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AI · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to iOS Screen Time from a REST API

We're Oliver and Royce and we're the founders of Clearspace. We build tools to help people reduce their screen time (here’s us two years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35888644) We get all kinds of requests from users for ways they'd like to use their screen time data. - “Auto-donate $x to charity every time I exceed a limit or try to bypass it” - “My 75 Hard group has a screen time requirement, can we set up group visibility?” - “Let my personal agent know if it’s a good time to tackle things on my todo list” - “Auto-report large deviations in my screen time to my…

iOS Screen Time from a REST API provides developers access to Apple Screen Time data through a web-based API, a capability not previously available from Apple. Created by Clearspace founders Oliver and Royce, it allows… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes.

  1. 1

    I wanted a longer-running view of my screen time data - in particular my usage on a given day vs. my goal usage. Github absolutely nails year-long visualization with their contributions heatmap, so borrowed some inspiration and created a similar screen time visualizer on iOS. Here's what it looks like: https://www.getclearspace.com/showHN This is a free feature of the Clearspace app. Here's a link to our original HN launch with Clearspace: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35888644

    2025 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  2. 2

    Make your phone less addicting

    2023 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  3. 3

    Pushups to earn screen time

    2024 · getclearspace.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4
    iOS 12▲705

    Making your device faster, responsive and delightful 📱

    2018 · apple.com · its alternatives →

  5. 5

    New lock screen widgets and Shortcuts for productive parents

    2022 · grace-app.com · its alternatives →

  6. 6
    Mom Clock▲742

    Hi HN, I’ve tried dozens of reminder and habit apps over the years. They’re all polite. Gentle. Easy to ignore. So I built something intentionally different. Mom Clock is a reminder app that behaves more like a strict parent than a productivity coach: – no snoozing – no “later” – optional app blocking using Screen Time APIs The idea came from my own behavior: I don’t need motivation — I need enforcement. This is not for everyone. Some people hate it. Some people love it. I’m genuinely curious where HN stands on this tradeoff: comfort vs. effectiveness. Happy to answer questions about: –…

    Jan 2026 · momclock.com · its alternatives →

  7. 7

    Sharing, Feedback & Planning Made Easy

    2024 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  8. 8

    Show your macOS desktop on FaceTime

    2018 · tryscreentime.com · its alternatives →

  9. 9

    Make reducing phone time easy

    2024 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  10. 10
    ScreenUse▲103

    Track the amount and length of your mobile sessions on iOS

    2017 · its alternatives →

  11. 11

    Minimal screensaver for Mac

    2015 · its alternatives →

  12. 12

    Open source screen break timer for macOS

    Jan 2026 · restnow.xyz · its alternatives →

  13. 13

    Automatically track screen time and build better habits

    2018 · rescuetime.com · its alternatives →

  14. 14

    Turn ScreenTime into positive motivation for kids

    2025 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15
    Tweny▲263

    Focus timer that actually cares about your eyes

    Dec 2025 · apps.lvrpiz.com · its alternatives →

  16. 16
    OffScreen▲234

    Less phone, more focus.

    2019 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  17. 17

    Howdy, gang; After almost two weeks of sitting in Apple's approval queue, my new app Timebar is finally available. I think it has a pretty innovative UI feature, so I wanted to float it by Hacker News. It's a timer app that turns your Mac's menu bar into a sort of virtual hourglass. Your menu bar starts out tinted blue (or whatever colour you pick) and it slowly drains from right-to-left until your time is up. It works very well for situations where you want to keep track of time, but don't need to be super precise. The menu bar is easy to glance up at, and it doesn't take long to happen…

    2013 · whimsicalifornia.com · its alternatives →

  18. 18

    Have you ever wished you could see the time while coding or watching videos in fullscreen or when your menu bar is hidden? Corner Time is a minimalist macOS app designed for those who value a clean desktop but still want the clock to be always visible. Unlike other widgets or solutions, Corner Time sits unobtrusively in the corner of your screen as if it were a native part of macOS—even when you’re in fullscreen mode or using auto-hide for your menu bar. The app is highly customizable: you can choose your preferred date format, adjust the style, match your system language, and use it…

    2025 · cornertime.app · its alternatives →

  19. 19

    Automatic time tracking menubar Mac app

    2024 · its alternatives →

  20. 20

    It's a macOS menu bar app that reads the text of your focused window every few seconds through the Accessibility API. No screenshots, no video, or OCR. It writes plain markdown, one file per day, into a folder you choose. Point Claude Code (or anything with file access) at the folder and ask "what did I work on Tuesday?" or have it build memory about your projects. The folder contains an AGENTS.md explaining the format to the model. Thought it might be useful for someone so chucked it up on GitHub

    Aug 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  21. 21

    Be in control of your time, schedule with ease

    2017 · timeferret.com · its alternatives →

  22. 22

    modern screen time app to reduce digital distractions

    2023 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  23. 23IB

    Hi HN! I'm a former Facebook engineer who has struggled with smartphone / social media usage (ironic) for many years. The accountability of a personal trainer really worked for me to start a consistent fitness routine, so I've spent the past two years building out a low cost, lightweight coaching service (with real human coaches!) to help people with everyday habits -- screen time, fitness, sleep, diet, hobbies, personal hygiene. We recently launched a dedicated screen time coaching service for iPhone users, which integrates with the iOS Screen Time API to block problematic apps.…

    2025 · zabit.com · its alternatives →

  24. 24

    Managing your bookings has never been easier.

    2018 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →