Email: [email protected]

Or, inside the app: Settings → Help & feedback. You can attach screenshots there, and your app version comes along automatically so we can reproduce what you're seeing.

Getting started

  1. Create your first ritual.Tap the + button and choose New ritual. Pick the habit you're building, the apps it unlocks, and how much counts as done. Tonic walks you through it.
  2. Or set a limit.Tap + and choose New limit for apps that only need boundaries: a time limit per visit, a cap on opens, a daily allowance, or a pause on every open.
  3. Grant Screen Time access.Tonic asks for Screen Time permission during setup. That's what lets it hold your apps until you've earned them. You can revoke it anytime in iOS Settings.
  4. Connect Apple Health if you earn with your body.For workouts, meditation, sleep, steps, or sunlight, allow Health access when asked. If you use a meditation or workout app, make sure it shares sessions to Apple Health.
  5. Name your apps.Apple keeps your app names private from us, so Tonic asks you to name them. That's what lets a locked screen send you straight to Kindle instead of a dead end.

The basics

Is Tonic a parental control?

No. Tonic is self-directed, built for adults managing their own phone. It uses Apple's individual Screen Time authorization, not the parent and child kind. There's no remote management and no rule you can't change or delete yourself.

How much does Tonic cost?

Free to start: lock two apps and earn with one habit, for as long as you like. Tonic Unlimited covers your whole phone: $29.99 a year or $9.99 a month, with the first 7 days free.

While Tonic is in beta on TestFlight, everything is free.

What do I need to run Tonic?

An iPhone on iOS 17.4 or later. Steps and most Health tracking work from the iPhone alone. Sunlight needs an Apple Watch (it measures time in daylight on your wrist), and sleep needs a Watch or another sleep tracker that writes to Apple Health.

Do I need an account?

No account, no sign-in, no password. Tonic asks for a first name during setup so it can talk to you like a person; you can skip it.

Earning & tracking

What counts as earning?

Two kinds of things. Time spent in productive apps you choose, like Kindle or Duolingo. And activity read from Apple Health: workouts, meditation, steps, calories burned, sleep, and time in daylight.

You decide what each rule requires: a daily goal that unlocks everything, or banked minutes you spend later at a rate you choose.

Why didn't my reading time count?

Time only counts while the app is on screen. If your phone is locked or the app is in the background, iOS doesn't count it toward your goal. Keep the app open while you read and you're set.

Why didn't my meditation count?

If you meditate with the screen locked (most people do), screen time can't see it. That's why Tonic tracks meditation through Apple Health instead.

When you build a meditation ritual, pick the meditation option and make sure your app (Headspace, Calm, Waking Up, Insight Timer, and most others) has Health sharing turned on: in that app's settings, look for Apple Health and allow it to write Mindful Minutes.

I did the workout, but apps are still locked.

Open the locked app and tap the question on the locked screen ("Have you worked out?"). Tonic checks Apple Health right then, and if your session is there, the lock lifts.

If your workout just ended, give it a minute: your Watch can take a moment to hand the session to Apple Health. Opening Tonic itself also re-checks everything.

How does sunlight tracking work?

Your Apple Watch measures direct sunlight on your wrist. Cloudy skies and shade count less, and sitting by a window won't fool it. Tonic reads the total from Apple Health.

Locked apps

I stopped getting notifications from a locked app.

That's iOS, and it's by design: while an app is held, iOS holds its notifications too. There's no setting that separates the two, in Tonic or any app like it. Your notifications flow again the moment you've earned the app. Many people come to like this part.

I got a gray "Restricted" screen instead of Tonic's screen.

When an app gets locked while you're inside it, iOS shows its own system screen first. Tap OK. The next time you open the app from your home screen, you'll see Tonic's screen as usual.

What if I genuinely need a locked app right now?

That's your call to make when you set the rule: choose a pause you can tap through, or a strict wall. If a rule isn't working for your life, edit it or turn it off in Tonic. Changing your rules is never locked.

Can Tonic see which apps I picked?

No. App selections happen through Apple's Screen Time system, which hands Tonic anonymous tokens instead of app names. That's also why Tonic asks you to name your apps: it genuinely doesn't know.

Subscription & billing

How do I cancel or change my subscription?

Apple handles all billing. Go to iOS Settings → your name → Subscriptions → Tonic. Canceling keeps Unlimited until the end of the period you've paid for.

I subscribed on another device. How do I restore it?

In Tonic: Settings → Restore Purchases. As long as you're signed into the same Apple Account, your subscription comes right back.

How do refunds work?

Refunds go through Apple, not us: visit reportaproblem.apple.com and sign in with your Apple Account.

Privacy & data

What can you see about how I use Tonic?

We can't see which apps you've picked, and your Apple Health data never leaves your phone. We do receive anonymous usage and diagnostic information that helps us fix bugs. The full picture, in plain English, is in our privacy policy.

How do I delete my data?

Email [email protected] and we'll delete everything tied to your device. Deleting the app from your phone removes everything stored on it, too.

Troubleshooting

iOS asks for a Screen Time passcode when I try to delete Tonic.

iOS protects apps that have active locks in place. Open Tonic, turn off or delete your rituals and limits so nothing is locked, then delete the app normally.

A rule is behaving strangely.

First try opening Tonic: it re-checks every rule when it opens. If something still looks wrong, send us a note from Settings → Help & feedback with a screenshot. That report includes your app version and device model so we can chase down exactly what happened.

Something else?

Email [email protected]. We read everything, usually the same day.