About WaitToUnlock

Why I built this

Hi, I'm Dan, the founder of WaitToUnlock.

I'm a Senior Data Scientist at a tech company in London, and I've spent over 11 years building software and data products.

I built WaitToUnlock because I wanted to spend less time on my phone without installing yet another app blocker.

iOS already has Screen Time, but there was one problem: I knew the passcode. Whenever I hit an app limit, I could tap Ignore Limit and carry on.

The usual solution is to ask someone else to set the passcode for you. I didn't like relying on another person every time I wanted to change a setting, so I built WaitToUnlock instead.

It lets you create a Screen Time passcode you genuinely don't know, then makes you wait before you can get it back.

What I believe

WaitToUnlock is independent and self-funded.

There are no ads, and your data is never sold. Your passcode is encrypted before it's stored and is only revealed when you request it after the waiting period.

The product makes money one way: an optional one-time payment for lifetime access.

I deliberately keep WaitToUnlock simple. It does one job, and I'd rather it do that job really well than fill it with features that distract from the reason it exists.

Other things I'm working on

Inlet is a free Mac app for adding reminders and calendar events by typing plain English, like "buy milk tomorrow afternoon", from anywhere with a keyboard shortcut. It saves straight into Apple Reminders and Calendar.

Meander is a free Mac app that reminds you to get up and move for a few minutes every hour. It waits until you're off a call, a video or a game before it interrupts you, and you can change all of the times.

Get in touch

Questions, feedback, bug reports, or ideas are always welcome.

Email hello@waittounlock.com. Every message goes directly to me. You can also head to the support page.