App To Lock Apps While Studying: The Best Way To Block Distractions And Actually Focus (Most Students Don’t Know This Trick) – If your phone keeps ruining your study sessions, this will change everything.

So, You're Looking For An App To Lock Apps While Studying?

Alright, here’s the deal: if you’re searching for an app to lock apps while studying, you don’t just need a blocker—you need something that actually keeps you focused and makes studying easier. That’s why I’d start with Flashrecall on your iPhone: it doesn’t just help you study with flashcards, it also gives your brain something structured and engaging to do so you’re not tempted to wander back to TikTok. With automatic spaced repetition, active recall, and super fast flashcard creation from images, PDFs, and text, it makes your study time so efficient that you need your distractions locked away. Grab it here and set it up before your next session:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Why Just Locking Apps Isn’t Enough (And Why You Still Get Distracted)

You’ve probably noticed this:

• You block Instagram and YouTube
• You sit down to “focus”
• Five minutes later you’re on Safari, or checking mail, or just staring at your screen

So yeah, an app to lock apps while studying helps, but it’s only half the story.

The real combo you want is:

1. Limit distractions (lock or block apps)

2. Make studying frictionless and engaging (so your brain doesn’t crave the distraction)

That second part is where Flashrecall comes in. If studying feels annoying and boring, your brain will always try to escape to something more fun. If studying feels quick, structured, and kinda satisfying, it becomes way easier to stay off social apps.

Step 1: Use Focus Mode To “Lock” Apps While You Study

On iPhone, you don’t technically need a separate “lock apps” app to block distractions—you can use Focus Mode plus Screen Time. Quick rundown:

How To Block Apps During Study Sessions (iPhone)

1. Open Settings → Focus

2. Tap “+” and create a new Focus like “Study”

3. Choose which people can contact you (or silence everyone)

4. Under Apps, allow only:

• Flashrecall
• Notes / Notion (if you need them)
• Calculator, maybe browser for research

5. Turn OFF everything else—socials, games, etc.

Then:

1. Go to Settings → Screen Time → App Limits

2. Add limits for the worst offenders:

• TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, games

3. Set them to basically 0 minutes during your study block or restrict heavily

Now when you turn on your Study Focus, those apps are effectively “locked” or blocked.

This works beautifully with Flashrecall because you can keep just one main study app open (Flashrecall), so your brain has nowhere else to run.

Step 2: Turn Your Phone Into A Study-Only Device With Flashrecall

Here’s where things get fun. If your phone is distraction-free but you don’t know what to do with it… you’ll still end up bored.

Flashrecall fixes that by making your study sessions super structured and quick to start.

What Flashrecall Actually Does For You

With Flashrecall (iPhone + iPad):

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

You can:

• Make flashcards instantly from:
• Images (screenshots, textbook photos)
• Text you paste in
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Audio
• Typed prompts
• Create cards manually if you prefer full control
• Use built-in active recall (you see the question, try to remember, then reveal the answer)
• Use spaced repetition with automatic reminders, so you review at the right time without thinking about it
• Get study reminders so you don’t forget to actually open the app
• Use it offline (perfect for library or exam halls)
• Chat with your flashcards if you’re unsure and want deeper explanations
• Study anything:
• Languages
• Medicine
• Law
• Uni courses
• High school subjects
• Business topics, certifications, interviews

And it’s free to start, fast, and super modern—no clunky, ancient UI.

So when your Focus Mode locks your distractions, you’re left with a single, clean path: open Flashrecall and get through your cards.

Why This Combo Works Better Than Just A “Lock Apps” App

A pure “app to lock apps while studying” does one thing: it says “no”.

Flashrecall + Focus Mode does this instead:

1. Blocks the distractions

2. Hands you a clear plan (“Here’s what to review today”)

3. Makes progress visible so your brain gets little wins instead of boredom

Example: 30-Minute Study Block With This Setup

1. Turn on your Study Focus mode

2. Open Flashrecall

3. The app shows you cards that are due (spaced repetition)

4. You run through active recall: question → think → reveal → rate how hard

5. After 20–30 minutes, you’re done

6. Your social apps are still blocked, but you’ve actually finished something

That feeling of “I actually learned something” is way more satisfying than doomscrolling. Over time, this makes it easier to respect your own study blocks.

