I finally beat my ‘scrolling’ addiction with this one productivity app

I used to waste hours of my day on user-driven content posted on Reddit. While my Reddit addiction hasn’t been as bad as of late, it can still be a rabbit hole for me that is very easy to fall back into.

I resolved the issue by not saving my Reddit account credentials on my other computers. But I still keep them saved to the Reddit app. Unfortunately, that also means my scrolling addiction gets re-ignited.

So I thought to myself, instead of immediately cutting out my addiction, I should monitor it. I already use the built-in Do Not Disturb mode to reduce notifications and pair it with bedtime mode to keep my screen time under control.

So this time, I wanted to try something different. I wanted to see if I could find an app that can act a bit like a disciplinary coach or a mediator.

Since logically, I can still achieve a work-life balance by allowing myself to scroll through Reddit, but in moderation.

I downloaded a new app for my trusty Samsung Galaxy phone after checking out a recommended list. The one that I liked using was StayFree.

StayFree is a screen time control app that works on Android, iOS/iPadOS, desktop, and WearOS. It offers cross-device synchronization so you can transfer app restriction settings across multiple ecosystems.

Setting actual time limits proved effective

Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police

Finding an app that didn’t just focus on blocking video feeds was the biggest challenge. For me, addiction comes from reading.

I love reading and interacting with posts, and social apps like Discord or Reddit threads are great at scratching that itch.

So really, I needed an app that targeted my issues without being too premium and restrictive. I finally found one that worked: StayFree.

StayFree works a lot like Google’s Digital Wellbeing for how it handles screen time. Like Digital Wellbeing, StayFree shows your real-time app usage.

StayFree displays the app usage stats for today, yesterday, the last 7 days, the last 14 days, and the last 28 days, along with a limited custom period.

It will show the total app time split by mobile app, mobile web, and desktop app, along with the total usage underneath.

The feature I used to control my Reddit time was Usage Limits.

Tapping Add Usage Limit gave me two options: Apps, Websites, or Categories or Block Keywords.

Block Keywords served as a filter. So if you have certain content feeds that are more addictive, for example, pet and food videos, you can use this section to control what you see to limit your scrolling.

The Apps, Websites, or Categories section lets you block the app entirely, set a schedule, or create a timer.

This proved helpful. Since I like scrolling Reddit over lunch and dinner, I would either create a schedule that blocks time on Reddit after lunch until dinner, or set a timer.

If you want to set a timer, selecting the Enable variable session limits option prompts you to choose how long you want to spend on an app or website each time you open it.

For me, 10 minutes is plenty of time to check my feed, so I chose that, but if you want to spend only a few minutes or an hour, you can do that too.

The other option, which I consider somewhat more therapeutic, is Set a Daily Usage Limit.

That’s a tool I relied on when I found myself overusing an app. I had that problem recently while experimenting with the Character.AI platform.

I used the app a bit too much when I was bored and bedridden from the flu. Using that app helped pass the time. But I had failed to do it in moderation, since I still needed time to properly rest.

I could have definitely used StayFree to set daily limits, so I wouldn’t overdo it.

Luckily, I don’t have much of an issue with Reddit (I scroll a lot for news and leaks, and because I kept up, I wasn’t too behind on the latest content), so it was a feature I used far less.

Overall, I like the different control methods the app offers, since they can help me achieve short- and long-term goals for managing my screen time effectively with addictive apps like Reddit and Character.AI.

Minimalist app that targets doomscrolling

Credit: Google Play Store

I tried a second app, called Scroll Guard. The app specializes in filtering out addictive content.

The problem with Scroll Guard was that it just wasn’t very useful for me, since the content I was addicted to was my saved Subreddits.

Still, I found the concept interesting and helpful. The app is designed to block feeds like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok.

Though for me, that’s not personally helpful since the app I’m targeting to reduce my screen time with is Reddit.

But I know that short-form video content can be addictive due to how they trigger dopamine releases in the brain. It targets the brain’s natural reward system, driving cravings and compulsive behavior in response to triggers.

Those apps, like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, that specialize in short-form video content, are great triggers for this.

Generally, those apps have an infinite-scroll feature, so an app like Scroll Guard can help keep the endless scrolling of new content at bay, limiting your time appropriately.

Another similar app to Scroll Guard is No Scroll. No Scroll blocks video feeds, but unlike Scroll Guard, it supports more platforms and has other custom features.

But from my experience, No Scroll had a lot of intrusive ads — the frequency was high enough that it made me want to use the app less.

As much as I’d love to tell people to just stay off their phones, I can’t. Over the years, I have realized how important and invaluable having a smartphone is.

It’s how I stay connected to the world, my friends, and my family, and how I access my general productivity tools to improve my workflow.

So really, staying off your phone isn’t feasible. That’s why I’ve been searching for apps that can help me resist scrolling endlessly without completely blocking out my time.

If these apps don’t work for you, there are plenty of screen time control options that work similarly but offer other gimmicks to strengthen your focus.