Free Apps That Lock Your Phone While Studying: 7 Powerful Tools To Stay Focused And Actually Remember What You Learn – Plus A Smarter Way To Study With Flashcards

Why You’re Actually Looking For More Than Just A Locking App

So, you’re searching for free apps that lock your phone while studying because your brain keeps sneaking back to TikTok, Instagram, or random scrolling, right? Here’s the thing: blocking your phone helps, but if you really want to remember what you study, you also need a smart way to review it. That’s where Flashrecall comes in – it doesn’t just keep you focused, it helps you actually remember what you’re learning with AI-powered flashcards and spaced repetition. You can grab it here:

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

Use one app to manage distractions, and Flashrecall to make sure your study time actually sticks in your brain.

Step One: Lock Your Phone. Step Two: Make That Study Time Count.

Let’s split this into two parts:

1. Apps that lock or limit your phone so you stop doom-scrolling

2. Flashrecall to make the time you just freed up actually productive

You don’t want to just “be offline” for an hour and then forget everything you read. That’s where most people mess up: they focus on blocking distractions but not on how they’re learning.

1. Forest – Turn Focus Time Into A Little Game

Forest is a classic focus app where you plant a virtual tree that grows while you stay off your phone. If you leave the app to open social media, your tree dies.

• Simple: set a focus timer and put your phone down
• Visual reward: seeing your little forest grow feels weirdly satisfying
• Great for Pomodoro-style sessions (25–50 minutes)

Forest doesn’t help you study better – it just helps you not touch your phone. Once your session is done, it’s on you to remember what you studied.

Use Forest to lock you in for a 30–50 minute block, and during that time:

• Open Flashrecall on your iPad or another device (or use it on your phone before starting Forest)
• Turn your notes, textbook pages, or PDFs into flashcards
• Let Flashrecall handle spaced repetition so you don’t have to remember when to review

2. Stay Focused / AppBlock / Focus Lock– Android-Style App Blockers

(If you’re on Android, you’ve probably seen these.)

• Block specific apps (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, games, etc.)
• Set schedules (like 9am–1pm: no social media)
• Some have “strict mode” so you can’t just turn them off when you get weak

• Good if you know your exact weak spots (e.g., TikTok + YouTube)
• Great for long-term routines (e.g., “no social media on weekdays before 4pm”)

Again, they don’t help you learn, they just help you not scroll.

Use a blocker on your phone + Flashrecall on your iPad or same phone during allowed study time:

• Take photos of your notes or textbook pages
• Flashrecall instantly turns them into flashcards
• You get auto reminders later to review, so your effort doesn’t fade in two days

3. Apple’s Screen Time & Focus Modes (iPhone/iPad Built-In)

If you’re on iOS, you already have some decent tools:

• Limit apps by category (e.g., 30 minutes of social per day)
• Set time-based restrictions
• Block specific apps completely during certain hours

• Silence notifications from certain apps or people
• Hide distracting home screens
• Let only “study-related” apps show up

• Create a Study Focus Mode
• Allow only:
• Flashrecall
• Notes / Notion / GoodNotes
• PDF reader / textbook app
• Hide social media completely while this mode is on

Then, when you’re locked into Study Focus Mode, open Flashrecall and:

• Import your PDF or screenshot your notes
• Let AI create flashcards for you
• Run through a quick review session with active recall

Here’s the link again so you can grab it:

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

4. Freedom – Block Distractions Across Multiple Devices

• Blocks websites and apps on multiple devices at once (phone, tablet, laptop)
• You can schedule focus sessions ahead of time
• Good if you keep “escaping” to another device

If you’re the person who blocks TikTok on your phone… then opens it on your iPad… Freedom shuts that down.

Once your distractions are blocked across everything, you can make one device your dedicated study + Flashrecall device:

• Use your iPhone or iPad just for:
• Reading your notes
• Turning them into flashcards in Flashrecall
• Running spaced repetition sessions

No notifications, no YouTube rabbit holes, just you and your cards.

5. Flipd – Full “Lock Your Phone” Experience

• Locks your phone for a set time (depending on settings, you might not be able to quit)
• Some modes only allow essential apps (like calls)
• Tracks total focus time

• People who need something stricter than just “app limits”
• Exam prep, finals week, or big deadlines

Locking your phone is great, but if during that time you just passively reread notes or highlight stuff… you’ll still forget a lot.

Use Flipd to lock away social media + games, then:

• Before your session, load your material into Flashrecall
• During your “phone-locked” time, drill flashcards on your iPad or laptop
• Or, if Flashrecall is allowed on your phone, study inside Flashrecall only

6. Study Bunny / Focus To-Do – Cute Timers With Gamification

These apps usually:

• Give you a timer + to-do list
• Reward you with coins, XP, or cute animations for staying focused
• Track how many hours you’ve studied

They’re fun if you like gamified studying. But again: they track time, not memory.

Instead of just “I studied 2 hours,” you can:

• Turn each chapter/topic into a Flashrecall deck
• Use active recall instead of just reading
• Let spaced repetition re-serve you the hard cards until they finally stick

So now it’s not just: “I studied 2 hours,” but “I mastered 80 flashcards and Flashrecall will remind me exactly when to review them.”

