Trickle

A little social media each hour. Your evenings back.

Trickle gives your favourite apps a few minutes that top up every hour. Check in, catch up, then get on with your day. No hard blocks, no all or nothing.

Coming soon to Google Play How it works

Free on Android. Trickle Pro adds extras if you want them.

Trickle home screen showing saved minutes this hour for Social Media, Reddit and YouTube, and 57 minutes of screen time today
How it works

Set it up once. Then forget about it.

1

See where your time goes

One clear ring shows today's screen time and which apps take the most of it. Switch to the last 7 days for the bigger picture.

2

Choose your minutes per hour

Give each app a few minutes every hour, or group apps like Facebook and Instagram so they share one allowance.

3

Plan your day in blocks

Mark parts of the day as Limited, Free or Blocked. Weekdays and weekends can look completely different.

Inside the app

Calm, clear and quick to use

Trickle home screen with minutes saved this hour and today's usage ring
Your day at a glanceMinutes left this hour, and where today went.
Trickle limits screen with a Social Media group containing Facebook and Instagram, plus Reddit and YouTube
Group your appsFacebook and Instagram can share one allowance, so switching apps doesn't reset the clock.
Trickle profiles screen showing a weekday timeline with limited and blocked times
Plan your weekDrag blocks on a timeline to set limited, free and blocked times.
Trickle resting screen: Instagram is resting, with a countdown to more minutes
Apps rest, then come backNo telling off. Just a countdown to your next few minutes.

Made for people who tried blockers and gave up

Hard blocks feel great for a day, then you switch them off. Trickle works because it still lets you in, just a little at a time.

Busy parentsLess scrolling during the day, so the evening is yours.
People who need to focus at workA quick look between tasks, without losing the next hour.
Anyone who finds hard limits too harshSmall, regular allowances you will actually keep using.
Pricing

Free for life. Go Pro if you want more.

Free

£0

Forever, no trial, no card.

  • Minutes per hour for any app
  • Limited, free and blocked times
  • Today and 7 day usage

Trickle Pro

Price at launch

Monthly. Cancel any time in Google Play.

  • Everything in Free
  • Group apps to share one allowance
  • New Pro features as they arrive

Pro for life

Price at launch

Pay once. Keep Pro for good.

  • Everything in Trickle Pro
  • No monthly payments
  • Supports an indie developer
Privacy

Your phone habits stay on your phone

Trickle reads how long you spend in each app so it can count your minutes. That data stays on your device. No account, no tracking, nothing sold.

Why Trickle asks for Accessibility access. Android only lets an app pause another app through this setting. Trickle uses it for one thing: resting an app when its minutes run out. It does not read your screen, messages or passwords.

Read the full privacy policy

Questions

What happens when my minutes run out?

The app rests. Trickle shows a calm screen with a countdown to your next minutes, and one button back to your home screen.

What if I don't use my minutes?

Turn on saving and unused minutes build up for later, up to a limit you set.

Can I block an app completely at certain times?

Yes. Mark any part of the day as Blocked, like the school run or dinner time, and those apps stay closed until it ends.

Is the free version really free?

Yes. Hourly minutes, your day plan and your usage breakdown are free for life.

Is there an iPhone version?

Not yet. Trickle is Android only for now.

Who makes Trickle?

Trickle is made by Surfon, a one-person studio in North Devon. Read the story.

Trickle is nearly here

Leave your email and you will get one message when it is live on Google Play.