Parents' Guide to

Freedom - Reduce Distractions

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Mac , Windows app Free to try Productivity
Freedom - Reduce Distractions Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Dana Anderson By Dana Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Fine site and app blocker, but nothing to motivate teens.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Freedom App: Screenshot #1
  • Freedom App: Screenshot #2
  • Freedom App: Screenshot #3
  • Freedom App: Screenshot #4
  • Freedom App: Screenshot #5

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Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What's It About?

To use FREEDOM - REDUCE DISTRACTIONS, create a username and password. Tap "Install App Blocker," which will give Freedom permission to block the apps you've selected. Sign in to the app's dashboard. Set the amount of time you want the blocks to last, when you want the blocks to begin, and/or set a recurring block schedule by time and day. Tap Blocklists and type in the apps and sites you want blocked, or tap the plus sign to add from a pre-made list of popular sites and apps. If you choose to activate "locked" mode, you cannot stop an active Freedom block session without involving the developer.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This app can certainly help users become aware of how restricting social media, apps, and websites at certain times can affect productivity, but there are no incentives and some privacy concerns. Unfortunately, Freedom - Reduce Distractions doesn't provide supports specifically for kids or teens that could help them understand when and whether their desire to use certain apps or websites is counterproductive. It doesn't offer alternatives, encouragement, or incentives. Overall, it's just not fun. Its straightforward user interface is simple enough to make using it easy for highly motivated adults or teens who already realize their need to limit tech use of certain apps and websites, but it'll likely work best with older teens who are looking for solutions themselves and don't mind the bare-bones approach.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about when it may be a good time to use an app such as Freedom - Reduce Distractions. What are some times during the day or week that your kid may benefit by taking a break from social media apps and websites, or from tech altogether? Daily homework time? Family dinners? An hour before bedtime?

  • Talk to your kid about behaviors that may signal their tech use is becoming compulsive. Read Common Sense Media's What's the difference between technological addiction and problematic use?

  • If you're asking your kid to use a tech-limiting app, consider doing so yourself to understand the challenges your kid will likely experience. What happens when your access to tech is limited?

App Details

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