How To Use Flashrecall For Different Study Styles

1. For Textbook And Lecture Notes

• Take photos of your textbook pages or handwritten notes
• Import them into Flashrecall
• Let it auto-generate flashcards from the content
• Clean up or add your own cards if you want more control

Now your phone is:

• Not a distraction
• A mini-test machine that constantly quizzes you

2. For YouTube Lectures

Watching YouTube to “study” is a trap if your recommended feed is chaos.

Instead:

• Copy the YouTube link into Flashrecall
• Generate flashcards from the video content
• Study those cards later without needing YouTube open

You get the value of the video without getting sucked into the algorithm.

3. For Languages

If you’re learning a language:

• Create vocab cards manually or from text lists
• Add example sentences
• Use spaced repetition so words come back right before you forget them

With your social apps locked, your phone basically becomes a language trainer instead of a distraction machine.

But What If I Still End Up Unlocking My Apps?

Totally normal. Willpower isn’t perfect. A few tips:

1. Make Your Study App The First Icon You See

• Put Flashrecall on your home screen dock
• Move social apps to the last page or into folders
• During Study Focus, only Flashrecall and a few tools are visible anyway

You want the path of least resistance to be: “tap Flashrecall, not Instagram”.

2. Use Short, Non-Negotiable Study Blocks

Instead of telling yourself “I’ll study for 3 hours”, try:

• 25 minutes of Flashrecall
• 5-minute break
• Repeat if you feel like it

Knowing it’s only 25 minutes makes it easier to respect your app locks.

3. Let Flashrecall Tell You When To Study

Because of spaced repetition reminders, Flashrecall will nudge you like:

> “Hey, you’ve got cards due today.”

You can pair that with:

• “Whenever Flashrecall reminds me, I turn on Study Focus and do one session.”

It becomes a simple habit instead of a big mental battle.

Why Flashrecall Beats Just Using A Random Blocker App

Most “app to lock apps while studying” tools:

• Don’t help you organize what to study
• Don’t help you remember stuff long-term
• Don’t make studying feel any easier

Flashrecall gives you:

• Instant card creation (from images, PDFs, YouTube, text, etc.)
• Smart review scheduling (spaced repetition)
• Built-in active recall, which is one of the most effective ways to actually remember
• Chat with your flashcards when you’re stuck, so it’s not just “front/back”
• Offline mode, so you can study anywhere without Wi-Fi
• A clean, fast UI that doesn’t feel like homework

And you can still layer it with:

• iOS Focus Mode
• Screen Time limits

to get that “locked apps while studying” effect.

Simple Setup Guide: From Distracted To Focused In 10 Minutes

Here’s a quick step-by-step you can literally do today:

1. Download Flashrecall

Grab it here on your iPhone/iPad:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

2. Create Your First Deck

• Pick one subject: biology, law, French, whatever
• Add:
• A few manual cards
• Or import from a PDF / notes / screenshots

3. Turn On Study Focus

• Settings → Focus → Add “Study”
• Allow:
• Flashrecall
• Notes / Docs if needed
• Block everything else

4. Set App Limits For Socials

• Settings → Screen Time → App Limits
• Add strict limits for TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, games

5. Do One 25-Minute Session

• Turn on Study Focus
• Open Flashrecall
• Do a full review of cards due
• When the timer ends, you’re free to do whatever

Repeat this once or twice a day, and your phone slowly turns from “distraction machine” into “memory machine”.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Block Your Apps, Upgrade Your Study Time

You don’t really want just an app to lock apps while studying.

You want:

• Fewer distractions
• Clear study sessions
• A way to actually remember what you’re learning

Using Focus Mode + Flashrecall hits all three.

If you’re going to block your apps anyway, you might as well fill that time with something that makes your grades, memory, and confidence go up.

Try it on your next study session:

Download Flashrecall here → https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Set your Study Focus, open Flashrecall, and see how different studying feels when your phone finally starts helping instead of sabotaging you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

Is there a free flashcard app?

Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

What is active recall and how does it work?

Active recall is the process of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it. Flashrecall forces proper active recall by making you think before revealing answers, then uses spaced repetition to optimize your review schedule.

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