# Earned time vs hard blocking: which keeps you off risky apps?

> Hard blocking shuts risky apps completely. Earned time lets you open them only with minutes you earn. Why strict blocks often end in workarounds, and how Renounce earns time through prayer and Scripture.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/compare/earned-time-vs-hard-blocking
Last updated: 2026-09-25

Type: Comparison. Publisher: Lucernel.

## Short answer

Hard blocking is right for apps you should never open. Earned time is better for apps you need but misuse: you open them with minutes you earned, which turns scrolling into a decision.

- **Choose this if:** Use hard blocking for apps and hours with no good reason to be open at all.
- **Choose the other option if:** Use earned time, as in Renounce, for apps you need but tend to fall into.

## Side by side

| | Hard blocking | Earned time (Renounce) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Simple to set up | Yes, one switch per app | Yes, pick the apps, then earn minutes as you go |
| Allows necessary use | No, the app is closed | Yes, with minutes you earn |
| Invites workarounds | Often, when the block feels unfair | Less, because you chose the rule |
| Builds a positive habit | No | Yes, minutes come from prayer and Scripture |
| Best for | Apps you should never open | Apps you need but misuse |

## When hard blocks work

For an app that only ever leads you somewhere bad, a full block is the right answer. Screen Time Downtime and app limits can do it for free.


## When they backfire

Block an app you need for work or family and you will soon be looking for a way around it. Once you find one, the block is worth nothing, and you have practiced breaking a rule.


## How earned time works in Renounce

Renounce keeps a small time wallet. You add minutes by praying or reading Scripture, and you spend them to open the apps you protect. Each opening becomes a choice you made after time with God, not a reflex.



Disclosure: Renounce is made by Lucernel, the publisher of this article.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is hard blocking better for addiction?

For apps with no good use, yes. For apps you need, a system you will keep, such as earned time, lasts longer.

### How do you earn time in Renounce?

By praying or reading Scripture in the app. The minutes go into a time wallet you spend on protected apps.

### Can I still block an app completely?

Yes. Use Screen Time or keep the app protected with no time spent on it.

### What if I burn through my minutes?

Then the app stays guarded until you earn more, which is the point: the next opening is a fresh choice.

## Our pick: Renounce, where time online is earned with God

A hard block ends in a workaround. Renounce asks for something better: pray or read first, then spend the minutes you earned on the apps you chose. It turns your screen time into a small daily discipline.

- A time wallet filled by prayer and Scripture
- Guards the apps you choose
- SOS when an urge breaks through

[See how Renounce works](https://lucernel.com/apps/renounce)

## Sources (checked 2026-09-25)

- [Apple Support: Use Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982)