Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes! We believe that breaking habits is easier when we do it together. You are invited to join The Paced Community on Facebook. It is a private, shame-free space where we share tips, celebrate "unlocked" moments, and support each other in reclaiming our time. 👉 Join the Group Here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pacedcommunity

  • If you run into a bug or have a billing question, email us at support@pacedapp.com. We are a small, dedicated team (mostly me, Rhonda!), so please allow 24-48 hours for a response. We read every single message.

  • No. We do not sell your data. Paced processes your usage data locally on your device to make the blocking features work. We use the "Accessibility Service" only to detect when a blocked app is open, and we use "Physical Activity" data only to count your steps for the Walk-to-Unlock feature. We don't spy on what you are typing or reading.

  • Paced needs special permissions (like "Accessibility" and "Display Over Other Apps") to function as a blocker. Without these, we can't "pop up" over Instagram when your time is up! These permissions are strictly used to help you stick to your goals, nothing else.

Community & Support

  • Paced is an "Active Well-being System." We are not a punitive blocker that treats you like a child. Instead, Paced is a compassionate coach designed to help you trade a passive habit (doomscrolling) for an active one (walking). It serves as a "pattern interrupt" to break the trance of the algorithm.

  • Anyone who has ever picked up their phone for "one second" and lost an hour.

    It doesn't matter if your vice is social media, the 24-hour news cycle, or late-night online shopping. Paced is for anyone who opens an app to check "one thing" and suddenly realizes an hour has passed.

    You don't need Paced for your work email or maps; you need it for the apps that are designed to keep you clicking, buying, or watching longer than you intended.

  • You should select the apps that steal your time when you are trying to decompress. Based on our research, these usually fall into three categories:

    • The "Numbing" Apps: Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. These are the top culprits for "losing an hour" after work.

    • The "Anxiety" Spirals: Google News and Reddit. You might feel like you are "staying informed," but often you are just doomscrolling.

    • The "False Productivity" Apps: Pinterest and Amazon. These are sneaky! You might feel like you are planning or shopping, but often it is just another form of checking out when you are depleted.

  • That is entirely up to you. While Paced is great for blocking social media "doomscrolling," work-life balance is also a huge part of digital wellness. If you find yourself compulsively checking emails during family dinners or right before bed, we absolutely recommend creating a "Work" group so you can truly disconnect when the day is done.

Getting Started

  • The formula is simple: 100 Steps = 3 Minutes. When your session ends, a cooldown timer locks your apps. You can wait it out, or you can walk to unlock them. Movement acts as a bridge, getting you unstuck from the couch and back into your body.

  • No! We aren't a fitness bootcamp. We don't make you do squats or pushups. We just ask for gentle movement (walking). Paced is about mental clarity, not physical exhaustion.

  • Real life happens. Paced is designed to be a coach, not a jail warden. If you need to access a blocked app and can't move, you can use the Emergency Unlock option.

    • The Trade-Off: You will get instant access, but your current streak will reset. This ensures you stay accountable to your goals while still having flexibility for true emergencies.

  • No. Paced uses a "baseline snapshot." We only count the steps you take after the cooldown begins. The goal is to interrupt the specific moment of doomscrolling, not to reward you for a run you went on that morning.

  • Safety comes first. You can always exit a cooldown if absolutely necessary, or access non-blocked apps (like Phone, Maps, or Uber) at any time. Paced blocks your distractions, not your utilities.

How It Works

  • The fastest way to get a fix is to post a screenshot in our Paced Community Group. We are a small team, so please allow 24-48 hours for a response. We read every single message

    If you have a billing question or prefer to keep it private, you can email us directly at support@pacedapp.com. We are a small team, so please allow 24-48 hours for a response. We read every single message!

  • This is the "Browser Gap." This happens because apps like Pinterest often open articles in your phone's web browser (Chrome) rather than keeping you in the app. If you haven't Paced your browser, the timer stops because Paced thinks you left the distraction app.

    ‍ ‍How to fix this:

    Add your browser (Chrome/Samsung Internet) to your Paced App Group. This ensures that even if an app hands you off to a website, your time is still being tracked accurately.

  • Currently, your remaining unlocked time is saved until you use it. This means if you leave 5 minutes on the clock, those 5 minutes will still be there when you return. To start a fresh cycle (and trigger a cooldown), you currently need to use up that remaining time.

    Coming Soon: We agree that you shouldn't feel forced to scroll just to clear a timer! We are building an Auto-Reset feature that will detect inactivity and automatically refresh your session if you haven't used your phone for a while.

  • Those blurred sections are advanced insights available exclusively in Paced Pro.

    The Free version tracks your essential progress, like your Current Streak and Sessions Completed.

    Paced Pro unlocks the deeper data—specifically your Timelines and Cooldown Shortened stats—so you can see exactly how much time you are saving and when your habits are changing.

  • To help you stay committed, Paced locks your group settings while a cycle is running. You cannot add or remove apps while your apps are unlocked or during a Cooldown. You must wait until the cycle finishes to make changes.

    Coming Soon: We know mistakes happen! We are working on an update that will allow you to modify groups while your apps are unlocked. Look for this in a future release.

  • Paced uses Apple’s native, privacy-first Screen Time API to track usage. To protect your iPhone’s battery, iOS calculates and updates visual usage data on your dashboard in periodic background batches rather than streaming a live stopwatch.

    While your dashboard display may take a few minutes to catch up to real-life usage, our background blocking engine is always active. The second you hit your 30-minute usage threshold, Apple’s system will drop the Paced shield right on cue.

  • Yes, absolutely! iOS handles app blocking separately from usage display reporting. Even if your dashboard displays fewer minutes than you've actually spent scrolling, Apple’s underlying operating system kernel tracks your precise minutes in the background. The 60-minute cooldown shield will trigger the moment you reach your 30-minute limit.

  • Apple calculates Screen Time in the main Settings app differently than it shares data with third-party apps:

    • Device Settings: Counts the instant your screen is lit up, including background notifications and built-in system apps (like Settings or Phone).

    • Paced: Exclusively tracks active, foreground usage inside the specific distracting target apps you have selected to pace.

  • To keep Paced syncing smoothly with your device:

    1. Keep Permissions Active: Ensure Screen Time Access is enabled under Settings ➔ Screen Time ➔ Paced.

    2. Avoid Force-Quitting: Keep Paced in your background app switcher so your device can deliver periodic background usage updates.

    3. Turn Off "Share Across Devices" (Optional): If you use Paced on an iPhone but also own an iPad or Mac, go to Settings ➔ Screen Time and toggle off Share Across Devices. This prevents activity on your other Apple devices from padding your phone's active session timer!

Technical Need-to-Knows