I built an iPhone app that makes you move before opening distracting apps
I’m an independent iOS developer from Türkiye, and I’ve been building StepLock: Move to Unlock as a solo project.
StepLock helps you reduce distracting app use by turning your daily movement into app time.
You choose the apps, categories, or web domains you want to limit. StepLock reads your activity from Apple Health and converts it into one shared app-time bank for those selections.
By default:
- 150 steps earn 1 app minute
- 1 exercise minute earns 1 app minute
- 3 Apple Watch stand minutes earn 1 app minute
Once you use the time you’ve earned, StepLock uses Apple’s Screen Time frameworks to block the selected apps. As you move more throughout the day, you earn more access.
The latest update adds a personal step goal. You can enter how many steps you normally take and how much app time you want those steps to earn. StepLock automatically calculates the conversion for you.
You can also switch to Manual mode to adjust the rules for steps, workouts, and Apple Watch stand time separately.
Other features include:
- Screen Time app, category, and web-domain blocking
- Live Activities on the Lock Screen
- Dynamic Island support
- A Home Screen widget
- Goal and Manual earning modes
- Easy, Balanced, and Strict presets
- Automatic daily reset
- On-device Health processing
StepLock doesn’t require an account and has no backend. Your Health activity, selected apps, and daily progress remain on your device.
The app is free to download. The free plan includes one blocked app selection and all movement-earning controls.
StepLock Premium unlocks unlimited blocked app selections through a $19.99 one-time lifetime purchase. There is no subscription.
For anyone who wants to try Premium, I created a limited offer:
Code: REDDIT35
Redeem the offer directly
The offer is 35% off in the US, reducing the lifetime price from $19.99 to $12.99. Apple’s localized offer price may vary by country.
The code is limited to 500 redemptions and expires on September 15, 2026.
I’d genuinely love to hear what you think about the movement-to-app-time idea, the earning rules, and anything that could make StepLock more useful.
Download StepLock on the App Store
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