About Discipline Lock
Discipline Lock is an iPhone app that ties access to distracting apps to exercise. Instead of a timer or an honor system, it reads your Apple Workout sessions and only unlocks the chosen apps once the day's goals are complete, which makes the rule harder to talk yourself out of.
You pick a workout type, set a target such as distance or duration, and choose which apps to lock. You can stack several goals, and all of them must be closed before any app opens. Strictness can be scaled from 70 percent up to 100 percent of the target, and a limited weekly emergency override is the only escape hatch.
It works best with an Apple Watch and requires iOS 17 or later. Discipline Lock is a commercial subscription product with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers, aimed at people who have found other app blockers too easy to disable.
Key features
- Locks chosen apps until workouts are complete
- Verifies activity through Apple Workout sessions
- Multiple daily goals that must all close
- Adjustable strictness from 70 to 100 percent
- Limited weekly emergency override
Good fit for
- →Cutting phone time by earning app access through exercise
- →Building a daily workout habit with a firm rule
- Tags
- app-blocker
- screen-time
- ios
- fitness
- habits
- apple-watch
- focus
Discipline Lock: questions and answers
- What is Discipline Lock used for?
- Discipline Lock is an iOS app blocker that keeps selected apps locked until you finish verified Apple workouts, aimed at people who bypass ordinary screen-time limits. It is a good fit for cutting phone time by earning app access through exercise and building a daily workout habit with a firm rule.
- How much does Discipline Lock cost?
- Discipline Lock is a paid product with no free plan. Seven-day free trial for new subscribers, then plans from $6.99 a month; cancel anytime.
- Is Discipline Lock open source?
- No. Discipline Lock is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. In the Productivity category, open-source options include Foqos, NetNewsWire and Wger.
Open-source alternatives to Discipline Lock
See all
Foqos
Productivity
Foqos allows you to lock apps behind the tap of a NFC tag or scan of a QR code. Free and o
MITvs Freedom★ 849
NetNewsWire
Productivity
RSS reader for macOS and iOS.
MITvs Feedly★ 10k
Wger
Productivity
Self hosted FLOSS fitness/workout, nutrition and weight tracker
AGPL-3.0★ 7k
SparkyFitness
Productivity
SparkyFitness: Built for Families. Powered by AI. Track food, fitness, water, and health —
OSS★ 6.2kLoop Habit Tracker
Productivity
Loop Habit Tracker, a mobile app for creating and maintaining long-term positive habits
GPL-3.0vs Streaks★ 10k
Moodist
Productivity
Ambient sounds for focus and calm.
MIT★ 3.9k
SaaS alternatives to Discipline Lock
See all
Freedom
Productivity
Distraction blocker for websites and apps across devices
SaaS
Forest
Productivity
Focus timer app that grows a virtual tree while you avoid your phone
SaaS
Dia Key
Productivity
Mobile app that blocks distracting apps and includes a journal
SaaS
Clocked Out
Productivity
iOS app that blocks distracting apps at night to protect your sleep and build a streak
SaaS
DeadBolt
Productivity
Locks distracting apps until you finish your tasks
SaaS
DeepLock
Productivity
Android app blocker that enforces daily limits, focus sessions and sleep guard
SaaS

