The Best Prayer Lock Apps in 2026: Pray Before You Scroll
By Sankalp Jonna · Last reviewed October 12, 2026 · 7 apps reviewed
How we researched this
We have not tested the apps on this page hands-on. It is built from App Store and Google Play listings, the developers' own sites, and recent user reviews, captured as raw notes, and the writing is AI-assisted from those notes. Scores, rankings, and "best for / skip if" calls are our judgments from that research. Read the full methodology →
Editor's note: how this guide was made
We have not tested these apps hands-on. Every ranking on this page is built from App Store and Google Play listings, the developers' own websites and terms, and recent user reviews, and the writing is AI-assisted from those notes. We are building Warmpeach, an AI Bible chat app that is waitlist-only today. Warmpeach is not an app blocker, it does not compete with anything ranked here, and we have no commercial relationship with any of these developers.
What is a prayer lock app?
A prayer lock app is a Christian app blocker: it keeps the apps you choose (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, games) locked until you pray or read Scripture, then lets them open for a set window. Some people call them pray-before-you-scroll apps. The idea is to put a moment with God between you and the feed, at exactly the moment you reach for your phone out of habit.
What separates one prayer lock app from another is the unlock. Some ask for real time in the Bible, such as a page of your paper Bible or a set number of minutes of reading. Others ask for a short prayer and a tap. That difference matters more than any feature list, so it is the first thing we compare below.
How prayer lock apps work on iPhone and Android
On iPhone, every app on this list uses Apple's Screen Time frameworks (Family Controls, Managed Settings and Device Activity), which let an app restrict other apps once the device owner approves it.¹⁴¹⁵ You grant permission once, choose the apps or categories to lock, and from then on opening one of them shows the prayer lock app's screen instead. When you finish the prayer or reading, the app lifts the lock for a while.
Because you authorize the lock for yourself, you can also undo it. Apple's framework only blocks a user from removing a parental-controls app when a parent has approved it for a child's device through Family Sharing.¹⁵ For an adult using one of these apps on their own phone, the lock is a commitment device, not a wall, and reviewers of several apps say exactly that.⁶⁸
On Android, apps that offer a lock use Android's own permissions instead. FaithLocked and Pray Screen Time list Accessibility-based app blocking, and Bible Break offers blocking on Android as well.⁴⁷¹² Most of the category is iPhone only, so if you are on Android your choice is narrower.
How we ranked them
We have not tested these apps hands-on. The rankings come from each app's store listings, the developers' own sites and terms, and recent user reviews, weighed against six things that decide whether a prayer lock app is worth keeping:
- Lock reliability and unlock method. Does the lock hold, and how easy is it to talk yourself out of it?
- How much Scripture or prayer the unlock involves. A page of your Bible or ten minutes of reading ranks above a short prayer and a tap.
- Free version and pricing. Whether the lock works without paying, and what a full year costs.
- Extras beyond the lock. A Bible reader, devotionals, a journal or a prayer list give you something to come back to.
- Platforms. Android and iPad support count, since most of the category is iPhone only.
- Maintenance and track record. Recent updates and a large base of US ratings.
How the 7 prayer lock apps compare
| App | What unlocks your apps | Free version | Paid plans | Platforms | US App Store rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bible Mode | Scan a page of your paper Bible, or a short verse reflection | Yes, ad-free (reviewers say it caps how many apps you can lock) | $4.99 to $9.99 a week, or $19.99 to $59.99 a year | iPhone, iPad | 4.9 from 12,000+ ratings |
| FaithLocked | Pray at the times you set (verse, short devotional, AI-written prayer) | Yes, ad-free: 2 prayers a day, locks at your first 2 prayer times | $9.99 a week, $19.99 to $49.99 a year, or $149.99 lifetime | iPhone, Android | 4.8 from about 900 ratings |
| Bible Break | Earn 1 minute of screen time for every verse you read | Reader is free; the Screen Blocker needs Premium | $5.00 to $9.99 a month, or $29.99 to $39.99 a year | iPhone, iPad, Android | 4.8 from about 1,200 ratings |
| BibleScroll | Read the Bible for the number of minutes you set each day | No, 7-day free trial | $9.99 a week or $59.99 a year | iPhone, iPad, Android | 4.8 from 6,600+ ratings |
| PrayLock | Pray for yourself or the people on your prayer list | No, reviewers hit a paywall at the end of setup | $4.99 a week, or $9.99 to $39.99 a year | iPhone | 4.8 from about 390 ratings |
| Pray Screen Time | Read a short prayer and a verse, then tap through | Yes, with ads before you can finish the prayer | $7.99 to $9.99 a week, or $19.99 to $59.99 a year | iPhone, Android | 4.9 from about 9,700 ratings |
| Bible Focus | Spend coins earned by prayer timers, Bible quizzes, scanning your Bible, or church check-ins | No, only the daily verse is free | $4.99 a week up to $79.99 a year | iPhone, iPad | 4.8 from about 1,200 ratings |
Prices are the ranges shown on each app's US App Store listing, which often lists several price points for the same plan.¹³⁶⁸¹⁰¹¹¹³ Read the table as a shortlist: two apps have a lock you can use for free without ads, and only four run on Android.
