if you're reading this, you've probably already tried the "just put your phone in another room" strategy. didn't work, right? same. that's why app blockers exist — and if you've been researching, you've probably narrowed it down to two NFC-based options: blok and foqos.
Tired of app blockers you can just turn off? Blok uses a physical NFC card to make blocking harder to bypass. See the Blok Card →
both apps use your phone's NFC chip to create a physical trigger for blocking distracting apps. both use apple's screen time API for system-level blocking. and both have solid ratings in the app store. so what's actually different between these two, and which one will actually help you change your behavior?
i spent time with both to give you an honest comparison. spoiler: they're built for different people with different levels of commitment. one is a great free tool. the other is a full behavior change system. let's break it down.
the basics: what each app does
at their core, blok and foqos solve the same problem — you can't trust yourself around instagram, tiktok, or whatever your poison is. both let you tap an NFC tag to your phone to activate a blocking session. both use apple's screen time API, which means the blocking happens at the system level. you can't just force-quit the app and scroll anyway. that's the baseline, and both nail it. the differences are in the details, the philosophy, and how far each one goes to keep you honest when your willpower inevitably runs out.
the physical device: dedicated tool vs generic sticker
foqos works with any NFC tag or QR code. you can buy a pack of NFC stickers on amazon for a few bucks, stick one on your desk, and you're good to go. it's clever, it's cheap, and it works. but there's a psychological difference between tapping a $1 sticker you stuck on your laptop and tapping a purpose-built device that exists for one reason: to help you focus. blok ships you a physical NFC card, keychain, or magnet — a dedicated object designed to live somewhere intentional like your desk, nightstand, or front door.
this matters more than it sounds. behavioral science calls it a "commitment device" — an object or action that makes it harder to go back on a decision. a generic NFC sticker in your pocket defeats the purpose. a blok card sitting on your desk at home while you're at dinner with friends? that's real friction. you physically cannot unblock your phone because the device isn't with you. the intentionality of a dedicated physical device is one of blok's strongest differentiators, and it's genuinely hard to replicate with a sticker you bought in a 30-pack on amazon.
the delete problem: blok's biggest advantage
here's the thing nobody talks about until they've already failed: what happens when you really, really want to check your phone? with foqos, you can delete the app. even during an active blocking session, you can remove foqos from your phone and the restrictions go away. the screen time profile persists technically, but the practical barrier is gone. this isn't a knock on foqos — it's a limitation of how iOS handles third-party apps. but it's a real problem if you're the kind of person who needs an app blocker in the first place.
blok solved this. when blocking is active, you literally cannot delete the blok app from your phone. it uses device management configurations that prevent removal during a session. this is a huge deal. the whole reason you downloaded an app blocker is because you don't trust your future self to make good decisions at 11pm. blok actually accounts for that reality. foqos trusts you not to delete it during a weak moment. blok doesn't trust you — and honestly, that's exactly what you need.
emergency unblocks: the safety net
life happens. your kid's school calls and the number is blocked. your uber driver can't reach you. you need to check a boarding pass at the airport. blok gives you 3 free emergency unblocks — a safety net for genuinely urgent situations. after those three, additional unblocks cost $4.99 each, and the money goes to charity. it's a brilliant system: you have an escape hatch when you truly need one, but using it feels deliberate and carries a cost. you'll think twice before burning an emergency unblock on "i just want to check twitter real quick."
foqos doesn't have an emergency unblock system. if you need to access a blocked app urgently, your options are to wait it out, delete the app (which defeats the entire purpose), or fiddle with screen time settings manually. there's no structured, intentional way to handle genuine emergencies, which means you're either stuck when it matters or you break the whole system to get out. blok's approach is more realistic about human life — it acknowledges that blocking needs to be strict but not dangerously rigid. sometimes you need a safety valve.
platform support: ios and android vs ios only
this one's straightforward but significant. foqos is ios-only. if you have an android phone, it's simply not an option for you. blok works on both ios and android, which matters for several reasons beyond the obvious. if you switch phones, your blocking system comes with you. if you're setting it up for a family member, partner, or teenager who uses android, blok works for them too. and the android market is massive — roughly half of all smartphone users worldwide. foqos being ios-only isn't a flaw in their design; it's an open-source project with limited resources. but it's a real limitation that eliminates it for a huge number of people.
social accountability vs going solo
foqos is a purely solo experience. you block your apps, you track your habits, you do your thing privately. there's nothing wrong with that approach — some people genuinely prefer privacy and simplicity over social features. but research consistently shows that social accountability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained behavior change. knowing someone else can see your progress makes you significantly more likely to follow through, especially on hard days when motivation is low.
