About
What is FORBEAR?
FORBEAR is an iPhone app blocker built on Apple Screen Time. Daily limits, schedules, physical NFC or QR keys, and a red panda whose enclosure gets sunnier the less you scroll. The questions below explain how it works.
What is FORBEAR?
FORBEAR is an iPhone app that blocks distracting apps, websites and app categories using Apple’s Screen Time framework. You set a daily allowance and schedules, and a red panda companion lives in an enclosure that gets sunnier the less you scroll. Its tagline is Less scrolling. More living.
How does FORBEAR block apps?
FORBEAR uses Apple’s official Screen Time APIs (Family Controls, Managed Settings and Device Activity). iOS itself shields the apps you chose, so there is no VPN, no accessibility trick and no background service watching what you do. You grant Screen Time access once during setup.
What can I block?
Any app, website or category that Apple’s app picker offers, for example social media, games or entertainment. You choose them inside FORBEAR and can change the list at any time except during a Focus session. Apps you add count today. Apps you remove stay counted until tomorrow.
What is the daily allowance?
A daily time budget for the apps you selected. Once the allowance is used up, those apps are shielded for the rest of the day. The allowance resets each local day.
What are schedules?
Time windows, such as work hours or bedtime, during which the selected apps are shielded regardless of the allowance. You can set several schedules and repeat them on chosen days.
Can I get more time when I need it?
Yes, when the daily allowance is what is blocking. More time gives you up to three grants per day of 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Each adds those minutes to today’s allowance after a one minute wait, or after a key scan if your plan requires a key, and each grant costs weather points. For real emergencies there is one Emergency pause per week that lifts protection for 60 minutes. It appears only while something is blocking and resets on Monday.
What are NFC and QR keys?
Physical keys that stop you from ending protected time on a whim. You register an ordinary NFC tag or print a FORBEAR QR code, then keep it somewhere inconvenient, like another room or a friend’s house. Releasing key-protected time requires scanning that object. FORBEAR does not store the tag’s contents or unique identifier, only the name you gave it.
What is the red panda companion?
A small red panda who lives in an enclosure inside the app. Its health, weather and coins reflect your habits. Staying within your limits and completing habits makes the enclosure sunnier and earns coins for upgrades and cosmetics. Overusing the blocked apps makes it gloomier.
Does FORBEAR need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no login. Your habits, history, schedules, keys and companion progress stay on your iPhone. Detailed Screen Time reports never leave Apple’s report extension.
What does FORBEAR cost?
Some features need Forbear Plus, a subscription billed through Apple. Plans, prices and any introductory offers are shown in the app before you buy. You can cancel at any time in your Apple subscription settings.
Which devices are supported?
iPhone running iOS 18.5 or later. There is no Android, iPad or Mac version.
How is FORBEAR different from the built-in Screen Time limits?
Apple’s own limits are one tap away from being ignored. FORBEAR adds physical NFC and QR keys, a strict weekly emergency pause instead of unlimited overrides, schedules that combine with a daily allowance, habits, widgets and Live Activities, and a companion that makes progress visible.
Can I turn it off if I really need to?
Yes, FORBEAR is not a jail. You have the weekly Emergency pause, and deleting all local data in Settings releases every restriction. Both are deliberate friction, not a lock you can lose the key to.
How do I get help or send feedback?
Open Settings in the app and tap Have ideas? Found a bug? to send feedback, or email support@theforbearapp.com. The help page on this site covers common problems with Screen Time access, keys, notifications and purchases.
Get FORBEAR
FORBEAR is available on the App Store for iPhone.
Download on theApp Store