Pray Screen Time - Bible Focus Review
By Sankalp Jonna · Last reviewed October 12, 2026
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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 →
Our verdict
We would not pick Pray Screen Time today. The core idea still works for plenty of people, and the 9,700-rating average shows how many found it useful early on. But the app has not been updated on either store since September 19, 2025, and reviews written since then still describe ads before prayers, prayers that repeat for weeks, and subscribers asked to pay again. If you already use it and it works, keep going, but think twice before renewing an annual plan. If you are choosing now, FaithLocked does the same pray-to-unlock job on iPhone and Android with a no-ads free plan and recent updates, and Bible Mode is the stronger iPhone pick.
Is Pray Screen Time free, and is it still maintained?
Is it still maintained? Not visibly. Pray Screen Time's last update on both the App Store and Google Play shipped on September 19, 2025, more than a year before this review, and nothing has shipped since.¹² The app still installs and runs, but treat it as unmaintained until a new version appears.
Is it free? It is free to download, and reviewers describe an ad-supported free version where you watch ads to finish a prayer.⁴ Pray Screen Pro removes the ads; the App Store lists Pro purchases from $7.99 to $59.99.¹
Does it work? For many people it did. The app holds a 4.9-star average across about 9,700 US App Store ratings.¹ But the reviews written since the last update still describe ads before prayers, prayers repeating for weeks, and subscribers asked to pay again.²⁴
What Pray Screen Time actually is
Pray Screen Time is published by Manifest Automation, Inc, and the app's copyright line reads Pray Screen Inc.¹ It was first released on the App Store on November 15, 2024, runs on iPhone with iOS 17 or later, and has an Android version that uses the Accessibility Service API to detect and block apps.¹² The official site, prayscreen.com, is a one-line landing page linking to the terms and privacy policy.³
The idea is the simplest in the category. Each time you open an app you have blocked, you are prompted to pause and pray before it unlocks.¹ The App Store subtitle lists other apps' names (Opal, Hallow, Glorify) as search keywords; Pray Screen Time is not made by any of them.¹
The update gap
The most recent version, 3.9.4 on iPhone, shipped on September 19, 2025, with release notes that only mention small improvements, bug fixes, and stability.¹ Google Play shows the same date.² As of October 12, 2026, that is more than a year without an update on either store.
That matters more for a lock app than for most. A lock depends on Apple's Screen Time and Android's Accessibility rules, both of which change with new operating system versions. The reviews since the last update are not reassuring. A reviewer the day after it shipped said the app still asked them to pay again or watch ads after they had paid, and that the Restore button did nothing.⁴ Later reviews describe repeating prayers and ads that glitch.²⁴
Day-to-day features
The prayer gate
Open a blocked app and you get a short prayer and a verse, then tap through. One reviewer timed the prayer at about 15 seconds and wished they could block apps for longer afterward.⁴
Scheduled prompts
Reviewers describe the lock applying at set times of day rather than around the clock. One says they pray three times a day; another says it only prompted them once a day; a third was confused that apps were blocked at midnight and asked to change the times.⁴ The listing says you can set the frequency and choose which apps are blocked.¹
Verse and reminders
The listing describes a daily Bible verse and a morning reminder to begin the day with prayer.¹ It files the app lock, the morning routine, the daily verse, and customizable reminders all under "Paid Features."¹
Other features on Android
The last Google Play release notes mention improvements to "CrossTalk and Bible Chat" and to a Prayer Wall.² Neither store description explains these, and we could not confirm what they include.
Where it stands out
A large following. About 9,700 US App Store ratings at 4.9 stars, and 10,000+ Google Play downloads at 4.8 stars.¹²
Simple and quick. The prayer gate takes seconds, which suits people who want a nudge rather than a session.⁴
iPhone and Android. Most prayer lock apps are iPhone-only.¹²
Where it falls short
No updates since September 2025. Covered above, and the biggest reason to look elsewhere.¹²
Ads in front of prayer. A free user says you watch at least two 30-second ads to finish a prayer and unlock your apps, sometimes up to two minutes when ads glitch.⁴ A July 2026 Google Play reviewer says the ads included an "AI girlfriend" ad, which they found jarring in a prayer app.²
Repetitive prayers. Reviewers describe the same prayer for weeks. One got a Hallows Eve prayer for the dead saints on repeat around Halloween, which clashed with their convictions.⁴
Billing and lock glitches. Paying subscribers report being asked to pay again or watch ads, apps staying locked after praying, and the app stopping working after a month. The developer's replies point to the Restore button and to a fix in a newer version.⁴
Privacy. Apple's privacy label says identifiers may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites.¹ Google Play's data safety section says the Android app may share location, personal info, and other data with third parties, and that data cannot be deleted.² The privacy policy, dated October 2024, says the company does not share personal information except for legal or safety reasons.³
The pricing reality
As of October 12, 2026 the App Store lists ten "Pray Screen Pro" purchases at $7.99, $9.99, $19.99, $29.99, $39.99, $49.99, and $59.99, all with the same name.¹ Apple does not show which are weekly and which are yearly. What reviewers and the developer say:
- Weekly: a reviewer quotes $7.99 a week⁴
- Yearly: the developer describes a 3-day free trial then "a $50 a year plan," and reviewers report paying $40, $50, and $60 for a year⁴
- On Google Play, reviewers mention $60 and $70 a year²
We could not confirm the billing period of the $9.99 and $19.99 options. At $7.99 a week you would pay about $415 over a year, so the yearly plan is the only one that makes sense, and for an app with no update in over a year we would not prepay. For comparison, FaithLocked has a free plan with no ads and Bible Mode is free to start.⁵⁶
All paid plans visible on the Pray Screen Time - Bible Focus App Store listing. Free trials and intro pricing may vary by region.