What each app asks of you before it unlocks
Bible Mode: a page of your paper Bible
Bible Mode's unlock is the most physical in the category. Opening a locked app asks you to scan a page of your paper Bible with your camera, or to finish a short verse reflection.¹ Around the lock it has grown into a small Bible app: a KJV, ESV and NLT reader, daily devotionals, a Quiet Time mode, verse widgets, Bible games and sleep stories, plus a Bible Chat that its own terms say runs on OpenAI's API and can be inaccurate.² The free version is ad-free. The weak spots are that it is iPhone and iPad only, premium is weekly or yearly with no monthly option, and some reviewers report apps staying unlocked all day after a 15-minute unlock.¹
FaithLocked: prayer at the times you choose
FaithLocked ties the lock to a daily rhythm. You set prayer times (morning, afternoon, evening), and opening a locked app at those times takes you to a verse, a short devotional matched to Catholic or Protestant tradition, and a personalized prayer before the app opens.³ Its terms say the prayers are generated by Google's Gemini model, with Scripture references checked against an on-device verse library.⁵ The free plan covers two prayers a day with locks at your first two prayer times, and the Android version holds a 4.9-star average across more than 3,000 Google Play reviews.⁴ It launched in May 2026, so its track record is short, and English readers get the KJV only.
Bible Break: one verse, one minute
Bible Break turns reading into a currency. Every verse you read banks one minute of screen time, so the more you want to scroll, the more you read.⁶ Underneath is a genuine Bible reader with several translations, highlights, notes and a dashboard that projects when you will finish the Bible, all free. The Screen Blocker and an AI Explainer need Premium, which at $29.99 to $39.99 a year is one of the lowest annual prices here. Several reviewers say the minute counting does not add up, and the translation list leaves out the NIV and ESV.⁶
BibleScroll: read for a set number of minutes
BibleScroll keeps your chosen apps locked each day until you have read Scripture for the length of time you picked, whether that is 10 minutes or 40.⁸ It comes from Screen Detox Inc, the team behind the BePresent screen-time app, and reviewers like being able to choose the passage and translation. There is no free tier after the 7-day trial, and several reviewers say the timer is easy to shorten or switch off.⁸ Its Android version is new, with only 100+ installs on Google Play.⁹
PrayLock: pray for the people you love
PrayLock's unlock is intercessory prayer. You keep a list of people you are praying for, with a note for each, and praying for them opens your apps.¹⁰ You can choose to unlock once a day or to pray before every session, set the prayer from 5 seconds to 5 minutes, and scroll a Bible feed of the World English Bible, one verse per swipe. It is iPhone only, and reviewers describe a paywall at the end of setup with no way to continue for free.¹⁰
Pray Screen Time: a short prayer, then a tap
Pray Screen Time has the simplest loop: open a blocked app, read a short prayer and a verse, tap through.¹¹ It was early to the idea and has one of the largest followings, about 9,700 US ratings at 4.9 stars plus an Android version. But it has not been updated on the App Store or Google Play since September 19, 2025.¹¹¹² Free users report watching ads before they can finish a prayer, and paying subscribers report being asked to pay again or being locked out by glitches.¹¹
Bible Focus: a coin economy
Bible Focus locks your chosen apps by default and lets you spend coins to open them. You earn coins on a prayer or meditation timer, by taking Bible quizzes, by scanning your paper Bible, or by checking in at church through Apple Maps, and an unlock gets pricier the longer you hold off.¹³ It is the most inventive unlock in the category, but the listing says all features need a subscription, there is no Bible reader inside the app, and its pricing runs from $4.99 a week to $79.99 a year.¹³
Are any prayer lock apps free?
Two prayer lock apps have a lock you can use for free without ads: FaithLocked and Bible Mode. FaithLocked's free plan gives you two prayers a day with locks at your first two prayer times, plus its offline Bible, journal and community.³ Bible Mode's free version is ad-free, though reviewers note it limits how many apps you can lock.¹
Pray Screen Time is free to use with ads, which reviewers describe as appearing before you can finish a prayer.¹¹ Bible Break's reader is free, but the lock itself is a Premium feature.⁶ BibleScroll, PrayLock and Bible Focus are free to download but effectively require a subscription. If you trial any of them, note when the trial ends: BibleScroll's is 7 days, while Bible Mode's yearly plan and FaithLocked's Premium start with a 3-day trial.¹³⁸
The apps we left off the list
Haven. Haven is an AI Bible chat app, and in our analysis of thousands of its App Store and Google Play reviews, its pray-before-you-scroll app lock was the feature users most often cited as the reason they downloaded it.²⁰ Its current US App Store description does not mention the lock, though, so we could not confirm how it works today.¹⁶ We cover Haven as a chat app in our Haven review and our Haven alternatives guide.
Bible Chat Lock. The maker of The Bible Chat released a separate verse-to-unlock app, Bible Chat Lock: App Blocker, on October 2, 2026. Its listing pitches it as "Read a verse to open your apps," with the hours you choose.¹⁷ It had no ratings yet when we checked, so it is too new to rank. It is worth watching because its parent app is one of the largest Bible chat apps; see our Bible chat apps guide.
prayer lock: christian focus. This was once one of the most-rated prayer lock apps on iPhone, with about 13,000 US ratings. Its US App Store listing returned a "not found" page when we checked in October 2026, though its Android version was still on Google Play.¹⁸²⁰ If that is the app you were searching for, FaithLocked and Pray Screen Time are the closest pray-to-unlock replacements.
Do prayer lock apps actually help?
By their users' own accounts, often yes. Bible Mode reviewers credit it with months-long Scripture streaks, one Bible Break reviewer says it got them through Genesis in 10 days, and BibleScroll reviewers describe daily reading habits that stuck.¹⁶⁸ Interest is growing fast too: US monthly searches for "prayer lock" and "prayer lock app" climbed from about 30 a year ago to a peak of roughly 880 in August 2026.¹⁹
The honest limit is the one built into Screen Time itself. A lock you set for yourself is a lock you can remove, and reviewers of BibleScroll and Bible Break both describe how easy that is.⁶⁸ We are not aware of independent research on prayer lock apps specifically. A prayer lock app works best as a reminder you chose, paired with a real Bible app for reading and a church or small group for the parts of faith a phone cannot hold.
Our picks, ranked
Bible Mode: Reduce Screen Time
A Screen Time app lock that asks for a moment with Scripture before it opens your feed.
- Our score
- 7.5/10
- Platforms
- iOS, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision
- Tradition
- Protestant, Non-Denominational, Ecumenical
Bible Mode is the most practical idea we have added to this directory in a while. Instead of competing with Bible apps for your attention, it competes with Instagram and TikTok: lock the apps you doomscroll, and the toll for opening them is a page of your physical Bible or a two-minute verse reflection. The free version is real and ad-free, the ratings are excellent, and the app now bundles a KJV, ESV, and NLT reader, devotionals, Quiet Time, games, and an OpenAI-powered Bible Chat that its own terms admit can be wrong. The trade-offs are that it is iPhone and iPad only, premium is weekly or yearly, and a lock app that sometimes forgets to relock is a lock app with a hole in it. Pair it with a proper Bible app for real reading and it does its narrow job well.
What we like
- It solves a problem no other app in this directory touches: you pick the apps that eat your attention, and opening one first asks you to scan a page of your physical Bible or finish a short verse reflection.
- The free version is genuinely usable and ad-free, which is rare in a category where most faith apps put the core feature behind a trial.
- Ratings are excellent: a 4.9-star average across more than 12,000 US App Store ratings, with reviewers crediting it for months-long Scripture streaks.
- It has grown well beyond an app blocker: a KJV, ESV, and NLT Bible reader, daily devotionals, Quiet Time mode, rotating verse widgets, Bible games and trivia, and narrated sleep stories.
- Its Terms of Service disclose plainly that the Bible Chat feature runs on OpenAI's API and can be inaccurate, which is more candor than most AI faith features offer.
What to know
- It is iPhone and iPad only; the developer says there is no Android version yet.
- Premium billing is weekly or yearly with no monthly middle ground, and reviewers have pushed back on paying a weekly subscription to read the Bible.
- Some reviewers report the lock misbehaving, such as apps staying unlocked all day after a 15-minute unlock, which undercuts the whole point.
- At least one long-time user flags that devotionals feel AI-generated and repetitive, and the Bible Chat answers are generated by an OpenAI model.
- It is a habit tool, not a study app: there are no commentaries, original-language tools, study Bibles, or reading plans to grow into.
Best for
iPhone users who keep meaning to read the Bible but open social media first, and who want a gentle, faith-centered speed bump in front of their most distracting apps.
Skip if
You use Android, want a deep study Bible, or already have a Scripture habit that does not need a lock screen to enforce it.
Winning the battle over inconsistency!!
I’m ashamed to say I’ve been a Christian pretty much my whole life but have NEVER been able to stay consistent in my daily walk with God. Inconsistency is actually something I battle with in every part of my life. I’ve tried other reminder apps and they didn’t work for me but I seen someone post about this app and the APP BLOCKER feature. Lately I’ve been running to my social media apps before I even pick up my Bible so being able to keep them locked until I read my Bible was crucial for me and then having to actually show proof of that days reading!!! Mind blown!! Accountability!! I’m so happy to say I’m currently on Day 31 steak of having time with God and reading the Bible. I love that I can read the provided Bible verses when it’s a rushed morning and I can refer to the chat when I have questions. I also love how it will ask questions back to me and prompt me with self reflection on how to apply the scripture to my life. I have never in my life been consistent this long in my Bible reading. I am now able to make God the priority in the morning. I am winning the battle over inconsistency!!
— luvnb4ever · July 22, 2025
Bible Widget: FaithLocked
A prayer-time app lock with AI-written prayers, a real free plan, and a sheep named Flofli.
- Our score
- 7.3/10
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Mac, Apple Vision
- Tradition
- Protestant, Catholic, Non-Denominational, Ecumenical
FaithLocked is one of the strongest prayer lock apps in the directory. You pick the apps that eat your day and the times you want to pray, and opening Instagram or TikTok at those times sends you to a verse, a short devotional matched to your tradition, and a personalized prayer before the app opens for the window you chose. The free plan is unusually honest: two prayers a day, no ads, and the Bible, journal and community stay open. It also works on Android, which most of this category does not. The caveats are real, though. The app only launched in May 2026, the prayers are written by Google's Gemini model (the terms say so plainly), English readers get the KJV only, and premium runs $9.99 a week or up to $49.99 a year. Treat it as a well-built prayer habit tool with an AI writing the prayers, and keep a real Bible app alongside it.
What we like
- The free plan is real and ad-free: two prayers a day, app locks at your first two prayer times, and the whole Bible, journal and community stay open without paying.
- It is one of the few prayer lock apps on both iPhone and Android, and the Android version holds a 4.9-star average across more than 3,000 Google Play reviews.
- The lock is built around prayer times you choose (morning, afternoon, evening), so it shapes a daily rhythm instead of interrupting every single app open.
- There is more to come back to than a lock screen: verse of the day, short devotionals matched to Catholic or Protestant tradition, a journal, streaks, 43 achievements, a prayer wall and a live prayer chat.
- Its terms are candid about the AI: prayers are generated by Google Gemini, Scripture references are checked against an on-device verse library, and the text is labeled as not being pastoral guidance.
What to know
- It is very new (first released in May 2026), so there is no long track record yet for how reliably the lock behaves over months of use.
- The prayers are written by an AI model, and the developer's own replies to reviews say the subscription exists mainly to pay for that generation.
- Premium is not cheap for a lock app: $9.99 a week, $19.99 to $49.99 a year, or $149.99 for lifetime, plus optional coin packs and streak freezes for the sheep.
- Recent App Store reviews include several people angry at being asked to pay, and the free plan's two-prayer limit means your locks stop after the second prayer time.
- The only English translation is the King James Version (Reina-Valera for Spanish), and there are no reading plans, highlights or study tools.
Best for
iPhone or Android users who want a daily rhythm of short prayers before social media, and who would rather start on a usable free plan than a trial countdown.
Skip if
You want human-written prayers, a modern English translation, or a lock that is earned by reading Scripture rather than praying.
