The family screen time app where everyone takes a break together

Most screen time apps are built around one idea: a parent sets limits on a child's phone. That can help. But anyone who has sat at a dinner table where three people are scrolling knows the phone problem in a family is rarely just the kids'.

BreakOff takes a different approach. Instead of one person policing everyone else, the whole family takes a break at the same time. Phones go quiet together, distracting apps are blocked for the length of the break, and everyone gets the same thing back: time with the people in the room.

Why family screen time works better when parents join in

Kids notice what adults do with their phones. In a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, 46% of US teens said a parent is at least sometimes distracted by their phone when they are trying to talk to them, and 47% of parents said they spend too much time on their own smartphone (Pew Research Center).

That is not a reason for guilt. It is just how these devices are designed: to pull everyone in. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes parents as an important role model for healthy digital habits and recommends screen-free zones like the dinner table and before bed (HealthyChildren.org, AAP). A shared break is the easiest way to act on that advice, because nobody is asked to do something the grown-ups are not doing too.

How BreakOff works for families

1. Pick what gets blocked. Choose the apps that tend to swallow an evening: social feeds, video, games. BreakOff blocks them during a break using Apple's own Screen Time technology (Family Controls). Calls and the apps you choose to allow keep working.

2. Start a break together. Families with teens 16 and up can use Circles: send an invite and everyone's phone goes quiet at once. For the whole household, including younger kids, use Host: put up one QR code poster (on the fridge works well), and everyone who scans it starts the same break on their own phone.

3. Choose how firm the break is.

• Flexible: a timer you can end early. Good for getting started.
• Locked: the break runs its full length, with an emergency escape.
• Physical: the break only ends when someone scans a QR code or taps an NFC tag. Put the tag in the kitchen and the phones stay in the other room.

4. Let it run on its own. The Family Time Routine turns breaks into a habit without anyone having to remember. Set the days and times once (say, 6 to 7:30 pm on weeknights) and BreakOff handles the rest.

Presence over restriction

BreakOff is not a surveillance tool. It does not read messages, track locations, or send reports about your kid's browsing. The point is not to catch anyone. The point is to make it easy for everyone to be present at the same moment.

Progress is counted as mental wins: every break adds to your family's total, and a missed day does not wipe anything out. No streak to protect, no score to argue about. Just a quiet record of the time you spent together.

When to use a family break

A few moments families start with:

• Dinner. The classic. One break from sitting down to clearing plates.
• The first hour home. Before everyone disappears into their rooms.
• Homework time. Kids focus, parents read or cook alongside them.
• Bedtime wind-down. Phones off together 30 to 60 minutes before lights out.
• Weekend mornings. Pancakes without the scroll.

Looking for what to actually do once the phones are down? Our list of phone-free family time ideas has dozens, sorted by time of day.

BreakOff and Apple Screen Time

BreakOff works alongside Apple's built-in Screen Time, not instead of it. Screen Time and Family Sharing are great for always-on rules like age ratings, purchase approvals, and daily app limits. BreakOff covers something they do not: shared moments, where everyone's phone goes quiet at the same time. If you want the nuts and bolts of blocking specific apps on a child's iPhone, see our guide to the app blocker for kids.

Getting started takes about two minutes

Download BreakOff, choose the apps to block, and start your first break tonight. The core app is free. BreakOff Pro, which includes Host for whole-room breaks, is $4.99 a month with a free trial.