Pick what distracts you
Choose the apps that eat your time. PlugBrain shows how long you spend in each one.
Free, open-source app blocker
Plug your brain back in.
Solve a little math. Scroll a lot less.
The more you scroll, the harder the math. Step away, and it gets easier again.
Also on IzzyOnDroid or APK from GitHub
- No ads
- No tracking
- No internet needed
Time is up for this app
Let's slow down
Difficulty
Try it: solve a few and watch the level climb, or leave the app to bring it back down.
How it works
Three steps, then it stays out of your way.
1
2Choose how often and how hard
Decide how long you can stay in those apps before a challenge, or get one as soon as they open. Pick a starting level from Beginner to Expert.
3Solve a little math to keep going
When your time is up, a quick problem stands between you and the feed. Solve it, or take the hint and leave.
Progressive difficulty
The more you scroll, the harder it gets.
Step away, and it gets easier again.
Every challenge you solve makes the next one a level harder. Time away brings it back down, but never below the starting level you picked.
Keep scrolling
Each solved challenge adds a level.
Take a break
The longer you stay away from distracting apps, the easier the next challenge gets.
Why math?
A timer you tap past isn't friction.
Most blockers show a countdown with a button to ignore it, and muscle memory taps it before you have thought about it. A math problem needs your attention for a few seconds, and those seconds are often enough to change your mind.
Typical limits
- A countdown or a daily quota
- An "ignore" or "one more minute" button
- Same rules whether you relapse once or ten times
PlugBrain
- A problem you have to think through
- You type the answer, no multiple choice
- Gets harder the more you come back, easier when you stay away
Private by design
No ads. No tracking. Just a little math.
PlugBrain doesn't ask for internet access at all, so nothing you do can leave your phone.
No internet permission
The app cannot send anything anywhere. Android enforces it.
No tracking or analytics
No trackers, no crash reporters, no data collected or shared.
No ads
Not now, not later. There is nothing to sell.
No account
Install it and go. Your settings stay on your phone.
Free and open source
GPL-3.0 licensed. Read the code, build it yourself, improve it.
On F-Droid
Built from source by F-Droid, with no anti-features listed.
This website follows the same rules: no cookies, no analytics, and fonts served from here, not from Google. Read the privacy policy
A look inside
Calm, simple, and out of your way.
What people say
From people who use it.
Finally, a focus app which works. It's way too easy to get sucked into YouTube otherwise. This app helps navigate that balance perfectly!
Google Play review Thanks to this, I'm not drooling while scrolling through shorts; solving simple math problems occasionally saves my brain.
Google Play review I love the idea, it's exactly something I had searched for for a long time.
Lezurex, on GitHub I prefer it over multiple-choice options found in other apps, as it forces a higher level of focus.
user9484, on GitHub
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How does the difficulty go up and down?
Every challenge you solve makes the next one a level harder. When you stay away from your blocked apps, it comes back down by one level for every two challenge intervals you spend away. With a 15-minute interval, that is one level every 30 minutes. It never drops below the minimum difficulty you chose.
Can I choose how hard it starts?
Yes. Pick Beginner (simple additions and subtractions), Intermediate (multiplications and missing numbers) or Expert (multi-digit multiplications) as your minimum, and change it any time from the home screen.
When does a challenge appear?
After the time you choose, from 1 to 15 minutes, in your blocked apps. Turn on Also on app open to solve one before a blocked app even opens.
Why does it need these permissions?
Usage access measures time in the apps you picked. Display over other apps shows the challenge on top of them. Accessibility tells PlugBrain which app is open: it reads the app's name, never your screen or what you type. Battery optimization is optional and keeps it running reliably.
Does it work offline? What data does it collect?
It works fully offline, because it has no internet permission at all. There is no account, no ads and no analytics, and your settings never leave your phone. See the privacy policy.
Can I cheat?
If you really want to, yes. It's your phone, and you can always uninstall the app. PlugBrain is a speed bump, not a jail: the few seconds a problem takes are usually enough to ask yourself if you really want to keep scrolling. It also covers calculator apps during a challenge, and loopholes get fixed as people report them.
Is there an iPhone version?
Not at the moment. PlugBrain is Android only, on Android 9 and newer.
How is it different from other app blockers?
Most blockers use timers or quotas you can dismiss with a tap. PlugBrain asks you to think for a moment, adapts to how often you come back, and does it all without ads, accounts or internet access. It's also free and open source.
Which languages does it speak?
English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Persian and Russian. Spanish and Portuguese (Brazil) are looking for translators: Spanish, Portuguese.
Is it really free?
Yes, completely. No ads, no in-app purchases, no premium tier. It is open source under the GPL-3.0 license.
Built in the open
Made by a small community. Join it.
PlugBrain is made in Algeria by Mohammed-Said Belaid and a growing group of contributors around the world.
Translate
Bring PlugBrain to your language.
Add a challenge
New challenge types start with
./gradlew generateChallenge.Design
Help with UX, visuals and the store presence.
Talk to us
Ideas, feedback and help on r/PlugBrain.
UX & UI designHichem Dahaoui
App icontravis-jeans
