If you’re someone who struggles to stay on task or just want to boost your productivity as the new year approaches, there are plenty of apps and extensions you can try that are designed to help you focus by blocking out distractions.
Whether you need to limit your social media scrolling or block out time to be productive, these tools will keep you focused. Here are some of the best options.
Freedom
If you want to block distractions on all your devices at once, Freedom it is a good choice. You can choose which websites and apps to block for a specific period of time. So if you’re working on your laptop and then try to open TikTok on your phone, you won’t be able to — you’ll see a green screen indicating that the app is blocked.
The app allows you to start a session immediately, schedule an upcoming one, or set a recurring one. If you know you need to be free of distractions at a certain time each day, you can set a Freedom session to start automatically at that time.
If your job doesn’t require internet access, you can block the internet completely. You can also block all websites except those you need for work. If you really don’t trust yourself to get your work done, you can use the app’s “Locked Mode,” which prevents you from ending a Freedom session early.
Pricing starts at $3.33 per month when billed annually or $8.99 per month when billed monthly, with a lifetime subscription option of $199. Freedom offers a seven-day free trial.
Cold turkey
Cold turkey it is a good choice for people who need strict responsibility. While many distraction blockers let you back out or “cheat”, Cold Turkey makes it almost impossible to stop a block once you start it.
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You can block websites and apps or even the entire Internet. After choosing what you want to block, you can set a timer for how long you want the block to run. Once you start the block, you can’t stop it.
Cold Turkey has a “Frozen Turkey” mode that locks you out of your computer completely. The app also lets you schedule breaks to get away from your computer. If you don’t trust yourself with milder distraction blockers, this might be the tool you need to stay focused.
Cold Turkey’s core features are free, but you can unlock programming and the option to block apps except websites for a one-time fee of $39.
Opal
Opal is a focus and screen time app that blocks distracting apps and websites on iPhone, Android and desktop. You can create “focus blocks” — scheduled periods to prevent access to certain apps and websites. You can block entire categories like social media, games, and messaging.
You can set individual blocks or create recurring sessions. For example, you can automatically block access to social media and games during work or school hours.
Opal also lets you set daily usage limits for specific apps to prevent excessive scrolling. You’ll get a “focus score” that shows how much time you spend focused versus distracted. The app provides real-time statistics and weekly reports to track your progress.
Opal’s core features are free to use, but you can unlock unlimited recurring sessions, harder blocking difficulties and more for $19.99 a month or $99 a year.
LeechBlock NG
LeechBlock is a free browser extension for people who want a simple way to block distracting websites. The extension lets you choose which sites you want to block and then prevents your browser from loading them.
You can create multiple block sets with different sites, schedules and limits. The extension allows you to set blocks at certain times of the day or activate individual blocks.
If you don’t want to block a website permanently, you can set a countdown delay before the page loads. For example, you can set it so that visiting a website starts a 10-minute timer. You can still access the site once the countdown is over, but the delay can be enough to disrupt impulsive browsing habits.
It’s worth noting that since LeechBlock is a browser extension, you’ll have to have some willpower to avoid just switching browsers to do things like watch Netflix or browse X.
Forest
Forest it gamifies productivity while supporting real environmental efforts. When you need to focus, you open the app and plant a virtual tree. The tree grows as you focus until the timer runs out. If you abandon the application early, the tree will wither and die.
You can set Allow Lists for different apps you use to be productive, such as an email app or Microsoft Word. The app also lets you track your productivity.
Over time, you create a digital forest that represents your productivity. If you’re competitive, you can share your forest with others and compare your progress. As you stay focused and grow virtual trees, you earn coins that can be saved and used to fund real tree planting projects around the world through the organization Trees for the future.
The Forest browser extension is free. The iOS app costs $3.99, while the Android app is free with ads or $1.99 to remove ads.
