Helm — Your Phone, Your Terms
BestSelf Co Productivity iPhoneiPadiPod touch
Helm — Your Phone, Your Terms is a free Productivity app for iPhone and iPad by BestSelf Co. Rated 4.2/5 from 19 ratings. Requires iOS 17.0.
- Rating
- 4.2
- 19 ratings
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 38 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Oct 17
- 2026 · v2.0.0
Screenshots
About Helm — Your Phone, Your Terms
Your phone wasn't designed to let you focus. Helm was. Most focus apps fail because they're too easy to disable. One tap and you're back to doom-scrolling. Helm is different. It uses a physical device you keep away from your desk, so you can't just tap your way out of focus mode. When you want to focus, tap your Helm. When you're done, tap it again. No willpower required. — **HOW IT WORKS** 1. Create a mode: choose which apps to block 2. Start a session from the app or by tapping your Helm 3. Distracting apps are blocked instantly 4. Tap your Helm to end when you're done That's it. Simple by design. — **APP LIMITS** Set daily limits on apps outside of focus sessions: • 30 minutes of Instagram per day • 10 opens of Twitter • 1 hour of TikTok Hit your limit and the app blocks until tomorrow. Choose your enforcement level from Casual to Locked. — **HEALTH GOALS** Make screen time earn-able. Set step or exercise goals that must be completed before limited apps unlock: • Walk 5,000 steps to unlock Instagram • Complete 30 minutes of exercise to access TikTok • Hit your daily move goal before checking email Connect to Apple Health and turn movement into your unlock key. Your health data stays on your device and is never uploaded anywhere. — **UNLOCK CONDITIONS** End focus sessions on your terms. Set requirements to unlock: • Tap your Helm • Complete a minimum session time • Hit your step goal • Finish your workout Stack conditions or keep it simple. Your focus, your rules. — **BLOCK WHAT DISTRACTS YOU** Choose which apps to block during focus sessions. Social media, games, news, dating apps, whatever pulls you away from what matters. Helm uses Screen Time on iOS to block apps at the system level. No workarounds. — **FOCUS MODES** Create different modes for different contexts: • Deep Work: block everything except essentials • Writing: allow music, block everything else • Meetings: block social media only • Wind Down: block stimulating apps before bed Switch modes with a single tap. — **SCHEDULES** Automate your focus. Set recurring schedules that block apps automatically: • Weekday mornings for deep work • Evenings for family time • Weekends for digital detox Your apps block on schedule. No decision fatigue. — **BREAKS & LIFELINES** Need a quick break during a session? Take one. Helm includes built-in breaks so you can step away without ending your session. Need emergency access to a blocked app? Use a lifeline. Limited uses keep you honest, but you're never truly stuck. — **GUARDIAN MODE** For those who need extra accountability. Guardian Mode locks your settings behind a PIN, with Face ID optional. You can't change blocked apps, disable schedules, or reduce limits without it. Give the PIN to your partner or a friend, or set it up on your kid's phone and keep the PIN yourself. Your future self will thank you. — **STATISTICS** Track your progress: • Daily focus time and sessions • Weekly trends and streaks • Monthly insights • Lifetime focus hours See how your habits change over time. — **WHY A PHYSICAL DEVICE?** Because the hardest part of focus isn't starting. It's not stopping. Every other app can be disabled with a few taps. Helm can't. The physical barrier creates just enough friction to make you pause and ask: "Do I really need to check this right now?" Usually, the answer is no. — **WHAT'S INCLUDED** The app is free to download and includes basic features. Full functionality requires a Helm device (sold separately at focushelm.com). Some features work without the device. App Limits and Health Goals can be used standalone. — Take back your attention. One tap at a time.
Ratings & reviews
4.2
19 ratings
What’s new
Version 2.0.0 · Updated October 17, 2026
Helm 2.0 is a full rebuild of the iPhone app, and your modes and schedules come with you. Sessions start with a two-second hold and end when you tap your Helm. New: alarms you turn off with your Helm (iOS 26), timed sessions, widgets, a daily focus goal, and Statistics that put your focus next to Apple Screen Time. Guardian Mode now uses a PIN or Face ID.
App privacy
The developer, BestSelf Co, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Not Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Diagnostics: Crash Data
- Contact Info: Email Address
- Identifiers: User ID
Used for: Analytics, App Functionality
Alternatives to Helm — Your Phone, Your Terms
Looking for apps like Helm — Your Phone, Your Terms? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is Monologue: Smart Dictation (4.8/5), and all 6 are free to download.
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| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helm — Your Phone, Your Terms | 4.2 / 5 (19 ratings) | Free | October 17, 2026 | |
| Scrolly–Your Screen Time Buddy | 4.7 / 5 (217) | Free | Oct 21, 2026 | Compare |
| Monologue: Smart Dictation | 4.8 / 5 (298) | Free | Oct 2, 2026 | Compare |
| HiNotes by HiDock | 3.4 / 5 (30) | Free | Sep 24, 2026 | Compare |
| Tana Outliner | 4.0 / 5 (50) | Free | Jun 8, 2026 | Compare |
| Reflect Notes | 4.6 / 5 (88) | Free | May 24, 2026 | Compare |
| Littlebird AI | 4.3 / 5 (65) | Free | Oct 17, 2026 | Compare |