Walk more.
Scroll less.
Stepsy turns your steps into screen time. Walk to unlock Instagram, TikTok, YouTube — every app you'd rather use less.
Three steps. No friction.
Set a goal. Pick the apps you want to gate. Walk to earn them back.
Set your goal
Pick a daily step target. 8,000 is the default — adjust between 2,000 and 20,000 any time.
Pick what to gate
Native Apple picker. Choose specific apps or whole categories. Assign each to a tier.
Walk to unlock
Steps come from Apple Health. iPhone, Watch, Garmin, Oura — anything that writes step data counts.
Essentials stay open. The rest you earn.
Phone calls and Maps shouldn't cost steps. TikTok should. Stepsy splits your apps into three tiers — and lets you change the thresholds whenever you want.
Essentials
The things you actually need. Always unlocked, regardless of your step count.
Social
Distracting but useful. Pass the 60% mark on your goal — about 4,800 steps — to unlock.
Entertainment
The high-dopamine stuff. Hit your full daily goal — 8,000 steps — and TikTok is yours.
A block that feels like a nudge.
Open a gated app before you've earned it and you don't get punished — you get a beautiful prompt that tells you exactly how close you are, and a streak to keep going.
A custom shield experience — not a generic "this app is unavailable" wall.
Current steps, minutes available, steps to the next 15-minute unlock.
Your current streak appears at the bottom — a tiny shove to keep going today.
Your progress, always visible.
Lock screen widget. Dynamic Island. Step count, percent to goal, next tier — glanceable without unlocking your phone.
Just enough features. No bloat.
Stepsy ships the smallest set of features that make "walk to unlock" actually work. No coins, no XP, no economy — just steps and apps.
3-tier app gating
Essential, Social, Entertainment. Drop apps into tiers and choose the step threshold at which each one unlocks.
Live HealthKit tracking
Steps come straight from Apple Health. iPhone, Apple Watch, Garmin, Oura — anything that writes step data is read in real time.
Custom shield screen
Open a gated app early and you see Stepsy's branded shield — steps, minutes available, how many more steps to the next 15-minute unlock, and your streak.
Live Activity & Dynamic Island
Step count and percent-to-goal stay visible on your lock screen and in the Dynamic Island — no need to open the app to check.
Today, Stats, Friends
Today shows your ring and progress. Stats shows your week. Friends lets you compare with people you choose to share with.
Streaks & daily progress
Hit your goal and your streak ticks up. Lock screen, shield and Today screen all show the current streak.
One simple plan. Cancel anytime.
Stepsy is a subscription. There's no free tier — but you get a free trial, no credit card friction, and a single price for everything in the app.
Billed through Apple. Manage and cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Auto-renews unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
Questions, answered.
Everything people ask before they start walking to unlock their apps.
How does Stepsy work?
Stepsy uses Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls to lock the apps you choose — like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube — behind your daily step goal. As you walk, Stepsy reads your steps from Apple Health and unlocks access in stages: social apps open at 60% of your goal, and entertainment apps unlock when you hit 100%. Essentials like Phone, Messages, and Maps are never locked.
What do I need to run Stepsy?
Stepsy runs on iPhone with iOS 17 or later. It's built on Apple's Screen Time, Family Controls, and HealthKit frameworks, which are only available on iPhone — there's currently no Android version.
Where does my step count come from?
Stepsy reads your steps from Apple Health, so anything that writes step data works automatically — your iPhone's built-in motion sensor, Apple Watch, Garmin, Oura, and most other fitness trackers. Your real, Health-verified steps are what unlock your apps.
Can I just bypass the block?
Not in the moment. Stepsy blocks apps at the system level through Apple's Family Controls, so the shield can't be dismissed by force-quitting Stepsy or reopening the blocked app — access opens as your real steps come in. You stay in control, though: you can change your tiers, thresholds, and gated apps in Stepsy's settings at any time.
What happens when I open a blocked app?
You see Stepsy's custom shield screen instead of the app. It shows your current steps, the minutes you have available, how many more steps you need for the next unlock, and your streak — a nudge to take a walk, not a punishment.
Can I check my progress without opening the app?
Yes. Stepsy's Live Activity shows your step progress in real time on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, and home screen widgets give you an at-a-glance view of your goal and streak — no need to unlock your phone.
How is Stepsy different from other screen time apps?
Most screen time apps set timers or add a pause before you scroll. Stepsy makes you earn your screen time by walking: your apps unlock as you hit real step milestones, tying your phone use to daily movement instead of willpower.
How much does Stepsy cost?
Stepsy Pro is $29.99 per year (about $2.50 a month) or $7.99 month-to-month, with a free trial to start. Billing is handled by Apple, and you can cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings.
Walk first. Scroll later.
Set a step goal, pick the apps you want gated, and the rest is exactly as simple as it sounds.
Download for iPhone