Peace
I love how it make me feel when I’m in da app, soon I get in da app is peace da I feel
— chiqkitooh · July 21, 2026
Bible Break: Screen Time Limit
A Bible reader that banks one minute of screen time for every verse you read.
- Our score
- 7.2/10
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision
- Tradition
- Protestant, Non-Denominational, Ecumenical
Bible Break flips the usual lock: instead of a fixed toll, every verse you read banks one minute of screen time, so the more you want to scroll, the more you read. Underneath that is a genuine free Bible reader with highlights, notes and a progress dashboard, and the subscription that turns on the Screen Blocker and the AI Explainer is one of the cheapest here at $29.99 to $39.99 a year. One reviewer says it got them through Genesis in 10 days. The rough edges are in the counting and the catalog: several users report minutes that do not line up with what they read, the translation list leaves out the NIV and ESV, and the AI features are generated text that some readers would rather switch off. If reading is the habit you want to build, Bible Break is the best value in this group.
What we like
- The exchange rate is clear and motivating: every verse you read earns one minute of screen time, so your reading directly funds your scrolling.
- It is a real Bible app first, with the full Bible in several translations, highlights, bookmarks, private notes and a dashboard that projects when you will finish the Bible.
- The reader, highlights, notes and progress tracking are free; only the Screen Blocker and the AI Explainer sit behind the subscription.
- Premium is cheaper than most of the category, at $29.99 to $39.99 a year, and one reviewer calls $30 a year fair for what it does.
- It is on iPhone, iPad and Android, holds a 4.8-star average across about 1,200 US App Store ratings, and added Spanish support in its latest update.
What to know
- Several reviewers say the minute counting does not add up, for example a 30-minute bank unlocking only one minute when whole chapters are marked read.
- Translation choice is thin; one reviewer counts five, without the NIV, ESV, NASB or NLT.
- The AI Explainer and chatbot are generated answers; one reviewer says the chatbot crashed after the first message and another wishes they could turn the AI features off.
- The lock is easy to switch off, and a daily user asks for a log of every time restrictions are disabled to keep people honest.
- The last App Store update was in May 2026, and there is no family sharing, audio Bible or reading plans yet.
Best for
Readers who want screen time to be earned by working through the Bible, and who like seeing their verse counts and finish date.
Skip if
You prefer to unlock with prayer, need the NIV or ESV, or want reading plans and audio built in.
Accountability Master
I genuinely use this app every day, and I’ve even gotten my fiancée to start using it too. It’s become a great way for us to stay accountable to spending time in Scripture together. Reading God’s Word consistently and seeking the Lord daily is something every Christian should prioritize, and this app has been a huge help.One suggestion I’d love to see is stronger accountability around app restrictions. I’ll be honest, I have been tempted to disable the restrictions before, and I’ve done it. While I try to hold myself accountable afterward, I think the app could help users in that area. For example, it could keep a visible log of every time restricted apps are enabled or whenever Bible Break’s Screen Time permissions are disabled. The goal wouldn’t be to shame anyone, but to make those moments visible so users can honestly reflect on them instead of quietly bypassing the system.Another feature I’d love is built-in audio Scripture. Right now I often play the Bible app in the background while reading along in Bible Break, and it works surprisingly well. It also lets me follow Bible reading plans from the Bible app while still using Bible Break. Having integrated audio and eventually Bible reading plans would make an already excellent app even better.Thank you for creating a tool that genuinely encourages people to spend more time in God’s Word. It has made a meaningful difference in my daily walk with Christ.
— Joe Hubs · June 28, 2026
BibleScroll: Christian Focus
Locks your distracting apps every day until you have read the Bible for the time you chose.
- Our score
- 7.1/10
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision
- Tradition
- Protestant, Non-Denominational, Ecumenical
BibleScroll does one thing: it keeps the apps you pick locked every day until you have read Scripture for the number of minutes you chose. It comes from Screen Detox Inc, the maker of BePresent, and that experience shows in how quickly it has built a 4.8-star average across more than 6,600 ratings. Reviewers like that they can pick the passage, the translation and the reading length, and many credit it with real streaks. The trade-offs are price and grip. There is no free tier, the subscription is $9.99 a week or $59.99 a year (plus optional donation tiers up to $199.99), and several reviewers point out that the lock is easy to shorten or switch off. If you want prayer as the unlock, or a free option, look at FaithLocked or Bible Mode first. If you want reading time, not prayer, to be the toll, BibleScroll is the most polished version of that idea.
