moss vs Boox Palma 2
A $249.99 phone-sized ePaper Android device, with Wi-Fi only and the Play Store on board.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Onyx Boox's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What Boox Palma 2 is
The Boox Palma 2 is a 6.13 inch ePaper device the size of a phone, priced at US$249.99. It runs Android 13 with the Google Play Store installed and connects by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only, so it is not a phone. The slow black and white screen makes video and feeds less appealing. Nothing is blocked: any app from Google Play can be installed on it.
What moss is
moss is an iPhone app that comes with a small physical stone. You choose the apps that distract you, tap your phone on the stone, and those apps stay locked until you tap the stone again. People who live together can link their phones to share schedules and put their phones down at the same time, while each person keeps control of their own phone. Locking is free in the app, the stone is a one-time purchase, and the household features are a paid add-on.
Side by side
| Feature | moss | Boox Palma 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | $249.99 |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | None |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | A separate Android 13 device. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only |
| How you lock | Tap the stone, or start from the app, a Shortcut, the lock screen or the Action Button. Schedules by day of week | It does not. The ePaper screen makes feeds and video dull |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Not applicable |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | Not needed: nothing is locked |
| Locking together as a household | Yes, as a paid add-on. Shared schedules, sessions others join in one tap, a view of whose phone is down, a streak. Nobody controls anyone else | One per person |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | Nothing is locked |
Where Boox Palma 2 is better
- It gives you something else to pick up: a reader that fits in a pocket.
- The friction is in the screen itself and cannot be switched off.
- It works alongside any phone.
Where moss is better
- It acts on the phone you already carry. With a Palma, your iPhone is unchanged.
- It costs much less: moss is US$49 against $249.99.
- A real lock that needs the stone to undo.
Who should pick which
Pick Boox Palma 2 if
You want to read more, and a second device in your pocket would replace some scrolling.
Pick moss if
You want the distracting apps on your iPhone locked, not a second device to carry.
Sources
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
moss is a stone that locks the apps you choose.
Tap to lock, tap to unlock. One price, and locking needs no subscription.
