Do you want to learn about apps to limit social media use? Or would you rather learn about tools to limit social media use? Learn more in this blog post on tools to limit social media use.
Managing your social media apps and social media use can be a challenge. This is why I’ve decided to put together a list of the best apps to limit social media use and tools to limit social media use. The top apps encourage you to take set breaks and result in increased productivity for you, your team, and your business.
Track Time Spent on Social Media
You might feel like you’re spending too much time on social media, but how much is too much? How much do you need to cut back? You can’t know the answers until you measure what you’re doing now.
RescueTime is an app for all major platforms that tracks the amount of time you spend on different sites and applications. It can also block sites that it thinks are most distracting to you (more on that in the next section). Apple limits how much it can track on its mobile devices, however, so you may need to use a separate tool for that.
iOS has a built-in tool called Screen Time that tracks how much time you spend on your iPhone, including the exact number of minutes in different apps. From your home screen, swipe right to find a summary. Tap the summary to dive deeper into it.
Google has a similar feature on some of its phones called Wellbeing. There are other third-party Android apps, too. PCMag hasn’t reviewed any, but you can search for “phone usage tracker apps” and find one that works for you.
Use Browser Extensions to Block Social Networking Sites
On desktops and laptops, one of the best tools you can use to limit your social media usage is a browser extension that blocks access to sites you choose. Some of them also track time on sites and apps, so those can do double duty.
RescueTime, which I mentioned above, has a feature for premium members that blocks distracting websites. It’s called FocusTime, and it figures out which sites distract you based on your previous history. When you turn on FocusTime, it blocks all those sites for a period of time you set. You can override any site that the app has identified incorrectly. FocusTime also integrates with other apps such as Slack, where it can update your status automatically to let people know not to disturb you.
A few browser extensions offer the same temporary blocking function. One that I like is called StrictWorkflow (free, Chrome). It blocks you from sites that you choose whenever you opt into a phase of focused work by clicking the icon in your browser bar.
StayFocusd is another good one. It lets you block sites permanently or set daily time limits for different sites. It also lets you block specific subdomains, specific paths or pages, and even certain kinds of content on a domain, such as videos.
Another way to block websites is to do it through your home router. Typically, there is a section for domain filtering. If you block a main website, such as Facebook.com, no web browser on your network will be able to open any pages on Facebook.
Activate Time Limits in Facebook and Instagram Mobile Apps
Starting with iOS 12, you can set time limits for apps and groups of apps, such as social networking, games, and others. Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits and select the apps or groups of apps you want to include. Then, set a daily time limit. You can customize which days of the week it’s applicable as well.
The mobile apps for Facebook and Instagram have a time-tracking function, too. This feature tracks how many minutes per day you use each of the apps and gives you a daily average. It also has an optional time limit you can set for how long you want to spend on the app per day. When you hit the limit, an in-app notification lets you know.
The setting is called Set Daily Reminder. On Instagram, it’s under Settings > Your Activity > Set Daily Reminder. In Facebook, look for Your Time on Facebook in the Settings.
Offtime
This app hones in on mindfulness by allowing you to block what distracts you most: social media, games, and even text messages. You can also break down what you can and can’t access for specific times like Work, Family, or Me Time, making it even easier to separate work and play. The app even shows you how much you use your phone and specific apps, which might be a huge, much-needed wake-up call.
Get Offtime for iOS ($2.99) and Android (Free)
Moment
Moment tracks how much you use your phone or tablet each day, and the results can be alarming. Once you know how much you’re using certain apps, you can set daily limits and get a notification or force yourself to stop procrastinating with a flood of notifications. It’s annoying but it does work. There’s even a “Moment Family” option, which allows you to track your family’s usage—and even set limits during dinner or homework time.
Flipd
For those of us who need a huge push when it comes to cutting back on screen time, Flipd may be the right app for the job. Once you lock certain apps on your phone for a set period of time, there’s no going back. You might be able to disable other apps by restarting your phone, but not Flipd, making it the ultimate distraction stopper. It might sound intense, but once you get your work done, you’ll definitely be more appreciative of the time you spent distraction-free.
Get Flipd for iOS and Android (Free)
Freedom
This app works for your phone, tablet, or computer, allowing you to block any distracting websites, apps, or even emails. Freedom uses a VPN to stop these apps from receiving new content and flooding you with notifications. According to the site, since the VPN never connects to a server, your browsing information will never leave your phone, making your data secure and private.
Get Freedom for iOS or MacOS ($6.99/month)
AppBlock
AppBlock allows Android users to temporarily block distracting applications on their phone, giving them more time to focus on things that actually need their attention. It’s one of the simpler apps we found and won’t track your usage. But you can still schedule specific times to lock yourself out of certain apps to prevent distractions before they happen.
Get AppBlock for Android (Free)
Conclusion:
Social media is everywhere and it’s nearly impossible to avoid. The most popular platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + and Instagram. There are also a number of other social media sites including the lesser used sites like Reddit and Tumblr. There are hundreds of apps that can help you to limit your social media use and help you log off for good if you so desire.