moss vs minimalist phone
An Android launcher with an icon-free home screen, app blocking and a notification filter.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Focus Experts's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What minimalist phone is
minimalist phone is a launcher that replaces the Android home screen with an icon-free list. It adds an app blocker, blocking schedules, per-app session limits and delays, short-video blocking on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, a notification filter and grayscale. It is sold as a monthly, annual or one-time purchase, each with a free trial. Google Play lists in-app purchases of $0.29 to $89.99 per item, so check the price in the app. The maker's site also has an iOS page. The listing says uninstalling restores your original home screen.
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 | minimalist phone |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | Monthly, annual or one-time purchase. Google Play lists in-app purchases of $0.29 to $89.99 per item |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | Yes, or a one-time purchase |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | Android. An iOS version exists per the site |
| 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 | Blocking schedules, per-app session limits and delays, short-video blocking |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Not stated |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | Uninstalling restores the original home screen, per the listing |
| 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 | No key |
Where minimalist phone is better
- It works on Android, which moss does not.
- On Android it blocks the short-video sections inside apps.
- A notification filter and grayscale are built in.
- There is no hardware to buy or carry.
Where moss is better
- A physical key. Unlocking always needs the stone.
- Strict Mode stops apps being deleted while locked.
- Locking is free in the app, with a one-time hardware purchase.
- Households can lock together and see whose phone is down.
Who should pick which
Pick minimalist phone if
You use Android and want the phone itself to look and feel plainer all day.
Pick moss if
You use an iPhone and want a lock for set hours that takes a walk to undo.
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.
