A saved place

Lock Instagram
only at
work.

Tonic locks Instagram, TikTok or any app you pick only at a place you save, like work, or only away from one, like home. It notices when you arrive and leave on its own, with no Shortcuts or Focus mode to set up.

InstagramOnly at Work
5 visits a day · 10 min each 2 used · 3 left

Location

Work
Home

Only at a place, or anywhere but.

EverywhereOnly atAway from
💼 Work

Blocks these apps at Work. Free everywhere else.

EverywhereOnly atAway from
🏠 Home

Blocks these apps away from Home. Free at Home.

It works on a rule you earn too, and you can earn from anywhere: a gym workout counts toward a rule that only runs at home.

What you could do with it.

Drop a pin, then set how big the place is.

Tonic notices arrivals and exits within a few minutes, not the instant you cross the line. You get one notification when a rule switches on as you arrive, and nothing when you leave.

Size

A houseA campus

Radius: 330 ft

You're at HomeReading is back on. Your apps are waiting on it.now

If Tonic can't tell

Turn location off and the rule still runs.

If Tonic can't check where you are, the rule applies everywhere, so switching location off never unlocks your apps. Place rules need Location set to Always with Precise Location on.

Tonic can't check your location right now, so this rule runs everywhere. Fix it in Tonic.

Quick answers

Is there an iPhone app that blocks social media only when I'm at work?

Yes. In Tonic, save your workplace as a place, set the rule to Only at, and pick the apps. They lock there and open normally everywhere else, with no Shortcuts or Focus mode involved.

Can I combine a place with set hours?

Yes. Both sit on one rule and both have to be true, so weekdays 9 to 5, only at Work locks the apps there during those hours and nowhere else.

How fast does it notice I've arrived?

Within a few minutes, not the instant you cross the line. Leaving is usually noticed faster. For a place as small as a house, keep Wi-Fi on.

What if I turn location off?

The rule runs everywhere until Tonic can check again, so switching location off never unlocks your apps. Tonic tells you on its home screen and on the lock.

Does Tonic see where I am?

Location checks happen on your phone. Your location and your saved places aren't sent to Tonic, only whether you're at a place, under a random ID.

What does it cost?

Place rules are included on the free plan, with two locked apps across everything you set up. Tonic Unlimited lifts the limits on apps and ways to earn, for $39.99 a year or $9.99 a month, with the first 7 days free.

Add set hours to a rule → · What Tonic collects

Checked against the app on November 1, 2026.

Start with one app and one place.

Get Tonic free
Free to start · place rules included · no account needed · iPhone and iPad, iOS 17.4 or later

Tonic is an independent companion and isn't affiliated with Apple, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, Strava or Amazon.

More limits: during set hours · opens per day · how Tonic works