What we like
- The idea is the simplest in the category: your chosen apps stay locked each day until you have read the Bible for the length of time you set, whether that is 10 minutes or 40.
- It comes from the team behind BePresent, an established screen-time app, and it shows: a 4.8-star average across more than 6,600 US App Store ratings within its first eight months.
- Reviewers describe choosing their own passage and translation, highlighting verses, and short notes on who a passage was written for and what it means.
- You decide which apps and categories get locked, so you can leave messaging open for emergencies while social media waits.
- Apple's privacy label says the developer collects no data from the app, which is unusual for a subscription app in this category.
What to know
- It is one of the most expensive options here: $9.99 a week or $59.99 a year, and one reviewer calls it the most expensive subscription they have.
- There is no free tier; after a 7-day trial you pay or stop using it, and at least one reviewer says they were asked to pay for a year up front.
- Reviewers note the lock is easy to loosen (you can shorten the timer or disable it in a tap), and one says the reading timer ran while their phone was asleep.
- Some readers find the daily lock too blunt, for example having to read again before opening a map or Messenger.
- The official website is still a placeholder, and the Android version is brand new with only 100+ installs on Google Play, so nearly all of the track record is on iPhone.
Best for
Adults who already know they want a daily Bible reading habit and want their social apps to stay closed until they have done it.
Skip if
You want to try it without a subscription, want prayer rather than reading as the unlock, or need a lock that is hard to override.
Best accountability partner!
I love this app much more than I expected to. I didn’t want to pay for it, but now I see this is the best money I’ve ever spent. You can choose the website and social media that you want to block, so I don’t block messaging, that maintains my emergency access. You can choose how long you want to read. 10 minutes? 40 minutes? you choose. The initial reading was from Paul’s letters, but with one click, you can choose your own section of the Bible to read. Finally, the app lets you choose the translation you want. I chose oneI’ve never tried before, compared that same reading selection to other versions and chose one I’ve never used before, and I like it very much. It’s modern language and understandable. This app was obviously put together by some very bright people whose hearts and minds are in the right place and I’m happy to support small American business while developing my own spiritual discipline oh and if something awful happens, you can always disable it with one click check all of your media and then go back to reading an emergency eject button!
— Janloh · September 26, 2026
PrayLock: Prayer Screen Time
Pray for yourself or the people you love to unlock your apps, with a swipeable Bible feed for when you want to scroll.
- Our score
- 6.8/10
- Platforms
- iOS, Mac, Apple Vision
- Tradition
- Protestant, Non-Denominational, Ecumenical
PrayLock's best idea is personal: you build a list of people you are praying for, and praying for them is what opens your apps. You can set it to unlock once a day or to ask for a short prayer before every session, and its Bible feed turns the swipe habit toward Scripture, one World English Bible verse per screen. It is actively developed and the annual plan is inexpensive. The catch is access. It is iPhone only, the listing marks most features as paid, reviewers describe a paywall at the end of setup they could not skip, and with about 390 ratings it is still a small app. Worth a look if praying for others is the habit you want to build.
What we like
- Its prayer list is a thoughtful twist: you keep the people you are praying for in one place, with a note for each, and pray for them to unlock your apps.
- Two modes cover both kinds of user: Daily Devotion unlocks your apps once a day, while Mindful Moments asks for a short prayer before each session (5 to 60 minutes).
- The Bible feed lets you doomscroll Scripture instead: the whole World English Bible, one verse per swipe, with study notes and cross references on key passages.
- Prayer length is adjustable from 5 seconds to 5 minutes, and you can choose to read three verses before you pray.
- It is actively maintained (updated in October 2026), and the annual plan is among the cheapest here at $9.99 to $39.99 a year.
What to know
- It is iPhone only, with no Android or dedicated iPad version.
- Reviewers describe being pushed to a subscription at the end of setup with no way to continue for free, and the listing marks most features as paid.
- With about 390 US App Store ratings, it has a much smaller track record than BibleScroll or Pray Screen Time.
- One subscriber reports the app freezing repeatedly and having to reinstall it three times in a few weeks.
- The only translation is the World English Bible, and the study notes cover key passages rather than the whole Bible.
Best for
iPhone users who want intercessory prayer, not just a verse, to be the toll for opening their apps.
Skip if
You use Android, want a free plan you can keep using, or want a modern English translation.
4 stars
Okay so the only reason I don’t like it is because it’s makes you pay to do anything else, other than that it’s fine.
