Comparison
Apps that make you do pushups before Instagram, compared
Five apps make you do pushups before Instagram or TikTok opens, and four of them count your reps with the camera: Pushscroll (iPhone and Android, the biggest), PushBlock (free), PushLock and ScrollFit. Exerscroll adds squats, lunges and jumping jacks. Sorry Scroll (sorryscroll.com) asks for one 30-second move from seven, with no camera.
How we compared
Every fact comes from each app's own App Store page, Google Play page or website, checked on 23 October 2026. Where an app doesn't say something, the table says not stated instead of guessing. We make Sorry Scroll, so it's listed with the same columns as the others.
| App | Exercises | How reps are checked | What a workout earns | Free plan | Paid | Platforms | App Store rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pushscroll | Pushups and more; steps also earn time | Camera (pose detection) | 1 minute per pushup by default; adjustable | No (7-day trial) | Yearly from $24.99 to $59.99, $14.99/mo | iPhone, Android | 4.7 (17,848) |
| PushBlock | Pushups | Camera | A pushup goal per app; earned time can be saved | Yes, everything | None | iPhone | 4.7 (1,646) |
| PushLock | Pushups | Camera (pose detection) | Time per set; you set the ratio | Core features | Pro $39.99/yr, $9.99/mo, $3.99/wk | iPhone | 4.7 (325) |
| ScrollFit | Pushups or squats | Camera (pose detection) | Reps you set; a break mode gives 1 to 30 minutes | Not stated | $29.99 to $39.99/yr, from $3.99/wk, lifetime from $19.99 | iPhone | 4.7 (3,206) |
| Exerscroll | Pushups, squats, lunges, jumping jacks | Not stated | Minutes per rep; you set the ratio | No | Yearly from $29.99 to $59.99, $14.99/mo | iPhone | 5.0 (14) |
| Sorry Scroll | 7 moves: squats, pushups, wall sit, plank, shoulder rolls, eye reset, box breathing | No camera: explained, then timed | One 30-second move unlocks for 15 to 60 minutes (you choose) | 1 app, every move | $39.99/yr, $4.99/wk | iPhone; Android in review | No ratings yet |
Camera or no camera
The main split in this group is whether the app checks your reps. Pushscroll, PushBlock, PushLock and ScrollFit use the camera and count each rep, so you can't cheat; you also need your phone propped up where it can see you, and space on the floor. Sorry Scroll goes the other way: it explains the move in three steps, gives you 10 seconds to get into position, then times 30 seconds. Nothing is recorded, and it works where pushups don't.
Pushups only, or a routine
If pushups are the goal, a pushup app is the more focused tool. If the goal is simply to move more through the day, a mix helps: Sorry Scroll's seven moves are the same ones the app teaches, step one of each shown here:
- Squats · 30 seconds: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out.
- Pushups · 30 seconds: Hands on the floor, a little wider than your shoulders.
- Wall sit · 30 seconds: Stand with your back flat against a wall.
- Plank · 30 seconds: Forearms on the floor, elbows right under your shoulders.
- Shoulder rolls · 30 seconds: Sit or stand tall with your arms loose at your sides.
- Eye reset · 20 seconds: Find something far away, at least 6 metres (20 feet). A window is perfect.
- Box breathing · 32 seconds: Sit comfortably and breathe through your nose.
At 25 blocked-app opens a day, about 18 of them become a move: around 9 minutes of moving a day, spread out. More on that in the active-body goal.
Which to choose
- Pushups, counted, on Android too: Pushscroll.
- Pushups, counted, free: PushBlock (iPhone).
- Pushups or squats: ScrollFit. Four exercises: Exerscroll.
- No camera, moves you can do anywhere, and the option of a language instead: Sorry Scroll.
More apps that ask for something before an app opens: app blockers that make you do something first.
Questions
Is there an app that makes you do pushups before opening Instagram?
Yes. Pushscroll, PushBlock, PushLock and ScrollFit lock Instagram until you do pushups, and count them with the camera. Exerscroll does the same with a choice of four exercises. Sorry Scroll asks for one 30-second move, such as pushups or a plank, without a camera.
Which pushup app blocker is free?
PushBlock: its App Store page says all core features cost nothing, with no subscription or in-app purchases. PushLock's core features are free too. Sorry Scroll is free for one blocked app.
Which ones work on Android?
Pushscroll has an Android app. PushBlock, PushLock, ScrollFit and Exerscroll are iPhone only (we couldn't find an Android version). Sorry Scroll's Android app is in Google Play review.
Do I have to film myself?
With Pushscroll, PushBlock, PushLock and ScrollFit, the camera watches you to count reps; PushLock and ScrollFit say the detection runs on the phone. Sorry Scroll never uses the camera: each move is explained, then a 30-second timer runs.
How many pushups does it take to open Instagram?
You decide. Pushscroll starts at one minute of app time per pushup; PushBlock, PushLock, ScrollFit and Exerscroll let you set the reps or the ratio. In Sorry Scroll it's one 30-second move, then the app stays open for 15 to 60 minutes.
What if I can't do pushups right now, on a train or at my desk?
The pushup-only apps need floor space. Sorry Scroll's step can be shoulder rolls, an eye reset or box breathing, which work sitting down, and you can swap a move that doesn't suit where you are.
Health note: these are everyday moves, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, check with a professional first.