Mental Wellbeing: Focus Mode, Paused Apps and App usage limits
Set an app time limit on Android, pause an app until you are ready for it, or keep distracting apps out of reach while you focus. The tools are free; Focus Mode schedules are part of Applore Pro.
Free on Google Play · Android 8.0 and up
What it does
Applore’s wellbeing tools sit in the Mental Wellbeing card on the Home screen. A green dot shows which ones are on.
Focus Mode
Choose your distracting apps. While Focus Mode is on, opening one of them shows a full-screen block that sends you back to the home screen. With Applore Pro, you can add schedules: the days and times Focus Mode switches on, each with its own group of apps. A schedule that runs past midnight may not start, so split it into two: one that ends at 23:59 and one that starts at 00:00.
Paused Apps
Pause an app you want a break from. Opening it shows a block screen until you unpause it. Pauses do not end on their own.
App usage limits
Set a daily time limit for any app, from minutes to hours. Applore checks your use when you open or switch to the app. Once today’s use passes the limit, a block screen appears then, so an app you are already using is not closed the moment the limit passes. Setting the limit to zero removes it.
Super Focus Mode
A full-screen focus timer. While it runs, you keep quick access to calls, contacts and messages. It does not lock the phone or turn off other apps: leaving the screen ends it.
Activity stats
The Activity tab shows your screen time and app launches, notifications per app, and files created per day, with daily, weekly and hourly views of what Android has recorded. There are no reports or trend charts.
How it works
- Open Applore and find the Mental Wellbeing card on the Home screen.
- Allow Usage access when Applore asks. Android shows this in its own settings screen.
- Allow Display over other apps, so the block screen can appear on top of an app.
- For a limit, tap App usage limits, tap an app and choose hours and minutes.
- For Focus Mode, tap Focus Mode, select your distracting apps and switch it on.
- With Applore Pro, add a schedule in Focus Mode: pick days, a start and end time or all day, and the apps.
- Optional: turn on Applore’s accessibility service when asked, so the block screen appears straight away. It reads only the name of the app in front. Without it, Applore uses usage access, which can take a moment.
On Android, usage access is usually under Settings › Apps › Special app access › Usage access. Menus vary by phone maker and Android version. Some phones also stop background apps to save battery; if a block screen does not appear, allow Applore to run without battery restrictions.
If you have set an App Lock PIN, Applore asks for it before you change Focus Mode, Paused Apps or limits while they are on. That makes it harder to switch them off on a whim.
What stays on your phone
Your limits, paused apps, focus settings and usage information stay on your phone. Usage information is not sent to analytics or advertisers. See the permissions page for how Applore uses Usage access, and the privacy policy for what Applore does collect.
Free and Pro
| Feature | Applore Free | Applore Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Mode | Included | Included |
| Focus Mode schedules | Not included | Included |
| Paused Apps | Included | Included |
| App usage limits | Included | Included |
| Super Focus Mode and Activity stats | Included | Included |
See pricing in the app on Google Play.
In Applore Free, these screens show banner ads, and an ad appears before Super Focus starts. Compare Free and Pro.
Good to know
- Paused apps do not reset at midnight. Unpause them yourself when you are ready.
- Focus Mode does not block notifications. Use your phone’s Do Not Disturb for that.
- Leaving Super Focus ends it. Tapping Exit, Home or Recents stops the timer.
- These are self-control tools. Applore’s block screens rely on the permissions you allow. Someone who changes those permissions, or uninstalls Applore, can get around them.
- There are no reports. Check the Activity tab when you want to see your use.
- Settings may not carry over. Applore Free and Applore Pro keep their settings separately, so set up your limits again if you switch apps.
- Android has its own Digital Wellbeing settings on many phones. Our guides compare the options: how to set app time limits on Android and how to use focus mode on Android.
Questions
Do paused apps unpause automatically?
No. A paused app stays paused until you unpause it in Paused Apps. It does not reset at midnight or after a set time. When you open a paused app, Applore shows a screen that takes you back to the home screen, with an option to go to Paused Apps and change it.
Does Focus Mode block notifications?
No. Focus Mode stops you opening the apps you chose while it is on, but their notifications still arrive. To silence notifications as well, use your phone's Do Not Disturb setting, which you usually find in Quick Settings or under Settings › Sound or Settings › Notifications. Menus vary by phone maker.
Why does Applore need Usage access?
Usage access lets Applore see which app is open and how long you have used each app today. Applore needs it to enforce time limits, Focus Mode and paused apps, and to show your screen time. Usage information stays on your phone and is not sent to analytics or advertisers. Usage access explained.
Are focus schedules free?
No. Focus Mode itself is free: choose your distracting apps and switch it on when you want. Schedules, which switch Focus Mode on for chosen days and times with their own app groups, are part of Applore Pro. Paused Apps, App usage limits and Super Focus Mode are free. Compare Free and Pro.
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