Sorry Scroll
The app blocker that makes you do something useful before you scroll
Sorry Scroll (sorryscroll.com) is an app blocker for iPhone and Android that asks for a 30-second step toward one of your goals every time you open a blocked app: learn two words of a language, or do a quick move. Finish the step and the app unlocks for 15 to 60 minutes, then the block comes back.
| What you do to unlock | A 30-second step toward your goal |
|---|---|
| Goals | A language (6 to choose from) · An active body (guided moves and breathing). More goals are coming. |
| Unlocked for | 15 to 60 minutes, your choice |
| Skips | 3 a day, for when you really need in |
| Price | Free for 1 app · Pro $39.99/year (3-day trial) or $4.99/week · Pricing |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 17+) · Android 8+ (in Google Play review) |
| Privacy | No camera. Which apps you use stays on your phone. |
How it works
1. Open a blocked app. A shield appears: pay one 30-second step, use a skip, or close the app.
2. Learn two new words… With audio and an example sentence, then a quick quiz on both.
3. …or do a 30-second move. Then the app unlocks for the time you set, and the step counts toward your goal.
The goals
A language
English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese or Korean, with meanings in 7 languages. 500 of the most-used words per language, each with an example sentence and audio, and where it helps a tip.
la casa the house · Mi casa está cerca.
Tip: casa also means home: en casa = at home.
An active body
Squats, pushups, wall sit, plank, shoulder rolls, an eye reset or box breathing. Each move is explained before a 30-second timer starts.
Wall sit
1. Stand with your back flat against a wall. 2. Slide down until your knees are at a right angle, like sitting on an invisible chair. 3. Keep your knees above your ankles and keep breathing.
How it differs from other app blockers
- Pause apps (one sec, ScreenZen) make you wait before an app opens. Sorry Scroll makes the wait count: the 30 seconds teach you something or get you moving.
- Task apps (Habit Doom, Achieve!) unlock when you complete your own habits or goals. Sorry Scroll's step is built in and takes 30 seconds, so there's nothing to set up or prove.
- Single-goal apps teach only a language (LangLocker, LLLock) or ask only for pushups (Pushscroll, PushLock). Sorry Scroll lets you pick the goal, and more goals are coming.
All thirteen side by side: app blockers that make you do something first. Coming from one sec? See one sec alternatives. Or see what your scrolling could add up to: turn your scrolling into progress.
Who it's not for
- If you want a block you can't get around, a physical blocker like Brick is stricter.
- If you want to learn one of 30 or more languages, LLLock and PollyStop cover more.
- If you want every pushup counted, Pushscroll verifies reps; Sorry Scroll guides the move without a camera.
Why it exists
"I sit and work for hours, and I was feeling sluggish all the time. I'm the father of two very active kids, and I felt guilty that I couldn't keep up with their energy. So I built the move goal: a reason to get up and move every time I reached for my phone."
The language goal was my family's idea: a good way to pick up a new language without finding extra time for it. New goals come from requests that fit the same idea, scrolling that pays for something good.
Questions
Is there an app blocker that makes you do something before opening an app?
Yes. Sorry Scroll blocks the apps you choose and asks for a 30-second step first: two new words of English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese or Korean with a quick quiz, or one guided move such as a wall sit, a plank or box breathing. Other apps in this group ask for different things: Habit Doom asks you to check in a habit, LangLocker a phrase, Pushscroll and PushLock pushups.
Can I skip the step?
Yes, three times a day. You can also close the app instead. The point is a fair price for scrolling, not a wall you can't get past.
How long does an app stay unlocked?
You choose: 15 to 60 minutes after each step. Then the block comes back on its own.
Does it use the camera?
No. Moves are guided with written steps and a 30-second timer; nothing is recorded or counted by camera.
Is it free?
The free plan blocks one app you choose and includes every language and every move. Pro blocks every app for $39.99 a year (with a 3-day free trial) or $4.99 a week.
Does it work on Android?
Yes. The Android app is in Google Play review and uses Android's Usage Access to see when a blocked app opens. On iPhone it uses Apple's Screen Time.
What does Sorry Scroll know about my phone use?
Which apps you use and for how long stays on your phone. An account is optional and only backs up your goal and progress.
Facts about other apps are from their own App Store pages and websites, checked on 23 October 2026.