— Sophia pepper · July 6, 2025
Pray Screen Time - Bible Focus
The most-rated pray-to-unlock app, with an ad-supported free version and a long gap since its last update.
- Our score
- 6.4/10
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Tradition
- Non-Denominational, Ecumenical
Pray Screen Time was early to the prayer lock idea, and its numbers show it: about 9,700 ratings at 4.9 stars on the App Store, plus an Android version. The core loop is short and easy to understand. Open a blocked app, read a prayer and a verse, tap through. The problem is everything around that loop. The app has not been updated on either store since September 19, 2025. Free users describe watching ads before they can finish a prayer, reviewers say the prayers repeat for weeks, and paying subscribers report being asked to pay again or locked out by glitches. At $7.99 to $9.99 a week or up to $59.99 a year, that is a lot to forgive. It still works, and it is still the name many people search for, but FaithLocked and Bible Mode do the same job with active development and no ads in front of your prayers.
What we like
- It has one of the largest followings in the category: a 4.9-star average across roughly 9,700 US App Store ratings, plus 10,000+ installs on Google Play.
- The mechanic is simple and quick: open a blocked app, read a short prayer and a verse, tap through, and your apps open.
- There is a free way in; reviewers describe an ad-supported free version alongside the paid Pro plan.
- It runs on both iPhone and Android, which most of the category does not.
- Morning prayer reminders, a daily verse, and a place to record or write your thoughts after each prayer give the app a small daily rhythm beyond the lock itself.
What to know
- It has not been updated on the App Store or Google Play since September 19, 2025, more than a year before this review, so treat it as unmaintained until that changes.
- Free users report watching at least two 30-second ads to finish a prayer, with ads sometimes glitching, and one Google Play reviewer flags inappropriate ads in a prayer app.
- Reviewers describe the same prayer repeating for weeks, and one says it served a prayer for the dead saints around Halloween that clashed with their convictions.
- Several paying subscribers say the app later asked them to pay again or watch ads, with the Restore button not fixing it, and others report locks that would not release.
- Pricing is steep for what it does: $7.99 to $9.99 a week or $19.99 to $59.99 a year, and reviewers repeatedly call the $50 to $60 annual price too high.
Best for
People who want the simplest possible pray-to-unlock gate, on iPhone or Android, and can live with ads or an annual fee.
Skip if
You want an actively maintained app, varied prayers, or a lock that will not make you sit through ads before you pray.
Schedule
I just got the app and I even paid for the yearly subscription. I think it’ll help! However, it is confusing that the apps are only blocked at certain times. Can we change the times? To me, it doesn’t make sense apps are blocked at midnight, when I’m already asleep. I thought it was going to be 24/7.
— Mackenzie Gilbreath · May 21, 2025
Bible Focus: Earn Screen Time
Earn coins by praying, taking Bible quizzes and checking into church, then spend them to unlock your apps.
- Our score
- 6.3/10
- Platforms
- iOS, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision
- Tradition
- Protestant, Non-Denominational, Ecumenical
Bible Focus turns screen time into a small economy. Apps you choose are locked by default, and you earn coins to open them by praying on a timer, taking Bible quizzes, scanning your physical Bible, or checking in at church through Maps. The longer you hold off, the pricier an unlock gets, which is a clever nudge. The 4.8-star average across about 1,200 ratings shows the idea lands with some people. But nearly everything is behind a subscription, there is no Bible reader in the app, recent reviews describe bugs and a stalled feel, the official site was down when we checked, and the pricing list runs to ten SKUs. It is an interesting take on the category rather than our first recommendation.
What we like
- It has the most varied way to earn screen time in the category: prayer and meditation timers, Bible quizzes at four difficulty levels, scanning your physical Bible, and checking in at church all earn coins.
- The cost of unlocking rises the longer you go without spending, so the economy quietly rewards staying off your phone.
- Apple's privacy label says the developer collects no data, and the listing says your block list stays on your device.
- Streaks, coin totals and time-reclaimed stats make progress visible, and one reviewer says seeing their streak each morning is a great way to start the day.
- It is actively updated (most recently in August 2026) and holds a 4.8-star average across about 1,200 US App Store ratings.
What to know
- It is effectively a hard paywall: the listing says all features need a subscription, and reviewers say the daily verse is all you get for free.
- There is no built-in Bible reader; reading only counts through a scan of your physical Bible, and one reviewer asks for a way to log reading time.
