An App Blocker Whose Unlock Triggers Actually Work Every Time
Foqos is a free, open-source iOS app that locks distracting apps behind the tap of an NFC tag or scan of a QR code, pitched as an alternative to Brick, Opal, Unpluq, and Blok, reaching 547 GitHub stars from people trying to break phone addiction with a physical ritual, and its issues all hit the one thing that has to work: the pause timer stops responding so users get stuck in focus mode, NFC plus pause with a schedule fails to start blocking, and selecting which apps or websites to block throws gray screens or blocks everything with no domains selected. People want a physical, friction-based blocker they cannot just tap away, but only if the lock and unlock triggers are rock solid. The wedge is an NFC and QR app blocker whose blocking, scheduling, and selection are flawlessly reliable.
Problem Statement
Someone uses a physical NFC tag to lock distracting apps and build a focus ritual, but the pause timer stops working so they are trapped in focus mode, scheduled NFC-plus-pause blocking silently fails to start, and choosing which apps to block produces gray screens or blocks everything because no domains were selected. The physical-friction concept is exactly what they want, but a blocker that traps them or leaks distractions destroys the trust the whole product depends on.
The Idea
A physical NFC and QR-triggered app blocker whose pause, schedule, and app-selection flows work flawlessly so users can break phone addiction without getting trapped or letting distractions slip through.
Why Now
Phone-addiction backlash and the hardware-blocker trend led by Brick made physical, friction-based focus tools mainstream in 2026, and Foqos's traction shows demand for a free, open alternative, but its broken pause timers, failing schedules, and gray-screen app selection show that trigger and scheduling reliability, not more blocking modes, are what stand between a focus app and daily trust.
Target User
People fighting phone addiction who want a physical, friction-based app blocker
Target Market
Digital wellbeing and screen-time control
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