Ripple
Phone Limits for Easily Distracted and ADHD Adults and Kids
If you get distracted easily, including if you have ADHD, picking up the phone to check the time can turn into half an hour. Holding back every single time is tiring and does not always work. The first part below is for adults limiting their own phone. The second part is for parents setting limits on a child's phone. Ripple is only an app blocker and does not replace diagnosis or care from a doctor.
Adults limiting their own phone
List the apps you cannot put down
Short video apps, social apps, games and shopping apps. Everything else keeps working.
A schedule that follows your day
For example closed from 9 AM to noon and 2 PM to 6 PM on workdays and after 11 PM, so you do not have to decide each time you pick up the phone.
Android: a small daily allowance
Give one app a daily limit such as 30 minutes. When it runs out the app stays closed for the day.
iPhone: block on a schedule
On iOS 16 and later the apps are blocked on a schedule through Apple's Screen Time frameworks, and the block keeps working even if Ripple is closed. The iPhone version has no daily limits yet.
A pause before you give in
Turning off or loosening a limit starts a 15 minute cooldown, and you can give the unlock code to a partner or roommate.
Parents of a child who struggles to focus
Homework and bedtime
For example games and short video apps closed from 6:30 PM to 9 PM on school days and all entertainment apps closed after 9:30 PM, with weekends set separately.
Clock changes and uninstalling do nothing
On Android time is counted from device uptime, see the clock change page, and uninstall protection can be turned on right on the phone. On iPhone turn on the block on deleting apps, see the iPhone page.
Agree on the rules together
Talk with your child about when and how long they can play, then set it up. The parent keeps the unlock code for changes.
Setup steps
Install Ripple
On Android install the APK and turn on the accessibility service. On iPhone you need iOS 16 or later and Screen Time permission.
Choose the apps you cannot put down
Short video apps, social apps, games and shopping apps.
Set a schedule around your day
For example closed during work or homework hours and after 11 PM. On Android you can add a daily limit for apps you want to keep a little time for.
Give the unlock code to someone else
A partner, family member or roommate for your own phone, a parent for a child's phone.
Turn on uninstall protection
On Android enable the on-device uninstall guard. On iPhone enable the block on deleting apps.
FAQ
I get distracted easily and lose an hour every time I pick up my phone. How can Ripple help?
Put the apps you cannot put down on the list and block them on a schedule, for example during work hours and at night. On Android you can also give one app a daily limit. The apps stay closed even when the phone is right next to you, so you do not have to rely on willpower each time. The iPhone version blocks these apps on a schedule.
Is Ripple an ADHD treatment?
No. It is not a treatment and does not replace diagnosis or care from a doctor. It only limits the apps you choose on your phone.
What if I turn the limit off on impulse?
Turning off or loosening a limit starts a 15 minute cooldown first. You can also give the unlock code to a partner, family member or roommate.
Will my calendar, alarms and reminders be blocked?
No. Only the apps on the list are blocked. Calendar, alarms, notes, maps, payments and the browser keep working.
Can parents use it for a child who struggles to focus on homework?
Yes. Set homework and bedtime schedules on the child's phone and keep the unlock code yourself. On Android time is counted from device uptime, so changing the clock does not help, and uninstall protection can be turned on right on the phone. On iPhone the block on deleting apps stops long press removal.
Can my child still message me?
Yes. Messaging apps you leave off the list keep working on both Android and iPhone.