7. Website Blockers (For Laptop Study Sessions)

If most of your distraction is on your laptop (YouTube, Reddit, Twitter, etc.), try:

• Cold Turkey
• StayFocusd (Chrome extension)
• LeechBlock (Firefox)

These:

• Block distracting sites
• Let you set time budgets (e.g., max 15 minutes of YouTube per day)
• Force you to stay in your notes / PDF / slides

Then, while your browser is “locked down,” you can:

• Open Flashrecall on your phone or iPad
• Turn your lecture slides or PDFs into flashcards
• Review them while you read

Why Just Locking Your Phone Isn’t Enough

You can be distraction-free and still:

• Reread the same page 5 times
• Highlight everything and remember nothing
• Feel “busy” but not actually learn

The missing piece is how your brain stores info. That’s where Flashrecall comes in.

How Flashrecall Makes Your Focus Time Actually Worth It

Here’s what makes Flashrecall such a good combo with any “lock your phone while studying” app:

1. Turn Your Materials Into Flashcards Instantly

You can make flashcards from:

• Images (photos of your notes, textbook pages, whiteboards)
• Text you paste in
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Audio
• Or just type them manually if you like control

Instead of wasting 30 minutes making cards, you let Flashrecall do the heavy lifting and spend your time actually studying.

2. Built-In Active Recall

The whole point of flashcards is active recall – forcing your brain to pull the answer out instead of just recognizing it.

Flashrecall is built around that:

• You see the question, try to answer from memory
• Then reveal the answer and rate how hard it was
• The app adjusts when to show it again

Way more effective than rereading or highlighting.

3. Automatic Spaced Repetition (So You Don’t Forget)

Flashrecall uses spaced repetition with auto reminders:

• Easy cards show up less often
• Hard cards show up more often
• You get nudged to review at the right time, so stuff doesn’t fade

You don’t have to track anything manually – just open the app and it tells you what to review today.

4. Study Reminders (The Good Kind)

You can get study reminders so you don’t fall off:

• “You have 25 cards due today”
• “Review this deck before your exam”

No guilt, just a gentle push to keep your streak going.

5. Works Offline, On iPhone And iPad

• On the train? Offline.
• In a library with bad Wi‑Fi? Still works.
• Switch between iPhone and iPad easily.

Perfect when you’re using another app to block distractions – you can still study your cards anywhere.

6. You Can Even Chat With Your Flashcards

If you’re stuck or don’t understand something:

• You can chat with the flashcard to get more explanation
• Great for tricky concepts, formulas, or definitions

It’s like having a mini tutor built into your deck.

7. Good For Basically Anything You Need To Learn

Flashrecall works for:

• Languages (vocab, grammar, phrases)
• Exams (SAT, MCAT, USMLE, bar, etc.)
• School/uni subjects (biology, history, math, physics)
• Medicine, law, business, coding
• Even work training or certifications

And it’s free to start, fast, and modern. You’re not fighting with some clunky old interface.

Grab it here:

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

How To Combine Locking Apps + Flashrecall (Simple Setup)

Here’s a super simple system you can start today:

Step 1: Pick A Locking / Blocking Setup

• On iPhone/iPad: use Screen Time + Focus Mode
• Or download a dedicated blocker (Forest, Flipd, Freedom, etc.)

Set it to:

• Block social media, games, and random apps during study blocks
• Allow Flashrecall and your note/PDF apps

Step 2: Turn Your Material Into Flashcards

Before or during your focus session:

• Open Flashrecall
• Import your PDF, text, or take photos of your notes
• Let it auto-generate flashcards
• Clean up or add any extra cards you want

Step 3: Study With Active Recall

During your “phone locked” or “focus mode” time:

• Run through your due cards in Flashrecall
• Don’t just tap quickly – actually try to answer
• Mark how hard each card was so spaced repetition can optimize your schedule

Step 4: Let The App Handle The Memory Part

Every day:

• Open Flashrecall
• Review what’s due
• Add new cards from whatever you’re currently learning

Your only job is to show up. The app handles the “when should I review this?” part.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Block Your Phone, Upgrade Your Studying

Free apps that lock your phone while studying are great for stopping distractions, but they don’t automatically make you learn better. The real power move is:

• Use a blocking app to protect your focus
• Use Flashrecall to make that focused time actually stick in your long-term memory

If you’re going to put in the hours, you might as well remember what you studied.

You can grab Flashrecall here and try it free:

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

Set up your blocker, install Flashrecall, and your future self before exams is going to be very, very grateful.

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.

Related Articles

• App To Lock Apps While Studying iPhone: The Best Way To Block Distractions And Actually Focus – Here’s how to stay off TikTok, study smarter, and still keep your phone with you.
• Apps To Study Online: 7 Powerful Tools To Learn Faster (Most Students Don’t Know #3) – If you want to actually remember what you study instead of rereading notes forever, these apps will change how you learn.
• Focus Apps For Studying: 7 Powerful Tools To Stay Focused, Learn Faster, And Actually Remember Stuff