the one-liner
pauza is the only screen-time app where you bet a friend on your scrolling.
Short boilerplate (copy-paste): pauza (lowercase) is a screen time app for iPhone and Mac that rewards you instead of punishing you: every minute off social media earns a token, streaks freeze instead of breaking, and you can challenge a friend to a screen-time duel with tokens at stake — lowest screen time wins the pot. No cash, no gambling. Built solo by Andrei Zhizdra (A24Z LTD, London), launching on the US App Store.
fact sheet
- Name: pauza — always lowercase, including at the start of a sentence
- What it is: screen time app for iPhone (iOS 26+) and Mac
- Platforms: iPhone (iOS 26+) on the App Store; macOS companion app
- Pricing: free to download; Pro subscription $9.99/month or $59.99/year
- Philosophy: reward, not punish — a token economy instead of punitive blocking
- Core mechanic: 1 token = 1 minute off social media; tokens are spent on rewards inside the app
- Unique mechanic: P2P friend challenges with token stakes — compete with a friend, lowest screen time wins the pot (Opal, Unrot and Brainrot don't have this)
- Streaks: freeze on a missed day instead of resetting to zero
- Avatar: claymation character with emotional states that reacts to your progress
- Privacy: per-app usage and the list of blocked apps never leave the device; friends only ever see an anonymous daily minute total
- Family angle: pay kids for offline time instead of confiscating the phone
- Company: A24Z LTD, London, United Kingdom — solo founder, no outside funding
- Status: launching on the US App Store — App Store link
the founder story
Andrei crashed his bike in Bali and smashed his phone. The replacement came back without his apps — and days without Instagram and the other feeds turned out to feel surprisingly good. But his wife was still on her phone, and between the two screens they were spending less and less real time with their kids. So he proposed a bet — no app, just a bet: who spends less time on social media. It worked. Then friends saw the two of them competing and asked to join. Only then did he start building pauza, with that bet as the core mechanic: friend challenges with something at stake (and for teams, in pauza for Teams).
demo video
73-second walkthrough of the app. Download MP4 (1080p, 6.5 MB) — free to use in coverage.
screenshots
Clean UI captures, no device frames, no marketing overlays — drop them straight into your layout. Tap any image for the full-resolution file (iPhone 1320×2868, Mac 2144×1504). All screenshots are the current App Store build.
logo
Logo, transparent PNG (for light backgrounds) · White version (for dark backgrounds) · Banner 1200×630
Please keep the name lowercase and don't recolor the logo.
quick FAQ
Why did you build pauza? Every screen-time app on the market punishes you — blockers, limits, guilt. People delete them within weeks. pauza flips it: your minutes off social media become tokens, streaks freeze instead of breaking, and the duel with a friend gives you a reason to stay off the phone that actually holds.
Who is it for? People who have tried blockers and bounced off them — mostly 18–35, students and young professionals. And parents who'd rather pay kids for offline time than confiscate the phone.
Is the friend bet gambling? No. Stakes are in-app tokens earned by offline time; there's no cash in or out.
What do you see about my usage? Almost nothing — per-app usage and the list of blocked apps never leave the device. Friends only ever see an anonymous daily minute total.
Team? Funding? Solo founder, no outside funding. A24Z LTD, London.
contact & promo codes
- Press contact: info@pauza.ai — founder answers directly, usually within a few hours
- Promo codes for review: available on request
- Interviews, background, data: happy to share — just ask
The fastest way to understand pauza is to try it — free on iPhone.
Get Pauza on iPhone