- The official website (trybiblefocus.com) was offline when we checked, and the developer name varies between Rewired LLC, Cracked Labs and an individual developer across Apple's listing.
- Recent reviews are mixed, describing bugs, AI-generated images and a feeling that the app has not grown much since an earlier version called Romans.
- Premium pricing is a sprawl of ten SKUs, from $4.99 a week to $79.99 a year, which makes it hard to know what you will be offered.
Best for
Teens and young adults who are motivated by points, streaks and quizzes, and who want church attendance and prayer to count toward screen time.
Skip if
You want to read the Bible inside the app, try it for free, or know exactly who is behind the subscription you are buying.
Pros / Cons
First I’m going to say this app is very helpful. I personally don’t use it to block apps though, I think that’s more about discipline and you shouldn’t have to rely on an app for that, but if you want it it’s a great feature. I like how the app keeps track of how much time u have spent with God but one thing that should be added is the ability to log time that u read the Bible for
— Jbro4851749 · May 25, 2026
Why Warmpeach is not on this list
Warmpeach is an AI Bible chat app that blends a pastor's care with a therapist's questions, grounding every reply in Scripture. It is not an app blocker, so it does not belong in this ranking, and it is waitlist-only today, so it is not a recommendation either. If what you are after is a phone that points you toward God instead of the feed, the habit a prayer lock builds and a conversation grounded in Scripture can work well together. The waitlist is below if you want to hear when Warmpeach is ready to try.
Join the Warmpeach waitlist →Verdict
Warmpeach — coming soon
A Bible chat app — pastor and therapist in one.
Warmpeach is a Bible chat app that blends a pastor's care with a therapist's questions, grounding every reply in scripture. Join the waitlist and we'll email you when it opens up.
Sources
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Bible Mode: Reduce Screen Time, US App Store listing (unlock method, free version, pricing, ratings, user reviews). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible-mode-reduce-screen-time/id6744124873
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Bible Mode official site and Terms of Service (Bible Chat powered by OpenAI's API). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://www.biblemode.app/
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Bible Widget: FaithLocked, US App Store listing (prayer-time locks, free plan, pricing, ratings). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible-widget-faithlocked/id6764309082
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FaithLocked, Google Play listing (Android app blocking, ratings). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.faithlocked.android
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FaithLocked official site and terms (Google Gemini prayers, on-device verse checks). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://www.faithlocked.app/en
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Bible Break: Screen Time Limit, US App Store listing (verse-per-minute unlock, Premium features, pricing, user reviews). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible-break-screen-time-limit/id6755405918
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Bible Break, Google Play listing. Accessed 2026-10-12. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codebycutting.biblebreak
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BibleScroll: Christian Focus, US App Store listing (read-for-minutes unlock, trial, pricing, user reviews). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/biblescroll-christian-focus/id6755406222
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BibleScroll, Google Play listing (install count). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bepresent.biblescroll
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PrayLock: Prayer Screen Time, US App Store listing (prayer list, unlock modes, pricing, user reviews). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/praylock-prayer-screen-time/id6741477596
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Pray Screen Time - Bible Focus, US App Store listing (unlock flow, last update, ratings, user reviews). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pray-screen-time-bible-focus/id6737241669
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Pray Screen Time, Google Play listing (Android app blocking, last update). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fkr.prayscreen
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Bible Focus: Earn Screen Time, US App Store listing (coin economy, subscription, pricing). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible-focus-earn-screen-time/id6747103808
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Apple Developer Documentation, Screen Time technology frameworks (Family Controls, Managed Settings, Device Activity). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/screentimeapidocumentation
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Apple Developer Documentation, Family Controls (individual vs. guardian authorization). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/familycontrols
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Haven Bible Chat, US App Store listing (current description). Accessed 2026-10-11. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/haven-bible-chat/id6503387382
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Bible Chat Lock: App Blocker, US App Store listing (Book Vitals Inc., released 2026-10-02, no ratings yet). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6814801984
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prayer lock: christian focus, former US App Store listing (returned "not found" on 2026-10-11 and 2026-10-12). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6744703926
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US monthly search volume for "prayer lock" and "prayer lock app", Keywords Everywhere and Google Keyword Planner. Accessed 2026-10.
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Warmpeach research notes, October 2026: a scan of Christian app-lock and Bible chat apps on the US App Store and Google Play, and an analysis of 6,699 Haven App Store and Google Play reviews. Internal archive.