Choose the apps
Pick the apps you open without thinking: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, a game, or any other app on your phone. Nafs locks the ones you select.
Ibadah before social media
Put ibadah before Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
If you open a feed before you have thought about it, Nafs puts a step in between. Lock the apps that pull you in, do an act of worship first, and come back to them with intention.
Worship earns back screen time for the apps you lock.
How it works
Do ibadah first
When you reach for a locked app, the next step is worship: read Quran, make dhikr or morning and evening adhkar, pray, make dua, or send salawat.
Earn the time back
Worship earns back screen time for the apps you lock. Different worship activities earn time differently, so the app shows what each one gives you.
What Nafs does not promise
Nafs supports a habit you choose. It is not addiction treatment, it does not make an app impossible to open, and it cannot promise you will scroll less.
What to expect for each app
Nafs locks the Instagram app as a whole. It cannot hide only Reels or the Explore tab while leaving messages open, so lock the app if the feed is the problem.
TikTok
Locking TikTok puts a pause before the For You page. Pair it with a short Quran reading or a round of dhikr so the urge to check has somewhere to go.
YouTube
Nafs locks the YouTube app, not individual videos. It cannot block only Shorts while keeping long videos, so decide whether the whole app should wait for ibadah.
Games
Games work the same way. If gaming is the main pull, see the separate guide to putting Quran before games.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an app that blocks Instagram, TikTok or YouTube until I read Quran?
Yes. Nafs lets you lock the apps you choose and put Quran or another act of worship first. Worship earns back screen time for those apps, so you return to them with intention rather than by reflex.
Can I make dhikr or pray instead of reading Quran first?
Yes. Nafs is not limited to one act of worship. Quran, dhikr, adhkar, salah, dua and salawat can all be part of the routine, and each earns time in its own way.
Can Nafs block only Reels or Shorts?
No. Nafs locks whole apps you select. It cannot hide one feature inside Instagram or YouTube, such as Reels or Shorts, while leaving the rest of the app open.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, but setup differs. On iPhone, Nafs uses Apple's Screen Time permission to shield the apps you select, on iOS 16 or later. On Android, it asks for the permissions it needs during setup. Follow the steps the app shows on your phone.
Does Nafs guarantee I will stop scrolling?
No. Nafs is a screen-time and habit tool, not medical or addiction treatment. It makes worship the next step before the apps that pull you in; the habit is still yours to build.
Related Nafs guides
App blocker for Muslims
How Nafs locks distracting apps and what worship earns back.
Quran before games
Putting Quran or dhikr before the games you open most.
Dhikr before social media
Making remembrance the first step before your feeds.
How worship earns screen time
What each act of worship gives back, and why it differs.