Guides to quitting porn, gambling and doomscrolling
How to block porn, gambling and feeds on iPhone and Mac, and what the research says about quitting. Every source is linked.
Block it on your devices
- How to block a website on iPhone, and make the block stickBlock any website on iPhone with Screen Time: exact steps for iOS 18, 26 and 27, what the filter misses, and how to make a block you can't undo in two taps.
- How to block apps on iPhone: limits, locks and blocks that holdBlock or lock any app on iPhone: App Limits, Downtime, iOS 27's Time Allowances, Face ID app locks, and how to stop yourself from simply reinstalling it.
- How to block porn on iPhone and iPad, and keep it blockedBlock porn on iPhone and iPad with Screen Time, SafeSearch and a DNS filter: steps for iOS 18, 26 and 27, the gaps people slip through, and how to close them.
- How to block YouTube Shorts: what works in the app, on iPhone and in a browserYouTube's Shorts feed limit can go down to zero. Here is how to set it, what it can't stop, and how to block YouTube on iPhone when a reminder isn't enough.
- How to block a website on Mac: Safari, Chrome and every other browserBlock any website on a Mac: Screen Time for Safari, the hosts file and DNS filtering for Chrome and Firefox, parental controls, and what each method can't stop.
- How to block Instagram on iPhone: the app, the website and the habitBlock Instagram on iPhone with Screen Time, use Instagram's own Daily limit and Sleep mode, or deactivate for a real break, and close the website gap too.
- How to block Reddit on iPhone and Mac, or just its NSFW postsBlock Reddit on iPhone and Mac with Screen Time and the hosts file, hide NSFW posts with Reddit's own setting, and know which method holds up at 1 a.m.
- How to block TikTok on iPhone: the app, the website and the scrollBlock TikTok on iPhone with Screen Time, set TikTok's own Daily screen time and Sleep hours, and close the tiktok.com gap. Steps for iOS 18, 26 and 27.
Quit porn
- No Nut November 2026: the rules, the hard days and how to finishNo Nut November 2026 starts Sunday, November 1. The common rules, edging and other gray areas, a plan for the hard days, and what NNN can and can't do.
- Signs of porn addiction: 10 questions to ask yourselfPorn addiction symptoms explained without shame: 10 honest questions, what the ICD-11 diagnosis covers, what research links to problem use, and what to do next.
- How to stop porn addiction: a practical plan you can start todayA calm, practical plan to stop watching porn: block it on every device, map your triggers, plan for urges and slips, and know when to get professional help.
- How to stop masturbating (or cut back): a calm, practical guideWant to stop masturbating or cut back? A no-shame guide to picking the right goal, spotting triggers, handling urges and slips, and knowing when to get help.
- How to rewire your brain: what habit research says, and how long it takesHow to rewire your brain without hype: what habit research says, how long it takes (18 to 254 days in one study), why 90 days is a convention, and what to do.
- Porn withdrawal symptoms: what people report and what the research saysIrritability, poor sleep, strong urges, the "flatline": what people report when they quit porn, what a 2023 trial found, PIED facts and when to see a doctor.
- NoFap benefits: what the research shows and what is forum loreNoFap benefits and the NoFap timeline, checked against the research: the testosterone studies (one retracted), what people report, and what likely drives it.
Stop gambling
- How to stop gambling: a practical plan, and what to expectHow to stop gambling: self-exclude, block access, protect your money and plan for urges. Plus the warning signs, withdrawal, and what treatment does.
- How to quit sports betting: the practical guide for game days, parlays and live betsQuit sports betting step by step: delete the apps, self-exclude with every sportsbook and your state, block payments, and plan for game days and live betting.
- How to block gambling apps and sites on iPhoneBlock gambling on iPhone in layers: delete apps and stop reinstalls, block sites, add a gambling blocker, self-exclude and switch on your bank's gambling block.
Stop scrolling
- Dopamine detox: why it can't work as advertised, and how to do one that helpsYou can't detox dopamine, but the idea behind dopamine fasting comes from CBT and can help. How to do a sensible version, how long it takes and what to expect.
- Phone addiction: signs, causes and how to break itPhone addiction isn't a formal diagnosis, but the pattern is real. The signs to look for, today's average screen time, and a plan to cut back that holds up.
- How to stop doomscrolling: nine changes that work on your phoneWhy you doomscroll and how to stop: grayscale, batched notifications, a Screen Time schedule, a phone-free bedroom and something better to do with your hands.
- Social media detox: what it does, and a 7-day and 30-day planWhat a social media detox does according to the trials, the signs of social media addiction, and a 7-day and 30-day plan to quit or cut back for good.
Skills that help
- Urge surfing: how to ride out a craving, step by stepUrge surfing is a mindfulness skill from relapse prevention: you watch a craving rise, peak and fall without acting on it. Its origins, evidence and a script.
- Relapse prevention plan: what goes in it, a filled-in example and a free templateHow to write a relapse prevention plan for porn, gambling or scrolling: what goes in it, a filled-in example, the 5 D's and a free printable template.
- Commitment contracts: how they work, what the research says and how to write oneWhat a commitment contract is, what the trials found, why losses motivate, and how to write one with a clear rule, a referee and an amount that matters.
Free tools
Porn addiction test
12 questions, about three minutes. See which signs of a compulsive pattern show up for you. Not a diagnosis.
Take the testSobriety calculator
Enter your quit date and see your clean time to the minute, your level and the next milestone.
Count my daysScreen time calculator
Your daily screen time, added up over a year and a lifetime. And what one hour less gives you back.
CalculatePhone addiction test
The 10-question Smartphone Addiction Scale (short version), scored the way the researchers do.
Take the testGambling addiction test
The nine questions of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), with your score and where to get help.
Take the testRelapse prevention plan
Build your one-page plan: triggers, warning signs, if-then plans and who to call. Print it or save it as PDF.
Build my planCommitment contract
Write a clear rule, an end date, a referee and what’s on the line. Sign it, print it, stick to it.
Write my contract