How to Block Apps at Bedtime on iPhone and Android

By the Snitch team, behavioural science experts from Imperial College London #sleep#iphone#android

"Just checking one thing before bed" is how 11pm becomes 1am. How to lock apps automatically at night with Downtime, Bedtime mode and Focus mode.

Made by the team behind Snitch. The built-in methods are free. Snitch comes in at the end. We're not sleep experts; this is about building habits, not medical advice. How we write these guides

“Just checking one thing before bed” is how 11pm becomes 1am. Here’s how to lock apps automatically at night.

iPhone: Downtime (free)

  1. Settings, then Screen Time, then Downtime.
  2. Turn on Scheduled and set your hours, e.g. 10 to 7am.
  3. Go back to Screen Time, then Always Allowed, and keep only what you need: Phone, Messages, your alarm.
  4. Set a Screen Time passcode (Lock Screen Time Settings) and turn on Block at Downtime, ideally with a passcode someone else holds. Otherwise you can tap past Downtime.

On iOS 27, Downtime is called Screen Time Schedule: Settings, then Screen Time, then Screen Time Schedule, then Add Schedule. Always Allowed hasn’t moved.

Android: Bedtime mode and Focus mode (free)

  1. Settings, then Digital Wellbeing & parental controls, then Bedtime mode (on newer Pixels it’s under Settings, then Modes; on Samsung it’s Sleep, under Modes and Routines).
  2. Set your schedule and turn on greyscale.
  3. For a harder block, set Focus mode on the same schedule with your social apps added.

Habits that make it easier

  • Charge your phone outside the bedroom. Buy a cheap alarm clock.
  • Put your phone on greyscale from 9pm.
  • Swap the scroll for something offline: a book, a podcast with the screen off.

Make it social (Snitch)

Late-night scrolling is when willpower is lowest. In Snitch, your group shares a daily time pot, so a 1am TikTok session eats into your friends’ time. Knowing they’ll see it is a strong reason to put the phone down. You can also set focus hours, like late at night, when apps can’t be unlocked without the group’s OK. Works on iPhone and Android.

Try Snitch with your friends →