The best distraction blockers to jumpstart your focus in the new year | TechCrunch

If you’re someone who struggles to stay on task or simply want to boost your productivity as the new year approaches, there are several apps and extensions you can try that are designed to help you focus by blocking out distractions. 

Whether you need to limit social media scrolling or block off time to be productive, these tools will keep you focused. Here are some of the best options.

Freedom

If you want to block distractions across all of your devices at once, Freedom is a good option. You can choose which websites and apps to block for a specific period of time. So if you’re working on your laptop and then try to open TikTok on your phone, you won’t be able to — you’ll instead see a green screen indicating the app is blocked.

The app lets you start a session right away, schedule an upcoming one, or set a recurring one. If you know you need to be free of distractions at a certain time every day, you can set up a Freedom session to start at that specific time automatically.

If your task doesn’t require internet access, you can block the internet altogether. You can also block all websites except the ones you need for work. If you really don’t trust yourself to get your work done, you can use the app’s “Locked Mode,” which prevents you from ending a Freedom session early. 

Pricing starts at $3.33 per month when billed annually or $8.99 per month when billed monthly, with a $199 lifetime subscription option. Freedom offers a seven-day free trial. 

Cold Turkey

Cold Turkey is a good option for people need strict accountability. While many distraction blockers let you back out or “cheat,” Cold Turkey makes it nearly impossible to stop a block once you start it. 

You can block websites and apps, or even the entire internet. Once you have selected what you want to block, you can set a timer for how long you want the block to run. After you have started the block, you can’t stop it.

Cold Turkey has a “Frozen Turkey” mode that locks you out of your computer altogether. The app also lets you schedule breaks to step away from your computer. If you don’t trust yourself gentler distraction blockers, this might be the tool you need to stay focused. 

Cold Turkey’s basic features are free, but you can unlock scheduling and the option to block apps in addition to websites with a one-time $39 fee. 

Opal

Opal is a focus and screen-time app that blocks distracting apps and websites on iPhone, Android, and desktop. You can create “focus blocks” — scheduled periods to prevent access to specific apps and websites. You can block entire categories like social media, games, and messaging. 

You can set one-off blocks or create recurring sessions. For example, you can automatically block access to social media and games during work or school hours. 

Opal also lets you set daily usage limits for specific apps to prevent excessive scrolling. You’ll get a “focus score” showing how much time you spend focused versus distracted. The app provides real-time stats and weekly reports to track your progress. 

Opal’s basic features are free-to-use, but you can unlock unlimited recurring sessions, harder blocking difficulties, and more for $19.99 per month or $99 per year. 

LeechBlock NG

LeechBlock is a free browser extension for people who want a straightforward way to block distracting websites. The extension lets you select which sites you want to block, then prevents your browser from loading them.

You can create multiple block sets with different sites, schedules, and limits. The extension lets you set blocks during specific times of the day or trigger one-off blocks. 

If you don’t want to block a site outright, you can set a countdown delay before the page loads. For example, you can set it so that visiting a site starts a 10‑minute timer. You can still access the site once the countdown ends, but the delay can be enough to disrupt impulsive browsing habits. 

It’s worth noting that since LeechBlock is a browser extension, you need to have a bit of willpower to avoid simply switching browsers to do things watch Netflix or browse X.

Forest

Forest gamifies productivity while supporting real-world environmental efforts. When you need to focus, you open the app and plant a virtual tree. The tree grows as you focus until the timer finishes. If you leave the app early, the tree will wither and die. 

You can set “Allow Lists” for different apps that you’re using to be productive, like an email app or Microsoft Word. The app also lets you track your productivity.

Over time, you build a digital forest that represents your productivity. If you’re competitive, you can share your forest with others and compare your progress. As you stay focused and grow virtual trees, you earn coins that can be saved and used to help fund real tree-planting projects around the world through the organization Trees for the Future.

Forest’s browser extension is free. The iOS app costs $3.99, while the Android app is free with ads or $1.99 to remove ads.