Best App To Lock Phone While Studying: 7 Powerful Ways To Actually Focus And Stop Scrolling

So, You’re Looking For The Best App To Lock Your Phone While Studying?

So, you’re looking for the best app to lock phone while studying because your brain keeps saying “study” but your thumb keeps opening Instagram? Honestly, the best combo is using a phone-locking app together with a study app like Flashrecall, so your phone is blocked from distractions and the time you do spend on it is actually productive. Flashrecall (iPhone + iPad) turns your screen into a focused flashcard machine with spaced repetition, so instead of doomscrolling, you’re actually memorizing stuff fast:

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

Set up a lock app to block socials, open Flashrecall, and suddenly your phone goes from distraction to study weapon.

Why Just Locking Your Phone Isn’t Enough

Alright, here’s the thing:

Locking your phone is great… for like 10 minutes. Then your brain gets bored and you either:

• Turn off the blocker
• Grab another device
• Stare at the wall and “pretend” to study

The real move is:

That’s where Flashrecall comes in. Instead of having your phone locked completely and feeling miserable, you:

• Block social media, games, random apps
• Open Flashrecall and use your phone only for active recall + spaced repetition
• Get study reminders instead of notification spam

So yeah, you absolutely want a good “lock phone while studying” app — but pairing it with a study app that actually helps you remember stuff is what makes it work long-term.

What To Look For In A “Lock Phone While Studying” App

Before I list some options, here’s what actually matters:

• Strict mode – So you can’t just unlock it in 2 taps when you’re bored
• App blocking, not just timers – You want TikTok blocked, not your whole life
• Schedule or focus sessions – So you can set 25–60 minute deep work blocks
• Stats – Seeing how many minutes you stayed focused is surprisingly motivating
• Whitelist feature – So you can still use legit apps like Flashrecall while blocking distractions

The goal is:

> “Block the junk, keep the study apps.”

The Best Types Of Apps To Lock Your Phone While Studying

Since iOS is more limited than Android for hardcore locking, most people use a mix of:

1. Screen Time / Focus Mode (built into iOS)

2. Third-party focus / productivity apps

3. Study apps like Flashrecall that keep you engaged so you’re less tempted to leave

Let’s go through each and how to set them up properly.

1. Use iOS Screen Time As Your Free “Phone Lock”

If you want the best free app to lock phone while studying, you already have one: Screen Time.

How to set it up for studying

1. Go to Settings → Screen Time

2. Turn it on if it’s not already

3. Tap App Limits → add limits to:

• Social media apps
• Games
• Entertainment (YouTube, Netflix, etc.)

4. Use Downtime to block almost everything during your usual study hours

5. Add Flashrecall to the Always Allowed list so you can still study

Now your phone is basically saying:

> “You can’t scroll TikTok, but you can open Flashrecall and study.”

2. Pair That With Flashrecall So Your Phone Becomes a Study Device

Here’s where it gets good.

Instead of just staring at a locked screen, you’re actively learning.

👉 Grab it here:

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

Why Flashrecall works insanely well with phone-lock apps

• You can create flashcards instantly
• From images (lecture slides, textbook pages)
• From PDFs
• From YouTube links
• From audio
• From typed text or prompts
• Or just manually if you like full control
• Built-in spaced repetition
• It automatically schedules when you should review
• Sends study reminders so you don’t have to remember
• You see cards right before you’re about to forget them
• Active recall baked in
• You see the question, try to remember, then flip the card
• Way more effective than re-reading notes
• You can chat with your flashcards
• Not sure about a concept? You can literally chat with the content
• Great for tricky definitions, formulas, or exam-style explanations
• Works offline
• Even if you turn on airplane mode to avoid everything, you can still study
• Super flexible
• Great for languages, med school, law, business, school exams, uni, anything
• Fast, modern, and easy to use
• Free to start, runs on iPhone and iPad

So instead of just blocking your phone and suffering, you block the junk and channel your attention into Flashrecall.

3. Use Focus Mode To Allow Only Study Apps

If Screen Time feels too basic, Focus Mode is another built-in trick.

How to turn Focus Mode into a study-only mode

1. Go to Settings → Focus → + → Custom

2. Name it something like Study Mode

3. Under Allowed Notifications, only allow:

• Maybe family / important contacts
• Study-related apps if needed

4. Under Apps, allow Flashrecall and maybe a notes app or PDF reader

5. Add this focus to your Control Center so you can toggle it quickly

Now when you turn on Study Mode, your phone only lets in:

• Flashrecall
• Essential notifications
• Zero random distractions

Combine this with App Limits from Screen Time and your phone is basically on lockdown… but still useful.

4. The “Hardcore” Option: Use a Second Device Only For Flashrecall

If you’re really struggling with self-control, here’s a trick some students use:

• Keep your main phone with socials, but leave it in another room
• Use an iPad or old iPhone with:
• No social media
• Just study apps like Flashrecall, notes, PDFs

Since Flashrecall works on both iPhone and iPad, you can turn one device into your dedicated study buddy:

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

This way, you don’t even need the “best app to lock phone while studying” — your study device literally has nothing tempting on it.

5. How To Structure a “Locked Phone + Flashrecall” Study Session

Here’s a simple setup that actually works:

Step 1: Prep your environment

• Put your phone on Focus Mode or Downtime
• Make sure Flashrecall is allowed
• Turn off random notifications (email, socials, etc.)

Step 2: Load your material into Flashrecall

• Snap a photo of textbook pages or slides → auto flashcards
• Import a PDF or YouTube link
• Or just type your notes and let Flashrecall turn them into cards

Step 3: Study in focused blocks

• Do 25–30 minutes of Flashrecall reviews
• Short 5-minute break (stand up, water, stretch)
• Repeat 3–4 times

Because Flashrecall uses spaced repetition, each session is super efficient — you’re only seeing the cards you actually need to see, not wasting time on stuff you already know.

6. Why Flashrecall Beats Just Using a Dumb Phone Lock

You could lock your phone with the strictest app on earth…

But if your actual studying is just rereading notes or highlighting, you’re still not learning efficiently.

Flashrecall fixes that:

• You’re forced to recall info, not just look at it
• Spaced repetition makes things stick long-term
• You can chat with your flashcards when you’re confused
• You can study offline, so no excuses
• You get reminders so you don’t fall behind

So yeah, use Screen Time, Focus Mode, or any “best app to lock phone while studying” you like — but if you want your grades to actually move, you need something like Flashrecall on the other side of that lock screen.

7. Quick Setup Checklist (Do This Once)

If you want a dead-simple setup, here’s a mini checklist:

1. Download Flashrecall

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

2. Add it to Always Allowed / Focus Mode

• Settings → Screen Time → Always Allowed → add Flashrecall
• Settings → Focus → Study Mode → Allowed Apps → add Flashrecall

3. Block your distractions

• Screen Time → App Limits → add social + entertainment apps
• Or use Downtime during your usual study hours

4. Import your study material into Flashrecall

• Photos, PDFs, YouTube, text, audio — whatever you’re using

5. Start a 25–30 minute study block

• Phone locked from distractions
• Only Flashrecall, notes, or PDFs available

Repeat that daily and your phone stops being your enemy and becomes part of your routine.

Final Thoughts: The Best Setup Is Lock + Learn

If you’re still searching for the best app to lock phone while studying, remember:

Locking is only half the battle.

The real win is:

• Block the time-wasters
• Turn your screen into a study accelerator with Flashrecall

So yeah, set up Screen Time / Focus Mode, and then grab Flashrecall here:

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

Turn your phone from “I’ll just check one thing” into “I just smashed a 30-minute focused study session.”

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.

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