Frequently Asked Questions

Monkeyless is a mindfulness-first screen time app. We believe the only solution to addiction is mindfulness + behaviour replacement.

Punishments, hard-restrictions and going cold-turkey never works. You need a structured program to end phone addiction. Monkeyless is designed to help you develop healthier digital habits by encouraging intentional phone use through regular breathing exercises in-between scrolling, meditations, habit plans and much more.

Your phone is not your enemy.
What matters is intention.

We approach phone addiction by looking at the root issue: mindlessness, or the so called monkey-mind. Your phone was never the problem. It's the mind that's the problem. Your phone is just a tool.

Other screen time apps misplace their focus. Bricking your phones, blocking all apps, deleting social media, this never works in the long run because the issue was never the phone.

It's like saying: "Bro, just throw your cigarette away and stop smoking.". If it was that easy, we wouldn't call it an addiction. Shift the focus from the cigarette to the mind.

It starts with you.

You have to realize your mind is the problem, not your phone.
Monkeyless is a tool designed by experts, making it the easiest way to end phone addiction. But you are the one who has to make the change. Read the following excerpts to understand how phone addiction works, and how Monkeyless is built around this mechanism.

1. The Cue-Craving-Response-Reward Loop

The Cue-Craving-Response-Reward Loop is the mechanism of addiction. It's a cycle where a Cue triggers a Craving, which often leads to a Response, creating a Reward. This cycle is what keeps you addicted. For example:
Cue = Feeling of Boredom
Craving = Escape from the uncomfortable state of boredom (NOT the phone! The craving isn't the phone itself.)
Response = Open TikTok and scroll like a monkey-minded person
Reward = Entertainment

2. Mindfulness

Normalization is what makes phone addiction a silent killer. Most people aren't even aware of the damage phone addiction causes to them. This is different from other addictions like smoking, where the damage is obvious.

This is where Mindfulness kicks in. Mindfulness does the following things:
1. It makes you conscious of the Cue, giving you the opportunity to detect moments of weakness.
2. It promotes calm. A calm mind is less likely to Crave.
3. It promotes Prefrontal cortex activity. The Prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that controls higher order thinking, decision-making and impulse control. It helps you make better choices.
4. Many more scientific benefits: Reduced overthinking, increased baseline happiness, improved sleep, increased groundedness, optimistic realism, etc.
5. Many more existential benefits: A stepping stone to self-discovery and self-improvement. Dharma. Insight into Suffering, and the ability to let go of it. The 4 Noble Truths. The 3 Marks of Existence. Equanimity. etc.

3. Behaviour replacement

Monkeyless is carefully designed to break the CCRR loop.
Our meditations promotes consciousness, making you aware of the Cue and Craving.
Breathing prompts in-between scrolling adds friction to the Response.
Our habit programs rewires your mind, making the Reward less dependent on your phone.

4. Longevity

Monkeyless promotes longevity.
Mindfulness is a journey, not a quick fix. Regular mindfulness is important to maintain your progress. Meditate daily, even if it's just 3 minutes. Sit with the discomfort of boredom and observe your thoughts, feelings and impulses before reacting. Keep repeating mindfulness and train your mind like a muscle.

Many of our users have reported immediate differences after their first day of meditation, and noticeable habit changes after 7 days of consistent practice.

Monkeyless never sells your data. Usage data stays on-device. Monkeyless is committed to your privacy and data security. We use industry-standard encryption and data protection measures to ensure your information is secure. Your data is stored on our secure servers and is protected by advanced encryption technology.

We have a discord server where you can meet other like-minded people, share your experiences and seek for advice. Join us at Monkeyless Discord

The Screen Time API from Apple has known issues, over many of which we have no control.

Please try the following steps:

1. Reblock a different app first. Then block the apps you wanted. If this doesn't fix the issue:

2. Restart your phone. If this doesn't fix the issue:

3. Go to Settings. Search for Screen Time. Under "APPS WITH SCREEN TIME ACCESS", uncheck Monkeyless. Open Monkeyless and you will be asked to grant permissions again. If this doesn't fix the issue:

4. If none of the above work, you can try giving Screen Time permissions to a different app. To do so, follow these steps: Download a different Screen time app, such as: this
Go through the introduction of their app until you are asked to grant Screen Time permissions (this may take some time).
Once you have given permissions to this app, open Monkeyless and block apps.

Mental health should be accessible to everyone.
If you can't afford our subscription plans: Send us a DM on TikTok or send an e-mail to students@monkeyless.app to get free access. We would love to help you out.

You can reach our team at info@monkeyless.app. We typically respond within 24-72 hours. We strive to make your experience as pleasant and effortless as possible