moss vs DoomStop
A free iPhone app that blocks chosen apps until you tap a registered NFC tag.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Afsal Backer's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What DoomStop is
DoomStop is a free iPhone app with no in-app purchases listed. You choose apps and pick a method: an NFC tag you register, or a schedule. With a tag, the apps stay blocked until you tap it. With a schedule, they come back when the schedule ends. It runs on iOS 16 or later. It supplies no hardware.
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 | DoomStop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | Free. Bring your own NFC tag |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | None listed |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | iPhone (iOS 16+) |
| 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 | Choose apps, then use an NFC tag or a schedule |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Tap the registered tag, or wait for the schedule to end |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | Not stated |
| 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 | None stated |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | The tag you registered |
Where DoomStop is better
- It is free, with nothing to buy in the app.
- It runs on iOS 16. moss needs iOS 17.
Where moss is better
- A finished stone is included, with no tag to source.
- Three emergency unlocks a month that refill automatically.
- Households can share schedules, join sessions in one tap and see whose phone is down.
Who should pick which
Pick DoomStop if
You want to try the tap-to-unlock idea for free with a tag you supply.
Pick moss if
You want a safety net, a ready-made stone and a household that joins in.
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.
