an iPhone running iOS 17.4 or later.
Can Mirror help with phone addiction?
Mirror is not a treatment for phone addiction. Its controls add a pause and limits to the apps you choose. If your phone use is worrying you, consider talking to a qualified professional.
Need a hand? support@mirrorscreentime.app
Compare Mirror vs Opal, Mirror vs one sec or Mirror vs ScreenZen.
Try it for a week
Set a bedtime, pick the one app you open without thinking, and see how the week goes.
7 days free on the yearly plan · Cancel any time