Weekly
- Pray Screen Pro - Weekly$7.99–$9.99
Yearly
- Pray Screen Pro - Yearly$19.99–$59.99
Who else should consider it
Existing users whose setup works. There is no urgent reason to switch, but check the renewal date.
People who want the shortest possible prayer gate. Its prayers take seconds, not minutes.⁴
Android users comparing options. FaithLocked is the better-maintained Android choice, but Pray Screen Time is one of the few others.²
Our final word
Pray Screen Time was early to the prayer lock idea (it launched in November 2024), and its rating count shows how many people tried it. But an app that has not been updated in more than a year, puts ads in front of prayer on its free version, and draws repeated billing complaints is hard to recommend when maintained alternatives exist. If it works for you, keep using it and avoid prepaying. If you are choosing today, start with FaithLocked on iPhone or Android, or Bible Mode on iPhone.
Best for
People who want the simplest pray-to-unlock gate on iPhone or Android and can live with ads or an annual fee.
Skip if
Anyone who wants an actively maintained app, varied prayers, or a lock that does not put ads in front of prayer.
What real users say
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
When it works it’s great…
I’ll start by saying have the latest software update. I paid for the year subscription only a few months ago, and up until recently it’s been great. Recently it seems they have rolled out with a free version with ads (which is great!), however it’s asking me to either watch the ad to continue using for free, or pay for the subscription. I’ve already paid my year subscription, and haven’t even used half of it yet. I’m not paying for it again after only about 3 months, and unless these bugs get fixed I probably won’t even use the free version. When it’s working it’s actually a really great tool to help me unplug from doom-scrolling and reconnect with God throughout the day…but it’s glitching so much it’s almost not usable anymore. Hope it fixes soon.
— T. Head · May 6, 2025
So many ads, same prayer every time
Have used this app for a few months now. you need to watch a minimum of two 30 second ads just to complete the prayer and unlock your apps. but sometimes the ads glitch and you can be watching upwards of 2 minutes of ads. The app also gets stuck in loops where it gives you the same prayer every single time for weeks, which is a lot given you have to do it 3 times a day. I stop reading the prayer at this point because I have it memorized (which in hindsight is probably a good thing) but sometimes it can get stuck on weird prayers. I had this glitch around Halloween and it kept giving me a prayer about Hallows Eve and praying for the dead saints, which is unbiblical (Ecc. 9:5-6). I have no intention of praying to dead humans instead of Christ. Great app in theory but poor execution.
— Evabawesome · December 23, 2025
I love it but there are Major glitches
I have a subscription with this app and it was always giving me the quotes at the right time but one day last month it skipped a time and then showed up 10 minutes later and all my apps were locked I read it I clicked the button, I even unblocked the apps from this app but my apps were still locked I didn’t know what was going on so I deleted it and re downloaded it. My subscription is still active but when I go back on the app it’s asking for another subscription. And it doesn’t give me the option to log in or add a previous one so I will cancel my active subscription. And come back maybe when the glitch’s are fixed
— Danella.A · April 18, 2025
$32 A Month????
I rarely if not ever write a review for anything but I felt like I should for this. First I think this app could be very useful and helpful for anyone that wants to grow closer to God and further away for social media and the distractions that come from it. But second, asking someone to pay/subscribe for an app isn’t brand new or out of the norm these days, but paying $7.99 A WEEK is really expensive. That’s roughly $32 A MONTH and $384 A YEAR!!! That’s outrageous for something that’s supposedly to help people to get closer to God. In my personal opinion, it should be free, you shouldn’t take money from people if you honestly want to bring people closer to God. But I completely understand that apps cost money to make and maintain, so I wouldn’t be mad at a price/subscription, but $7.99 A WEEK is outrageous.
— ShaquilleQ · January 17, 2025
Alternatives we considered
Compare Pray Screen Time - Bible Focus to other Bible apps
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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Pray Screen Time - Bible Focus, App Store listing (description, paid features, in-app purchases, ratings, version history, privacy label, developer). Checked 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pray-screen-time-bible-focus/id6737241669
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Pray Screen Time - Bible Focus, Google Play listing (last update date, release notes, data safety, downloads, rating, reviews). Checked 2026-10-12. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fkr.prayscreen
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Pray Screen, official site, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy (effective October 14, 2024). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://prayscreen.com/
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Pray Screen Time - Bible Focus, US App Store customer reviews and developer responses (ads, repeating prayers, billing and lock glitches, pricing), read 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pray-screen-time-bible-focus/id6737241669?see-all=reviews
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Bible Widget: FaithLocked, App Store listing (free plan, no ads, recent updates). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible-widget-faithlocked/id6764309082
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Bible Mode: Reduce Screen Time, App Store listing (free with in-app purchases). Accessed 2026-10-12. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible-mode-reduce-screen-time/id6744124873