Real friction beats willpower every time
The Blok Card adds a physical step between you and your distractions.
blok has "blok world," a social leaderboard where you can see streaks and session stats from other users. it's not social media — it's accountability. think of it like going to the gym alone vs having a workout buddy who notices when you skip a day. both approaches work, but one has a built-in mechanism for keeping you honest when your internal motivation fades. blok world turns screen time management into something slightly competitive, slightly social, and significantly more sticky. if you're the type who responds to external motivation and community, this feature alone might tip the scales.
where foqos wins (and it does win)
let's be real: foqos is genuinely good, and it beats blok in some important areas. first and most obviously, price — foqos is completely free. not freemium, not "free with ads," just free. it's open source, which means the code is fully transparent and community-driven. if you care about privacy and don't want any cloud sync or data collection whatsoever, foqos is the gold standard. no accounts, no servers, no tracking. everything stays on your device. it also supports QR codes as triggers alongside NFC, and its combo strategies let you mix timers with physical triggers for extra flexibility.
foqos has more app store reviews too — over 2,200 with a 4.9-star rating, compared to blok's 628 reviews at 4.8 stars. both are excellent ratings, but foqos has been around longer and has built a larger user base on ios. if you want a no-cost, zero-commitment way to test whether NFC-based app blocking even works for you as a concept, foqos is an excellent starting point. there's genuinely zero risk in trying it, and for some people, it will be all they ever need.
the comparison table
Feature
Blok
Foqos
Price
$59.99/year (includes NFC device)
Free
NFC device
Dedicated card/keychain/magnet
Any generic NFC tag
System-level blocking
✅
✅
Can't delete app while blocked
✅
❌
Emergency unblocks
3 free, then $4.99 (to charity)
❌
Android support
✅
❌
Social accountability
✅ (Blok World)
❌
Blocking modes
3 (Work/Sleep/Focus)
Custom profiles
Activation methods
NFC, schedule, timer, manual
NFC, QR, timer, manual, combo
Open source
❌
✅
Privacy (no cloud sync)
Cloud-based
✅ Fully local
Website blocking
✅
✅
Live Activities (iOS)
✅
✅
App Store rating
4.8 ⭐ (628+ reviews)
4.9 ⭐ (2,200+ reviews)
the psychology of paying
there's a reason personal trainers cost money even though youtube has every workout for free. when you pay for something, you're more likely to use it. it's called the sunk cost effect, and for once, it actually works in your favor. blok costs $59.99 a year. that's real money. and that investment creates a psychological commitment that a free app simply can't match. you're not just downloading something to try — you're buying into a system. you've got skin in the game. the NFC device shows up at your door, and now it's real. it's sitting on your desk, a physical reminder of the decision you made. you paid for it. you're going to use it.
foqos being free is both its greatest strength and its subtle weakness. there's no cost to abandoning it. you can download it, try it for a day, forget about it, and lose absolutely nothing. that's great for experimentation, but lasting behavior change isn't about experimenting — it's about committing. the people who actually transform their screen time habits are the ones who make it non-negotiable, who create systems they can't easily escape. paying for blok is one concrete way to make that commitment feel real, binding, and worth following through on.
so which one should you choose?
if you're on a tight budget, want maximum privacy, prefer open-source software, or just want to test whether NFC-based blocking works for you — get foqos. it's free, it's well-made, and it'll give you a genuine taste of what physical-trigger blocking feels like. there's zero risk in trying it, and for some people, it'll be more than enough. it's a solid app built by people who clearly care about solving the screen time problem.
but if you've tried app blockers before and they didn't stick — if you've deleted them during a moment of weakness, if you need something you genuinely can't cheat, if you want accountability beyond your own willpower — blok is built specifically for you. the dedicated physical device, the anti-deletion protection, the emergency unblock system, the social accountability, and yes, the financial commitment all work together to create an integrated system that's actually hard to break. and that's the whole point. the best app blocker isn't the one with the most features or the best price. it's the one you can't talk yourself out of at 11pm when you're "just going to check one thing."
foqos is a great app blocker. blok is a behavior change system. pick the one that matches where you are in your journey.
Ready to actually put your phone down?
See the Blok Card and how the physical NFC setup works on iPhone and Android.