Beyond Alarm vs Stay Focused

Stay Focused and Beyond Alarm both block distracting apps, and both have an alarm you can't just tap off. Beyond Alarm ties the two together, so your apps lock the moment you are up.

The short answer

• Strict mode is free in Beyond Alarm after one short ad: no stop button until the timer ends.
• Morning Lockout starts when you finish your alarm's mission.
• Camera-counted exercise. Push-ups, squats and jumping jacks are counted rep by rep on your phone.
• All eleven missions are free right now; Pro removes ads.

Side by side

Stay Focused's column comes from its own Play and App Store listings at the time of writing (27 October 2026). "—" means its listing doesn't mention it.

Where Beyond Alarm pulls ahead

The alarm and the block are one routine

In Beyond Alarm, finishing your wake-up mission is what starts Morning Lockout. The apps you chose stay shut for the time you set — whether you got up at the first ring or after two snoozes. On Android that can be the whole phone, with calls still allowed.

Missions that get you moving

Eleven missions, from maths and memory to a photo of a spot in another room. The camera ones count real reps on the device: ten squats is ten squats. Stack up to five on one alarm.

Strict mode, no subscription

Phone Block runs from 5 minutes to 8 hours. Regular mode lets you leave after a short ad and a continuous five-second hold. Strict mode has no stop button at all, and free users unlock it with one short ad.

Beyond Alarm

Beyond Alarm does this part for you: the alarm will not switch off until you have actually moved, and the apps you pick stay locked afterwards.

What Stay Focused offers

At the time of writing, Stay Focused's Play listing describes an app blocker, website blocking in supported browsers, a Pomodoro study timer, focus sounds, location-based blocking, daily app limits, scheduled phone-free hours, Shorts and Reels blocking, an adult-content filter, keyword blocking, notification blocking and a Strict Alarm. Its App Store listing describes Strict Mode options including a PIN, an expiry date, a QR code scan or randomly generated text, and requires iOS 16.6 or later.

Switching from Stay Focused

1. Install Beyond Alarm and allow Accessibility on Android, or Screen Time on iPhone.
2. Save the apps from your Stay Focused blocklist as a block list.
3. Start a Phone Block for your next session and try Strict mode once.
4. Set your alarm and pick missions — try a photo mission plus ten squats.
5. Turn on Morning Lockout for the apps you reach for first.
6. Turn off Stay Focused's Strict Alarm so two alarms don't ring at once.

Sources

Checked on 27 October 2026. Listings and prices change, so check them before relying on any detail. Beyond Alarm's details are checked against its own code.

• Stay Focused on Google Play
• Stay Focused on the App Store