PRODUCT REVIEW · 13 NOV 2026
Product assessment / iOS beta

Take back
your time.

Dead Zone helps reduce doom scrolling by blocking selected apps or categories during scheduled periods. Its differentiator is social accountability: users request an unlock code from friends instead of overriding restrictions on their own.

External TestFlight betaBuild 37iOS onlyReact Native
37Current TestFlight build
iOSAvailable platform
3Core product functions
13Competitors benchmarked
01 / The product

How Dead Zone works.

Three primary experiences described during the beta review.

01 / SCHEDULE

Dead Zones

Schedule recurring app-blocking windows, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9–11 AM. Choose specific apps or restriction categories.

02 / ACCOUNTABILITY

Friend-held unlock codes

Join a friend group. To bypass a restriction, ask a friend for a code; group members can also “slap” each other for breaking limits.

03 / FOCUS

Timed lock-ins

Start a focused session, such as a 25-minute lock-in for a specific app. Other group members receive a notification.

Example unlock flow
01Choose restrictionApps, category or schedule
02Restriction activatesSelected distractions blocked
03Ask a friendRequest a code to override
04Resume with permissionAccountability remains social
02 / Due diligence

Findings & open questions.

Observed beta issues are distinguished from items still requiring code-level or App Store policy validation.

Observed / acknowledged

App-selection bug

The app picker failed during Dead Zone setup until the flow was restarted. Luke is addressing this.

UI/UX polish

Luke acknowledged that core functionality works, but onboarding, flow clarity and visual refinement need improvement.

To verify

Admin data visibility

Confirm whether administrators can view selected blocked apps, categories, schedules or limits.

Apple privacy / submission

Validate implementation and data handling against applicable Apple Screen Time API rules. Approval risk is not established solely by the meeting.

Launch assistance

Clarify what help Luke needs for final QA, privacy disclosures, TestFlight sign-off and App Store submission.

Privacy note: Luke reports collecting only name, email and phone, and does not believe the API exposes the exact blocked-app list to admin users. This requires verification against the app's actual implementation.
03 / Current build

Technology & distribution.

As reported during the product discussion.

App frameworkReact Native · TypeScript
EngineeringGitHub · Claude Code · GrokBot
BackendSupabase
Subscription infrastructureRevenueCat
Notifications & buildsExpo Notifications · EAS Builds
Native capabilitiesSwift · Apple Screen Time integrations
AnalyticsFirebase setup in progress · Free tier
DistributionExternal TestFlight beta · Build 37
04 / Follow-through

Next steps.

Items captured from the client discussion. The next meeting was proposed for the same time the following week.

01
Complete product due diligence

Review current iOS flows and prepare prioritized UI, UX and feature recommendations.

Moe
02
Address app-selection bug

Resolve and retest the app picker behavior during Dead Zone setup.

Luke
03
Complete Firebase setup

Confirm required analytics events, privacy disclosures and free-tier fit.

Luke
04
Verify admin visibility and launch scope

Check protected data handling and define support needed for App Store submission.

Moe / Luke
05
Send next-call invitation

Follow-up planned for the same time next week.

Moe / Shawn
05 / Competitive intelligence

The wider market.

Competitor pricing, iOS release history, public App Store ratings and social-accountability features. Download totals and IAP revenue are not publicly disclosed by Apple; unavailable fields remain labeled as such.

Competitor directory.

Closest friend-controlled products first, then broader screen-time blockers.

AppPlatformCore functionalityFriends / groupsFitLink

Pricing & in-app purchases.

US App Store price observations. Ambiguous product and billing-period labels are intentionally not inferred.

USD
AppFree accessMonthly / short-termAnnual / lifetimeOther IAP / notes

Time in market & traction.

Historical public rating snapshots as of November 2026. Ratings must not be equated with installs, subscribers or sales.

AppFirst verified releaseMonths in marketUS ratingsAvg ratingiOS downloadsIAP revenue

Established apps · public ratings

Emerging competitors · public ratings

Charts use separate scales for established and newer apps. They display public ratings only.

Feature comparison.

✓ Documented · ◐ Partial or conditional · — Not confirmed. A pairing code is not necessarily an unlock code.

AppApp limitsCategory limitsFriends / groupsFriend approvalFriend-held keyStrict mode
06 / Product strategy

Monetization options.

Illustrative pricing hypotheses for Dead Zone, not verified market conversion data or recommendations backed by a willingness-to-pay study.

Individual freemium

Personal plan

$3.99 / month

$29.99 annually

  • Free: 1–2 restricted apps
  • Paid: additional apps and categories
  • Friend approvals included
Group-first

Friend group plan

$7.99 / group / month

$59.99 annually

  • One person pays for the group
  • Up to five members
  • Shared accountability tools
Hybrid approach

Plan + overrides

$4.99 / month

$39.99 annually

  • Premium blocking features
  • Limited emergency unlocks
  • Additional unlock purchases to test
Commercial data limitation: For downloads and estimated IAP revenue, a paid mobile intelligence service (such as Appfigures, Sensor Tower or AppMagic) would be required. Smaller apps can still lack robust estimates.

Research links.

The report works offline. External competitor listings require a connection when opened. Public prices and ratings may change.