A steady stroke, a slow blink, then face the feed. Not a fight with willpower, but a gentle pause with a cat.
Download CatGate✓ Cancel anytime in Apple ID · ✓ Native iOS Screen Time API, zero browsing history uploaded
CatGate is an iOS app blocker for Screen Time and focus. Before a selected social app opens, stroke the cat's back for 5-10 seconds to earn a slow blink and unlock. Reduces mindless doomscrolling by 40%. It is a negotiation with a cat.
Choose the social apps to gate. Whenever one opens, a cat blocks the screen; stroke it steadily for 5-10 seconds, earn a slow blink, and unlock the app.
Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube — check the ones that eat your time.
Tap the app. CatGate appears — a cat with its back to you, quietly guarding the door.
Swipe along the cat's back. Not too fast, not too slow. The cat turns, gives you a slow blink — unlocked.
CatGate is subscription-only, with monthly and yearly plans. Both include every feature, with no free version or trial.
"Instead of opening Instagram on autopilot, the cat makes me take a breath."
"The slow blink unlock mechanic has real personality — it actually breaks the doomscroll loop."
You choose which apps you want to gate. Every time you tap one, CatGate shows a blocking screen — a cat with its back to you. You stroke the cat's back steadily. If you do it right, the cat turns, gives you a slow blink, and unlocks. Too fast? The cat gets annoyed. Too slow? Nothing happens. You really have to slow down.
Screen Time is just a warning popup — tap "Ignore Limit" and keep scrolling. CatGate puts a real cat in your way. You have to interact with it to get through. That extra step is everything.
CatGate is subscription-only: $9.99 monthly or $59.99 yearly. Both plans include all features, with no free version or trial.
Yes, currently iOS only. CatGate uses native Apple iOS Screen Time APIs (FamilyControls) to implement the gate mechanism.
Yes! Pro users get new cat breeds unlocked every month, from shorthairs to Maine Coons, each with a distinct personality.
Go to Settings → your Apple ID → Subscriptions on your iPhone. Cancel anytime.
Built on Apple's native FamilyControls API, CatGate does not track which apps you open or how long you use them. All gating runs locally on-device. See Privacy Policy.
Absolutely. Stroke too fast or half-heartedly — the cat turns away. That's by design. You want to open Instagram? Earn the cat's trust first.
CatGate offers one method: every time you try to open a social app, you must pet the cat to unlock it. This forces you to slow down, turning mindless scrolling into a conscious choice. You're not fighting yourself — you're negotiating with a cat.
CatGate uses iOS Screen Time API to add a "cat gate" before every app launch — a 5-10 second pause that breaks the autopilot scrolling habit. Combined with a monthly or yearly subscription, it helps you build a new digital wellness routine.
Apple's Free label means there is no upfront download charge; it does not mean CatGate has a free functional plan. Using CatGate requires a Monthly or Yearly subscription, with no free functional tier or trial.
Download CatGate. Let the cat decide when you scroll.
Why CatGate is the gentler iOS Screen Time App Blocker
"The cat isn't your pet. It's the paw that pulls you back from the doomscroll void."