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Block a distracting app for days

By Rolet, founder · Updated for version 5.11 · September 2026

To block one app on Android for a set number of days, use Mindful Break in Yin Yang Launcher. Pick the app, choose 1, 3, 7 or 30 days, and write a short note about why. Until the break ends, opening that app shows your note and a day count instead of the app. When the time is up, it comes back on its own.

On this page
  1. How it works
  2. Ending early
  3. Set up a break
  4. Tips
  5. Related
Tap an app on a break and you see your note and the day count.

Why deleting the app doesn't stick

Deleting the app works until the first bored evening. Reinstalling takes thirty seconds, you log back in, and the feed is exactly where you left it.

What helps is a boundary you set once, while you're thinking clearly, that holds for days. Long enough for the reflex to fade. Short enough that it feels doable.

How it works (Mindful Break)

  • You choose one app and a length: 1, 3, 7 or 30 days. As you choose, you see the date it comes back, like "Back on Friday 14 August".
  • You write why, in your own words (optional). Something like "I want my evenings back." You'll see this note every time you reach for the app.
  • The app stays where it is, faded. It's still in your app drawer, folders and search, so nothing moves around. Tapping it opens the break screen instead of the app.
  • The break screen shows where you are: a ring with one segment per day and "Day 3 of 7". It counts days you've done, not days left. No streaks, no scores.
  • A day is a real 24 hours from when you started. A break that starts at 9 pm ends at 9 pm.
  • When it ends, the app is back right where it was. The next time you open your home screen you'll see one quiet line, like "You took 7 days away from Instagram."

You can run breaks for several apps at once. Start them one at a time.

Ending a break early

You can end a break early, but not instantly. The app unblocks after 24 hours or half the time left, whichever is shorter, and you see the exact time before you confirm. Until then you can change your mind with "Keep the break". Most urges pass long before the wait is over.

Set up a break

  1. Install Yin Yang Launcher from Google Play and set it as your home screen. Yin Yang is a home-screen app (a launcher), so this works because it replaces your home screen. You can switch back anytime.
  2. Swipe left from the home screen to open Mind Space.
  3. Open the Action tab and tap Mindful Break.
  4. Tap Start a break.
  5. Pick the app. The list shows how many minutes you spent in each app yesterday.
  6. Pick how long: 1, 3, 7 or 30 days.
  7. Add your why (optional), then read the summary and start.
  8. On the break screen, tap Silence notifications if the app's notifications pull you back in.

The break starts right away. Tap the info icon on the Mindful Break screen for a short walkthrough.

Pick the app, the length and your reason, then start.

Tips

  • Start with 7 days. One day is easy to wait out. Seven is long enough to notice what you do instead.
  • Write the note for your future self. A specific reason ("I read before bed now") works better than a rule ("no Instagram").
  • Silence the app's notifications so they don't pull you back in. The break screen has a button that takes you straight there.
  • Want to keep the app but open it less? Use a pause before opening apps or an app timer instead. A break is for stepping away completely.
  • Need a few distraction-free hours, not days? Use Focus Mode.

Past breaks are listed at the bottom of the Mindful Break screen, marked "completed" or "ended early". That's all. There's no total and no streak to protect.

Privacy: Yin Yang's analytics never record which app you put on a break.