A site blocker you can't cheat

Every ask, newest first

Each line is an AI paraphrase of what the writer wanted. The link goes to their own words on Hacker News.

1. Apr 2025Would pay for a self-management app that blocks time-wasters, nags contextually, and plays mood-matched music with fine-grained rules. Read it: a comment in “Ask HN: What non-existent app or tool would you pay for right now?”
2. May 2024Wants a website and app blocker that limits how long each session can last. Read it: a post: “Is there a website/app blocker that limits session length?”
3. Jan 2023Wants a Linux equivalent of Cold Turkey, a site blocker that is hard to bypass. Read it: a comment in “Pomodoro Timer”
4. Aug 2021Suggests an app that redirects you from distracting social sites or installs, like a hosts-file trick. Read it: a comment in “New phone can make calls and send texts, but it cannot access social media”
5. Oct 2020Wants a blocker that copies HN's noprocrast, allowing limited visits followed by enforced breaks. Read it: a post: “Ask HN: Is there a website/app blocker equivalent of HN's “noprocrast”?”
6. Sep 2020Wants granular, hard-to-disable scheduled blocking of specific sites on iOS, like Cold Turkey on Mac. Read it: a comment in “Attention is your scarcest resource”
7. Apr 2020Wants a phone tool asking what you intend before opening any app, then periodically checking whether you finished. Read it: a comment in “Show HN: I made a Chrome extension to stop mindless browsing”
8. Jul 2019Wants a focus app where chosen programs are allowed and switching away prompts a check. Read it: a post: “Ask HN: Is there an app on Mac or PC that can help me focus”
9. Apr 2019Wants multiple site blacklists on separate schedules, such as Reddit always and Netflix only 7am to 7pm. Read it: a post: “I need help finding an advanced distraction blocker app”
10. Apr 2017Wants software to schedule blacklists of sites on phone and computer that truly cannot be bypassed. Read it: a comment in “Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done”
11. Sep 2015Wants a tool that makes you type a random code before switching windows, with whitelisted app pairs. Read it: a post: “Ask HN: App to challenge before switching windows”
12. Jun 2015Wants an internet equivalent of cutting the cord, since hosts-file blocking and productivity apps fall short. Read it: a comment in “New Study Shows A Rise In Cord Cutting”
13. Oct 2010Wants time limits across every browser that are hard to undo, unlike hosts-file edits or single-browser extensions. Read it: a comment in “My Chrome Extension DistractionBlocker”
14. Aug 2010Wants a per-game timer giving a two-hour session, a warning before the end, then a 24-hour lockout. Read it: a post: “Need game timer software cause I lack self control”