We ship you a refurbished iPhone SE with the junk chiseled off permanently. Your phone becomes a tool, and you become free. No configuring, no settings to fiddle with, no workarounds. It shows up ready to go and impossible to break. Use your existing phone plan — you can probably downgrade your data to save money.
$49 activation fee · 90-day membership · uses your existing phone plan
Get the Stone PhoneWhy this works
Every app blocker, screen time limiter, and "digital wellness" tool has the same fatal flaw: you can turn it off. You set it up yourself, you hold the password, and at 11:30pm when you're bored and tired, you override it. Every time. Stone Phone is different because the restrictions aren't settings you configure — they're locked in with our proprietary technology before the phone ever reaches you. There's nothing to set up, nothing to manage, and nothing to override.
Apple Screen Time lets you set limits, then asks if you'd like "15 more minutes" when you hit them. That's not a lock — that's a suggestion. Our technology makes the restrictions impenetrable. There is no override prompt.
App blockers run on top of your phone. You can delete them, disable them, or just use Safari to access the same sites. Our restrictions run beneath the operating system. You can't uninstall what you can't reach.
No downloading 4 apps. No watching YouTube tutorials on the best settings. No spending an hour building your blocklist. Your Stone Phone shows up ready. Pop in your SIM and go live your life.
How it works
Choose Focus (basically a dumb phone with iMessage and a real camera) or Balance (your apps minus the time sinks). Tell us which essentials you need at signup.
We take a refurbished iPhone SE (3rd gen, unlocked, 64GB), lock it down with our proprietary technology, and ship it to your door. Pop in your existing SIM card — we even include the SIM tool — and you're live on your current phone plan. No setup, no configuring, no downloading anything.
The restrictions are impenetrable. You can't override them, install blocked apps, or talk yourself into "just five more minutes" of TikTok at midnight. We hold the keys so you don't have to trust yourself.
Two modes
Everything a Light Phone does, plus everything it can't. iMessage that actually works. A real camera. Apple Pay. GPS that won't get you lost on the way to a funeral. No browser, no app store, no rabbit holes. 30 apps, pre-installed and locked. No changes, no exceptions.
Pre-installed apps (locked — cannot be changed)
Want to customize your app list? Choose Balance instead.
Chiseled off permanently
Safari · App Store · Instagram · TikTok · X · Facebook · Snapchat · YouTube · Reddit · News · Email · All social media
You still need email for work. Maybe Slack. Maybe Notion. That's fine. We block social media and doomscroll apps, you customize your app list at signup, and you get one update per week. Includes a 3-day white-glove onboarding period.
What's on the phone
Chiseled off permanently
Instagram · TikTok · X · Facebook · Snapchat · YouTube · Reddit · All social media apps · Social media websites
The trade-off
Comparison
Because dumb phones are actually dumb. They drop the stuff you need along with the stuff you don't.
| Feature | Stone Phone 🪨 | Light Phone | Screen Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| iMessage | Yes | No (SMS only) | Yes |
| Real camera | Yes | No / Basic | Yes |
| Apple Pay | Yes | No | Yes |
| Reliable GPS | Apple Maps | Laggy, unreliable | Yes |
| Spotify | Yes | No (MP3 only) | Yes |
| Uber / Lyft | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2FA apps | Yes | No | Yes |
| Social media blocked | Yes, impenetrable | N/A (no apps) | Bypassable |
| You can undo it at 11pm | Nope | Nope | Yep (that's the problem) |
| Setup required | None — arrives ready | Minimal | Lots of configuring |
| Upfront cost | $49 activation fee | $299 – $799 | Free |
Questions
What phone do I actually get?
A refurbished iPhone SE (3rd generation), unlocked, 64GB. It's a real iPhone that works like a real iPhone — it just doesn't have the stuff that ruins your afternoon. It arrives with a SIM card tool in the box. Pop in your existing SIM and you're good to go — it works on your current phone plan. You can probably downgrade your data plan to save money since you won't be burning through it doomscrolling anymore.
Can I keep my number?
Yes. Pop in your existing SIM or eSIM and you're good. We handle the software, not your carrier.
How is this different from Screen Time or app blockers?
Screen Time and app blockers are settings you control — which means you can override them whenever you want. And you will, at 11pm on a Tuesday. Stone Phone is locked down with our proprietary technology before it ever reaches you. There are no settings to fiddle with, no passcode you can enter to get "15 more minutes," and no way to uninstall the restrictions. It arrives configured and impenetrable. You don't waste time setting anything up, and you can't undo it even if you try.
What stops me from removing the restrictions?
Our proprietary lockdown technology runs beneath the level you can access as a user. You can't remove it, disable it, or work around it — that's the entire point of the product. If you could turn it off, it would just be another app blocker. It's not.
Can I get social media added to my phone?
No. Social media is blocked on every plan, no exceptions, no workarounds, no "just for work" exceptions. Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and Reddit are permanently off the table. This is a hard policy and we will not make exceptions. If you need social media on your phone, Stone Phone isn't the right product for you — and that's okay.
What if I need an app that's not included?
Focus comes with a locked list of 30 pre-installed apps — no changes, no exceptions. If you need an app that's not on the Focus list, choose Balance instead. Balance lets you customize your app list at signup and make one change request per week. We review requests to make sure they're tools, not traps.
Why is there a limit on change requests?
Because unlimited changes defeat the purpose. Focus has a completely locked app list — no changes at all. Balance allows one change per week, which is intentional friction — it forces you to think about whether you actually need something instead of acting on impulse. Most people find they use fewer changes than they expected.
Can you see my texts, photos, or personal data?
No. Our technology controls which apps can be installed and which websites can be visited — that's it. We cannot see your messages, photos, browsing activity, location, or any personal content on the device. We see what apps are installed and whether the device is active. Think of it like a landlord who controls which appliances are in the apartment but doesn't have a camera inside.
Why is it a 90-day program?
Because the first few weeks are hard and most people who push through are glad they did. The program is charged monthly — you're not prepaying anything. You're just committing to giving it a real shot. After 90 days, you can continue month-to-month or send the phone back.
What happens when I cancel?
Ship the phone back with the prepaid label we send you. Normal wear and tear is fine. The $49 activation fee is non-refundable, but there are no cancellation fees.
Who owns the phone?
We do. It's a membership, not a purchase. You're renting a tool. When you're done with it, send it back.
What happens when Apple stops supporting the iPhone SE?
When Apple drops iOS support for the iPhone SE (3rd generation), we'll send you a replacement device at no extra cost. Your membership continues uninterrupted — we handle the swap, you just pop in your SIM and keep going. We're committed to keeping your Stone Phone running as long as you're a member.
You've tried app timers. You've tried grayscale. You've tried "just having more discipline." Join Stone Phone and get a phone that actually works for you — locked down so tight you couldn't break in if you wanted to. Your membership includes a refurbished iPhone SE, pre-configured and ready to go. No setup, no configuration, no willpower required.