Read-to-unlock apps compared: which iPhone app makes you read before social media?

Written by Adam Silverness, who makes But First.

I make one of the apps below, which is a bias. So this sticks to what each App Store listing says, and it says plainly where another app is the better fit. Prices are the US App Store prices listed on November 3, 2026, and they can change.

All seven use Apple’s Screen Time to put a shield over the apps you choose. The difference is the proof: what you have to do before the shield lifts. There are four basic approaches.

• Scan or answer. Show you read, with a page scan, a question or a written note.
• Read in the app. Hit a page goal in the app’s own reader.
• Run a timer. Time a reading session and trade it for app time.
• Count Screen Time minutes. iOS counts your time in reading apps you already use.

The comparison

Read to Unlock

You scan any book page, answer a quick comprehension check, and earn minutes. The listing’s example: read 10 pages, earn 20 minutes. It offers emergency overrides or a strict mode.¹ Suits people who read paper books and want a real check that they did.

ReadBlock

You set a daily goal of 5, 10, 15 or 20 pages and read inside the app, from EPUBs you upload. Apps stay blocked until you finish. A free trial is available.² Suits people with their own EPUB books who like a page goal more than a time goal.

ReadLock

You set a reading session and the apps you choose stay shielded. Afterwards you write a short note on what you read, and its AI scores your comprehension before the apps unlock. It works with any format, paper included, and has a guest mode.³ Suits people who want to take notes on their books anyway.

CurioLock

When you open a locked app, you read a short article and answer a question, then it opens.⁴ Suits people who don’t have a book going and would rather learn something small each time they reach for a feed.

ReadTime

A reading timer earns coins, and you spend coins on timed access to blocked apps, which lock again when the time runs out. It doubles as a book tracker, with a shelf, notes and a reading calendar.⁵ Suits people who want an earn-and-spend system and a reading log in one app.

BibleGate

You read Scripture in the app and answer short questions to earn minutes in a Time Bank. Pro adds guided studies and devotionals.⁶ Suits people who want the Bible reading and the lock in one place.

But First

You pick the apps that wait (Instagram, TikTok…) and the apps that count (Kindle, Libby, Books, Duolingo, a Bible app…). The waiting apps stay locked each day until you’ve spent your own daily goal, say 20 minutes, in the apps that count. Then everything opens until midnight and locks again tomorrow. Apple’s Screen Time counts the minutes: no quizzes, no page photos. Free is one locked app plus one counting app, the complete loop. Pro adds unlimited apps, website blocking and strict mode. No account, no analytics, and nothing leaves the phone.⁷ Suits people who already read in Kindle, Libby, Books or a Bible app, or count something other than books, like Duolingo.

The trade-off is honest: it counts minutes, not understanding. Kindle left open on the table still counts. If you want proof you understood the page, one of the question-based apps above is the better fit.

Which one should you pick?

• Paper books, with a check: Read to Unlock or ReadLock.
• Your own EPUBs and a page goal: ReadBlock.
• No book going right now: CurioLock.
• A reading log plus earned time: ReadTime.
• Scripture with questions and studies: BibleGate.
• Reading apps you already use, no account, or an iPhone still on iOS 16: But First.

One thing all of them share: on your own phone, you can delete any of these apps or turn off its Screen Time access. They’re for people who want the help.

Get But First on the App Store →

FAQ

What is a read-to-unlock app? An iPhone app that keeps apps like Instagram or TikTok locked until you’ve read, using Apple’s Screen Time to do the locking.

Which read-to-unlock app works with Kindle? Apps that count Screen Time minutes, like But First, count time spent in Kindle, Libby or Books directly. The others ask you to scan, quiz or read inside their own app.

Are any of them free? All seven are free to download. But First’s free plan covers one locked app and one counting app; several others need a subscription for their full features.

Is there one for Bible reading? BibleGate is built around Scripture and questions. But First can count time in whatever Bible app you already use.

1. Read to Unlock: App Blocker (Oleksandr Khomin), App Store listing, viewed November 3, 2026. apps.apple.com ↩
2. ReadBlock: Read to Unlock Apps (Mikalai Ptashyts), App Store listing, viewed November 3, 2026. apps.apple.com ↩
3. ReadLock – Screen Time Control (Acha Igwe), App Store listing, viewed November 3, 2026. apps.apple.com ↩
4. CurioLock: App Blocker & Focus (Kamil Domanski), App Store listing, viewed November 3, 2026. apps.apple.com ↩
5. ReadTime: Read to Unlock Apps (Ryosuke Hayashi), App Store listing, viewed November 3, 2026. apps.apple.com ↩
6. BibleGate: Screen Time Control (Rae Legacy LLC), App Store listing, viewed November 3, 2026. apps.apple.com ↩
7. But First: Read Then Scroll (Adam Silverness), App Store listing, viewed November 3, 2026. apps.apple.com ↩