Scroll Off guides · Updated 17 September 2026
Daily limits, schedules or Focus—which rule do you need?
Daily limits answer “how much?” Schedules answer “when?” Focus protects the task you are doing now.
You probably do not need a complicated rule for every app. Start with the moment you want to change.
“I keep spending an hour on Instagram.”
Use a daily limit. It caps the total time available to the apps in a list each day.
In Scroll Off, a list shares one allowance. If Instagram and YouTube share 15 minutes, using 12 minutes on Instagram leaves 3 minutes for YouTube. When the allowance runs out, both apps block until the daily reset.
A daily limit controls duration. It does not reserve that time for a particular hour.
“I don’t want feeds during work.”
Use a schedule. Select the distracting apps and the hours they should be unavailable—for example, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on workdays.
During that window, the schedule applies even if you have not used any of a daily allowance. Outside the window, the schedule ends; another active rule, such as an exhausted daily limit, can still keep those apps blocked.
Keep work tools and essential communication out of the list. Check the selected apps before enabling a schedule.
“I need to finish this one thing.”
Use Focus. Choose your apps and start a timed blocking session. It is useful for a piece of work with a clear beginning and end, without adding a recurring schedule.
Check the duration and any locked-session setting before starting. A deliberately locked session is meant to keep running until it ends.
What should I start with?
Choose one list and one rule that fits your problem. A daily limit is a straightforward start for repeated feed-checking. A schedule fits a recurring time you want to protect. Focus fits a task you want to begin now.
When multiple rules apply, the end of one rule does not necessarily unblock the app. Check whether a daily limit, schedule or Focus session is still active.
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Written by Shivam Pal, the maker of Scroll Off.