Focus app for iPhone

A focus app for iPhone that blocks the apps you reach for.

Calma is a focus app for iPhone that blocks the apps you choose, like Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, for a focus session of 15 to 180 minutes or on a schedule such as weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM. Apple's Focus mode silences notifications. Calma rests the apps themselves, and the session ends on its own.

Download on the App Store How Calma helps you focus
  • Free trial
  • Data stays on your iPhone
  • No ads

Why focus breaks on iPhone

Silencing notifications is only half of focusing.

Focus on iPhone usually breaks in one of two ways: something buzzes, or you pick up the phone and open an app out of habit. Apple's Focus mode is built for the first one.

  • Focus mode quiets alerts, not apps

    Apple's iPhone User Guide (iOS 26 and iOS 27) says you can use Focus to temporarily silence all notifications, or allow only specific notifications. A Focus can also switch to a Home Screen page you choose and add filters, but the guide doesn't describe any setting that keeps an app from opening.

  • The pull often comes from you

    No alert needed. A paragraph gets hard, the phone is on the desk, and a feed is one tap away. A silent phone still opens Instagram.

  • A timer counts, it doesn't close anything

    A plain focus timer shows how long you've worked. Unless it also uses Screen Time to block apps, every app stays one tap away while it counts down.

How Calma helps you focus

Pick the apps, pick the minutes, start.

Calma uses Apple's Screen Time to block the apps you choose, so iOS applies the block and it keeps working when Calma is closed. Every app you didn't pick works as usual.

  • Choose the apps that pull you away

    Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, or any app on your iPhone. Pick a few apps or a whole category.

  • Start a focus session

    Set anywhere from 15 to 180 minutes, or tap a shortcut: 25, 50 or 90. The session ends on its own when the time is up.

  • Meet a calm screen, not a feed

    Open a blocked app mid-session and you see [App] is resting. with one button, Back to calm. No streaks, no scores, no guilt messages.

  • End early only on purpose

    If you truly need out, ending a session early takes a 3-second hold. It's a deliberate step, not a lock you can't undo.

  • Or let a schedule start it for you

    For focus that repeats, use a routine like Work Focus (Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM) or Study Time, and the apps rest during those hours without you starting anything.

Your options

Calma, Apple's Focus mode or a focus timer?

Each one does a different job, and they work fine side by side. The difference is what happens when you reach for a distracting app.

Focus apps for iPhone, compared
Feature Focus modebuilt into iOS A focus timer appPomodoro style
Silences notifications No, Calma doesn't change notificationsYes: silence all of them, or allow only the people and apps you pickDepends on the app
Stops you opening distracting apps Yes: a blocked app shows [App] is resting.No. Apple's guide covers notifications, Lock Screen, Home Screen and filters, not blocking appsOnly if it also uses Screen Time to block apps. A plain timer doesn't
Timed sessions 15 to 180 minutes (shortcuts 25, 50, 90), ending on their ownOn until you turn it off, or turned on by a time, a place or an app you openYes, often in work and break cycles
Repeats on a schedule Yes: routines like Work Focus, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PMYes, with a scheduleDepends on the app
Ending early A 3-second holdTurn it off at any timeStop the timer
Devices iPhone only (iOS 18 or later)iPhone, and your other Apple devices with Share Across DevicesDepends on the app
Cost Calma Pro, 3-day free trial for eligible new subscribers. US: $3.99/week, $9.99/month or $39.99/year (November 2026)FreeFree and paid options
Swipe the table sideways to compare.

Focus mode is free and worth setting up for notifications. A timer is the better fit if you want work and break cycles, which Calma doesn't run. If the problem is opening the apps yourself, Calma is the piece that rests them.

Honest fit

Is Calma the right focus app for you?

Calma fits if

  • Your focus breaks when you pick up the phone, not only when it buzzes.

  • You want a set block of time, like 25 or 50 minutes, when Instagram or YouTube simply doesn't open.

  • Your focus hours repeat, like weekday mornings or study evenings, and you'd rather set them once.

  • You want a way out that takes a deliberate step, without streaks or scores.

Calma is not for you if

  • You want a lock you truly can't undo. Calma lets you end a session early with a 3-second hold, so a hard blocker fits better.

  • You need to block websites. Calma blocks apps, not websites.

  • You want it on iPad, Mac or Android. Calma is iPhone only (iOS 18 or later).

  • You only need quieter notifications, or you don't want to pay. Focus mode is free and already on your iPhone.

Keep reading

Sources (checked November 9, 2026): Apple iPhone User Guide, Set up a Focus (iOS 27) and (iOS 26); Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances (iOS 27) and Screen Time schedules (iOS 26).

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Write to contact@aasntech.com. A real person answers.

What is the best focus app for iPhone?

It depends on what breaks your focus. If notifications are the problem, Apple's Focus mode is free and built in. If you want work and break cycles, a Pomodoro-style timer fits. If you keep opening Instagram, TikTok or YouTube yourself, you need something that blocks the apps for a set time, which is what Calma does.

Can iPhone Focus mode block apps?

Not by itself. Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 26 and iOS 27 describes Focus as a way to silence or allow notifications, with optional Lock Screen, Home Screen and filter changes. To limit the apps themselves, Apple's tool is Screen Time: Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances in iOS 27, called Downtime and App Limits in iOS 26. Calma uses Screen Time to block the apps you pick during a session or a schedule.

Is there a focus timer app that blocks apps on iPhone?

Yes, that's how Calma works. Pick the apps and the minutes (anywhere from 15 to 180, or a shortcut of 25, 50 or 90), and the apps rest until the session ends on its own. Calma doesn't run work and break cycles like a Pomodoro timer. When you're ready for another round, start a new session.

Can I use Calma and Focus mode together?

Yes. They do different jobs: Focus mode quiets notifications, and Calma rests the apps you choose. For example, turn on Apple's Work Focus for alerts and start a 50-minute Calma session for Instagram and YouTube.

Does a focus session keep working if I close Calma?

Yes. Calma uses Apple's Screen Time to apply its blocks, so they keep working when Calma isn't open.

Can I get past a block?

Sometimes, on purpose. A focus session can be ended early with a 3-second hold. Any Moment can be switched off in the app. Open-limit rules show an Open app button.

Scheduled Moments and daily limits only offer Back to calm on the block screen, so stepping past them means switching the Moment off in Calma first.

Does Calma block websites?

No. Calma blocks apps. To limit websites in Safari, use Screen Time's own Content & Privacy Restrictions in Settings.

Is Calma free?

Calma is free to download, and blocking needs Calma Pro. Eligible new subscribers can try it free for 3 days. After the trial, Calma Pro renews weekly, monthly or yearly. The App Store shows the exact price in your currency before you confirm, and you can cancel anytime in Settings.

Give your next 50 minutes to one thing.

Pick the apps, pick the minutes, and let them rest until the session ends. Free to download, with a 3-day free trial of Calma Pro.

Download on the App Store
  • Free trial
  • Data stays on your iPhone
  • No ads