ScreenZen
Hacker ApprovedRanked 3 of 9 website blockers by recommenders
Praised for cutting distracting apps and short-form video, with a free version and one-time tip for full access. Critics call it buggy and say it does not block social media.
Praised for cutting distracting apps and short-form video, with a free version and one-time tip for full access. Critics call it buggy and say it does not block social media.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 10
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 91%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 10 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 10 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Limits screen time on distracting apps
“You could try ScreenZen or a similar app that help control nd reduce the time you spend on certain apps.”
Comment from 12 Jul 2026 in “How to Read More Books” “they really helped limit my screen time and I've been able to transition away from having to use them”
Comment from 1 Jun 2026 in “I made my phone slow on purpose” “It rations distracting apps and retrains you to use your phone as a functional device again.”
Comment from 9 Nov 2025 in “Study finds memory decline surge in young people” Breaks the scrolling habit
“The short sessions being cut in the middle help me stay informed but break the addictive nature of socials/news.”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Digital minimalism” “It's exceedingly effective at breaking the loop by forcing you to do a tiny task first”
Comment from 2 Jun 2026 in “I made my phone slow on purpose” Blocks short-form content, keeps social parts
“The short sessions being cut in the middle help me stay informed but break the addictive nature of socials/news.”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Digital minimalism” “it can block specifically short form content so you can stick to the actual social parts”
Comment from 3 Mar 2026 in “Show HN: uBlock filter list to blur all Instagram Reels” Recommended among similar apps
“You could try ScreenZen or a similar app that help control nd reduce the time you spend on certain apps.”
Comment from 12 Jul 2026 in “How to Read More Books” “ScreenZen is another good one”
Comment from 1 Jun 2026 in “I made my phone slow on purpose” “ScreenZen is great at this.”
Comment from 2 Sep 2026 in “Making the Internet Boring”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Does not fully stop social media use
“it works a little, but it will not fully prevent you from using any social media, still”
Comment from 2 Jun 2026 in “I made my phone slow on purpose”
Other website blockers people recommend
The four most recommended other website blockers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dull | 14 | 14 | 50% | 2 | — | — |
| One Sec | 11 | 1 | 92% | 3 | — | — |
| ScreenZenThis page | 10 | 1 | 91% | 6 | — | Approved |
| UnTrap for YouTube | 9 | 2 | 82% | 7 | — | — |
| LeechBlock NG | 7 | 1 | 88% | 6 | — | — |
What people said
11 of the 12 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“The short sessions being cut in the middle help me stay informed but break the addictive nature of socials/news.”
“ScreenZen is great at this.”
“You could try ScreenZen or a similar app that help control nd reduce the time you spend on certain apps.”
“it works a little, but it will not fully prevent you from using any social media, still”
“It's exceedingly effective at breaking the loop by forcing you to do a tiny task first”
“ScreenZen is another good one”
“they really helped limit my screen time and I've been able to transition away from having to use them”
“it’s buggy: failing to unlock, or just tapping the button once for unlimited use. Eventually it completely stopped working.”
“It is a lot less restrictive on the free version and you can just tip once to get full access instead of a subscription.”
“it can block specifically short form content so you can stick to the actual social parts”
“It rations distracting apps and retrains you to use your phone as a functional device again.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.